[suziequeue]

Oh bum  - I was hoping you meant courgettes as I think I've planted mine too close together.

I expect I will be able to trail them in different directions though?

And put a bit of straw under them when the time comes?

[Fleecewife]

Well, courgettes don't trail but they do grow in one direction for about a foot as they produce more courgettes.  How far apart have you planted them?  Courgettes tend to have bigger leaves than many squashes and if they get too crowded they get mildews.  If they are really too close together, could you very carefully move every second one, or are they too big already?

Oh bum  - I was hoping you meant courgettes as I think I've planted mine too close together.

I expect I will be able to trail them in different directions though?

And put a bit of straw under them when the time comes?

[suziequeue]

They're about 12 - 18 inches apart.

[Fleecewife]

They're about 12 - 18 inches apart.

Mm - you might be lucky but you will see once they really start to grow that they are very exuberant and throw out big leaves to shade out everything around them.  When they first go out they look so tiny that it's easy to plant them too close, as with tomatoes too - we've all done it  Can you post a pic?

[deepinthewoods]

i allow 3ft square per courgette plant. last year i had 1 grow to about 6ft square and had 48 good courgettes off it, romanesco the variety was and really tasty!

[suziequeue]

We have our own little "brown field" site behind the woodshed where cr4p from previous building projects (from before our time) has been dumped with about an inch of topsoil over it. I have had it covered over with cardboard for about six months now and haven't been quite sure what to do with it. So I decided to make some courgette beds. We have a big pile of old roof slates knocking around.

I had to buy a pickaxe to get through the "soil" which was all clay mixed with concrete I think. Anyway - I dug a hole about 3ft square and 18 inches deep, knocked the slates in around the edge and filled it in with a mix of FYM and topsoil from our middle field so the beds have got about 24" of good soil on top of the base.

Planted one courgette in each so I shall see how they go.

[Fleecewife]

Need a speech bubble for the dog in the first pic - " She wants to do WHAT with it? Courgettes?? Oh these humans....yawn" 

It looks great and they are certainly well spaced out now    But I could have used those lovely slates on my roof    Make sure you don't get slugs lurking amongst the slates, but they do make a perfect little mini windbreak. Keep us updated.

[suziequeue]

I can't wait to see them slopping over the edge. Do you think it's worth putting a beer trap in?

If they are really too close together, could you very carefully move every second one, or are they too big already?

I also managed to rehome one of the other courgettes that was planted too close. Poor lady - she came from Stockport with her husband who was visiting my OH to look at his car restoration project. We went round the garden and she left with a courgette plant in a pot and a lettuce.

She might sling it out of the car window into another TASer's front garden (see the coffee time thread   )

I would have pressed your thankyou button FW but that seems to have gone now..... and you still only have one star 

[Fleecewife]

Thank you for the thought     I'll see if I can hang onto my little gold star 

[NorthEssexsmallholding]

I stupidly took my pumpkins from the greenhouse to the field without thinking, it was windy, lucklily only planted a few before realising they were suffering from the shock. Will make sure I harden all the others off before planting out.

[northfifeduckling]

I used to impatiently plant them all out too early. Some things are worth the wait for good weather  . Never had slugs attack my courgettes if they were big enough (as with lettuce at least 6 leaves). Squashes in the tunnel, courgettes outdoors, if the nights are still cold I throw a fleece over them.