There’s nothing as rewarding than growing your own veg. And what can be a better return on your hard work than the humble Courgette? Very easy to grow and producing many fruits from mid-summer until the first frosts in Autumn.
Courgette Defender F1 Hybrid
A very heavy and early cropper of solid mid-green courgettes. The early yield is almost twice that of some other courgette varieties and it just keeps producing firm, remarkably heavy fruit right through the season. Courgette Defender has an open habit which lets you see and pick the fruits easily, and it has excellent resistance to Cucumber Mosaic Virus.
Sow seeds in spring 1cm (½in) deep in a good seed compost. Germination usually takes 6-10 days at 24C (75F). Can also be sown where they are to crop in late spring/early summer once the soil has warmed up. Sow 3 seeds every 60cm (24in) and thin out to the best seedling.
Transplant when large enough to handle into 8cm (3in) pots and grow on in cooler conditions. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting out after all risk of frost, 60cm (24in) apart in a sunny sheltered spot on rich well drained soil.
Water regularly and feed every 14 days once the courgettes start to develop pick regularly while small 10-16cm (4-6in) and don’t leave any on to grow large or cropping will be impaired.
