In My Seed Box For 2027 - Courgette

   

It's very rare that I harvest these when they are the size they should be, and I don't really need more than a couple of plants, last Year I grew "Summer Holiday" as it looks like a beach ball, and I liked the idea of stuffing it.  

For 2027 it's back to the more traditional green courgettes and seeds still in my Seed Box, are:-

Blackstar F1 - Mr Fothergill's - 10 Seeds - £2.15 - Packaged 2022 Sow By 2025 

Price in 2025 was £2.99

Price Today is £3.19

Shows exceptional disease resistance. You can expect reliable crops of beautiful, dark and glossy fruits. Vigorous, plants have an open habit which promotes early cropping.

British Summertime F1 - Dobies - 10 Seeds - £ 2.99 (2022) - Packaged Year ending 2022  Cost RRP £3.49 (2024), sold for 89p in 2025. Today on sale at £2.99 so back to the 2022 price.

British Summertime is the British bred courgette that will yield an abundance of fruit even in cold weather conditions. British bred and perfect to grow in a British Summer (dull and wet!) One of the earliest fruiting courgettes. The plant habit is an exceptionally open bush which improves air circulation, reducing the incidence of disease and fruit rot, allowing for the rapid picking of top-quality dark green fruit. Spine-free, so no scratched hands when you harvest. 

Sow           April - June

Sow seeds singly (April - June) 25mm (1") deep into a 75mm (3") pots indoors or in a greenhouse at 18 - 25C (64-77F) Grow on and plant out in the garden after hardening off, when the risk of frost has passed leaving 600mm (24") each way between plants, alternatively plant in 450mm (18") containers. Can also be sown directly outdoors into warm well-drained, moist soil after the risk of frost has passed , sowing 2-3 seeds at 600mm (24") intervals and thinning out to the strongest seedling. 

 

Plant Out   June - Aug 

Harvest     July - Oct.

Height       610-700mm (2' - 2'7")

More Information 

Water courgettes regularly - do not allow the soil to dry out as this will impair their development. Hoe between plants regularly to prevent weeds from establishing. Courgettes appreciate an application of a high potash fertiliser every two weeks during the growing season. 

Hand pollinating courgettes is not usually required when they are grown outdoors. However, for indoor cultivation the female flowers can be fertilised by pressing a male flower against them. 

Begin harvesting courgettes from midsummer onwards when they are 10cm (4") long. Regular harvesting will encourage more courgettes to be produced. Culinary note: Courgette flowers are edible and can be eaten cooked or added raw to salads.

Courgette Seeds - F1 Defender

Packet Contents 20 seeds, Suttons Code 16 13 28 Cost per pack £2.99 when bought in 2021

Cost in 2025 was £3.49

Cost Today £3.79

Packed 2021 - Sow By 7/2027

An RHS Award of Garden Merit Winner.

• Easy to grow & ideal to grow in small spaces.

• A great courgette variety for gardening beginners. 
• Resistant to Cucumber Mosaic Virus.

In My Seed Box For 2027 - Index

In My Seed Box For 2026 - Courgette

  

It's very rare that I harvest these when they are the size they should be, and I don't really need more than a couple of plants, last Year I grew "Summer Holiday" as it looks like a beach ball, and I liked the idea of stuffing it.  

For 2026 it's back to the more traditional green courgettes and seeds still in my Seed Box, are:-

Blackstar F1 - Mr Fothergill's - 10 Seeds - £2.15 - Packaged 2022 Sow By 2025 Price as of this posting £2.99

Shows exceptional disease resistance. You can expect reliable crops of beautiful, dark and glossy fruits. Vigorous, plants have an open habit which promotes early cropping.

British Summertime F1 - Dobies - 10 Seeds - £ 2.99 (2022) - Packaged Year ending 2022  Cost RRP £3.49 (2024), sold for 89p in 2025. Today on sale at £2.99 so back to the 2022 price.

British Summertime is the British bred courgette that will yield an abundance of fruit even in cold weather conditions. British bred and perfect to grow in a British Summer (dull and wet!) One of the earliest fruiting courgettes. The plant habit is an exceptionally open bush which improves air circulation, reducing the incidence of disease and fruit rot, allowing for the rapid picking of top-quality dark green fruit. Spine-free, so no scratched hands when you harvest. 

Sow           April - June

Sow seeds singly (April - June) 25mm (1") deep into a 75mm (3") pots indoors or in a greenhouse at 18 - 25C (64-77F) Grow on and plant out in the garden after hardening off, when the risk of frost has passed leaving 600mm (24") each way between plants, alternatively plant in 450mm (18") containers. Can also be sown directly outdoors into warm well-drained, moist soil after the risk of frost has passed , sowing 2-3 seeds at 600mm (24") intervals and thinning out to the strongest seedling. 

 

Plant Out   June - Aug 

Harvest     July - Oct.

Height       610-700mm (2' - 2'7")

More Information 

Water courgettes regularly - do not allow the soil to dry out as this will impair their development. Hoe between plants regularly to prevent weeds from establishing. Courgettes appreciate an application of a high potash fertiliser every two weeks during the growing season. 

Hand pollinating courgettes is not usually required when they are grown outdoors. However, for indoor cultivation the female flowers can be fertilised by pressing a male flower against them. 

Begin harvesting courgettes from midsummer onwards when they are 10cm (4") long. Regular harvesting will encourage more courgettes to be produced. Culinary note: Courgette flowers are edible and can be eaten cooked or added raw to salads.

Courgette Seeds - F1 Defender

Packet Contents 20 seeds, Suttons Code 16 13 28 Cost per pack £2.99 when bought in 2021

Cost at todays date £3.49

Packed 2021 - Sow By 7/2027

An RHS Award of Garden Merit Winner.

• Easy to grow & ideal to grow in small spaces.

• A great courgette variety for gardening beginners. 
• Resistant to Cucumber Mosaic Virus.

In My Seed Box For 2026 - Index

In My Seed Box For 2024 - Courgette

  

It's very rare that I harvest these when they are the size they should be, and I don't really need more than a couple of plants, last Year I grew "Summer Holiday" as it looks like a beach ball, and I liked the idea of stuffing it.  

For 2024 it's back to the more traditional green courgettes and seeds still in my Seed Box.

Blackstar F1 - Mr Fothergill's - 10 Seeds - £2.15 - Packaged 2022 Sow By 2025 Price as of this posting £2.59

Shows exceptional disease resistance. You can expect reliable crops of beautiful, dark and glossy fruits. Vigorous, plants have an open habit which promotes early cropping.

British Summertime F1 - Dobies - 10 Seeds - £ 2.99 (2022) - Packaged Year ending 2022  Cost RRP £3.49 (2024) om offer in sale at 89p todays date.

British Summertime is the British bred courgette that will yield an abundance of fruit even in cold weather conditions. British bred and perfect to grow in a British Summer (dull and wet!) One of the earliest fruiting courgettes. The plant habit is an exceptionally open bush which improves air circulation, reducing the incidence of disease and fruit rot, allowing for the rapid picking of top-quality dark green fruit. Spine-free, so no scratched hands when you harvest. 

Sow           April - June

Sow seeds singly (April - June) 25mm (1") deep into a 75mm (3") pots indoors or in a greenhouse at 18 - 25C (64-77F) Grow on and plant out in the garden after hardening off, when the risk of frost has passed leaving 600mm (24") each way between plants, alternatively plant in 450mm (18") containers. Can also be sown directly outdoors into warm well-reained, moist soil after the risk of frost has passed , sowing 2-3 seeds at 600mm (24") intervals and thinning out to the strongest seedling. 

 

Plant Out   June - Aug 

Harvest     July - Oct.

Height       610-700mm (2' - 2'7")

More Information 

Water courgettes regularly - do not allow the soil to dry out as this will impair their development. Hoe between plants regularly to prevent weeds from establishing. Courgettes appreciate an application of a high potash fertiliser every two weeks during the growing season. 

Hand pollinating courgettes is not usually required when they are grown outdoors. However, for indoor cultivation the female flowers can be fertilised by pressing a male flower against them. 

Begin harvesting courgettes from midsummer onwards when they are 10cm (4") long. Regular harvesting will encourage more courgettes to be produced. Culinary note: Courgette flowers are edible and can be eaten cooked or added raw to salads.

Courgette Seeds - F1 Defender

Packet Contents 20 seeds

Suttons Code 16 13 28

Cost per pack £2.99 when bought in 2021

Cost at todays date £3.49

Packed 2021 - Sow By 7/2027

An RHS Award of Garden Merit Winner.

• Easy to grow & ideal to grow in small spaces.

• A great courgette variety for gardening beginners. 

• Resistant to Cucumber Mosaic Virus.

In My Seed Box For 2024 - Index

Courgette - Summer Holiday

Mr Fothergill's Courgette - Summer Holiday - 10 Seeds - Item Code 29382 - £3.35

Their web site says, "This customer favourite variety is back!" so not completely new to Mr Fothergills for 2023, but to me up until now courgettes are and have been mini green long mini marrow like plants, that if you don't pick them at the right time turn into marrows! 

Summer Holliday produce large crops of rounded, colourful and eye-catching beach ball looking courgettes. Again, Mr Fothergills web page says they are "Very popular in Italy, their shape makes them ideal for stuffing, or steamed whole." 

Packed with great flavour and texture, they are an excellent source of vitamin C.

Sow indoor: for surest results, 13mm(½in) deep, on edge, in small pots of compost. Water well and place in a warm position. A temperature of 15-20°C(60-68°F) is ideal. Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 7-14 days. Gradually accustom plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts), before planting out 600mm(2ft) apart, when frosts are over.

Sow outdoors: for ease, where they are to crop, 13cm(½in) deep directly into finely prepared soil which has already been watered. Allow 600mm (2ft) between sowing positions. Sow two seeds on edge per position. Early sowings benefit from cloche protection. Thin to leave the stronger plant. Water well until plants are established.

In My Seed Box For 2023 - Courgette

 

It's very rare that I harvest these when they are the size they should be, and I don't really need more than a couple of plants, but I have to grow Summer Holiday as it looks like a beach ball, and I like the idea of stuffing it.  

Summer Holiday - Mr Fothergill's - 10 Seeds - £3.35 - Packaged 2022 Sow By 2025

This customer favourite variety is back! Plants produce large crops of rounded, colourful and eye-catching courgettes. 

Very popular in Italy, their shape makes them ideal for stuffing, or steamed whole. Packed with great flavour and texture, they are an excellent source of vitamin C

Sow indoor: for surest results, 1.5cm(½in) deep, on edge, in small pots of compost. Water well and place in a warm position. A temperature of 15-20°C(60-68°F) is ideal. Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 7-14 days. Gradually accustom plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts), before planting out 60cm(2ft) apart, when frosts are over.

Sow outdoors: for ease, where they are to crop, 1.5cm(½in) deep directly into finely prepared soil which has already been watered. Allow 60cm(2ft) between sowing positions. Sow two seeds on edge per position. Early sowings benefit from cloche protection. Thin to leave the stronger plant. Water well until plants are established.

Blackstar F1 - Mr Fothergill's - 10 Seeds - £2.15 - Packaged 2022 Sow By 2025

Shows exceptional disease resistance. You can expect reliable crops of beautiful, dark and glossy fruits. Vigorous, plants have an open habit which promotes early cropping.

Seeds still in the Seed Box include

British Summertime F1 - Dobies - 10 Seeds - £ 2.99 - Packaged Year ending 2022

British Summertime is the British bred courgette that will yield an abundance of fruit even in cold weather conditions. British bred and perfect to grow in a British Summer (dull and wet!) One of the earliest fruiting courgettes. The plant habit is an exceptionally open bush which improves air circulation, reducing the incidence of disease and fruit rot, allowing for the rapid picking of top-quality dark green fruit. Spine-free, so no scratched hands when you harvest. 

Sow           April - June

Sow seeds singly (April - June) 25mm (1") deep into a 75mm (3") pots indoors or in a greenhouse at 18 - 25C (64-77F) Grow on and plant out in the garden after hardening off, when the risk of frost has passed leaving 600mm (24") each way between plants, alternatively plant in 450mm (18") containers. Can also be sown directly outdoors into warm well-reained, moist soil after the risk of frost has passed , sowing 2-3 seeds at 600mm (24") intervals and thinning out to the strongest seedling. 

 

Plant Out   June - Aug 

Harvest     July - Oct.

Height       610-700mm (2' - 2'7")

More Information 

Water courgettes regularly - do not allow the soil to dry out as this will impair their development. Hoe between plants regularly to prevent weeds from establishing. Courgettes appreciate an application of a high potash fertiliser every two weeks during the growing season. 

Hand pollinating courgettes is not usually required when they are grown outdoors. However, for indoor cultivation the female flowers can be fertilised by pressing a male flower against them. 

Begin harvesting courgettes from midsummer onwards when they are 10cm (4") long. Regular harvesting will encourage more courgettes to be produced. Culinary note: Courgette flowers are edible and can be eaten cooked or added raw to salads.

Courgette Seeds - F1 Defender

Packet Contents 20 seeds

Suttons Code 16 13 28

Cost per pack £2.99

• An RHS Award of Garden Merit Winner.
• Easy to grow & ideal to grow in small spaces.
• A great courgette variety for gardening beginners. 
• Resistant to Cucumber Mosaic Virus.

In My Seed Box For 2023 - Index

In My Seed Box For 2022 - Courgette

It's very rare that I harvest these when they are the size they should be, and I don't really need more than a couple of plants

Summer Holiday - Mr Fothergill's - 10 Seeds -  £3.25 - Packaged 2022 Sow By 2025

This customer favourite variety is back! Plants produce large crops of rounded, colourful and eye-catching courgettes. 

Very popular in Italy, their shape makes them ideal for stuffing, or steamed whole. Packed with great flavour and texture, they are an excellent source of vitamin C

Sow indoor: for surest results, 1.5cm(½in) deep, on edge, in small pots of compost. Water well and place in a warm position. A temperature of 15-20°C(60-68°F) is ideal. Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 7-14 days. Gradually accustom plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts), before planting out 60cm(2ft) apart, when frosts are over.

Sow outdoors: for ease, where they are to crop, 1.5cm(½in) deep directly into finely prepared soil which has already been watered. Allow 60cm(2ft) between sowing positions. Sow two seeds on edge per position. Early sowings benefit from cloche protection. Thin to leave the stronger plant. Water well until plants are established.

New for 2022 British Summertime F1 - Dobies -  10 Seeds - £ 2.99 - Packaged Year ending 2022

British Summertime is the British bred courgette that will yield an abundance of fruit even in cold weather conditions. British bred and perfect to grow in a British Summer (dull and wet!) One of the earliest fruiting courgettes. The plant habit is an exceptionally open bush which improves air circulation, reducing the incidence of disease and fruit rot, allowing for the rapid picking of top-quality dark green fruit. Spine-free, so no scratched hands when you harvest. 

Sow           April - June

Sow seeds singly (April - June) 25mm (1") deep into a 75mm (3") pots indoors or in a greenhouse at 18 - 25C (64-77F) Grow on and plant out in the garden after hardening off, when the risk of frost has passed leaving 600mm (24") each way between plants, alternatively plant in 450mm (18") containers. Can also be sown directly outdoors into warm well-reained, moist soil after the risk of frost has passed , sowing 2-3 seeds at 600mm (24") intervals and thinning out to the strongest seedling. 

 

Plant Out  June - Aug 

Harvest     July - Oct.

Height       610-700mm (2' - 2'7")

More Information 

Water courgettes regularly - do not allow the soil to dry out as this will impair their development. Hoe between plants regularly to prevent weeds from establishing. Courgettes appreciate an application of a high potash fertiliser every two weeks during the growing season. 

Hand pollinating courgettes is not usually required when they are grown outdoors. However, for indoor cultivation the female flowers can be fertilised by pressing a male flower against them. 

Begin harvesting courgettes from midsummer onwards when they are 10cm (4") long. Regular harvesting will encourage more courgettes to be produced. Culinary note: Courgette flowers are edible and can be eaten cooked or added raw to salads.

Courgette Seeds - F1 Defender

Packet Contents 20 seeds

Suttons Code 16 13 28

Cost per pack £2.99

• An RHS Award of Garden Merit Winner.
• Easy to grow & ideal to grow in small spaces.
• A great courgette variety for gardening beginners. 
• Resistant to Cucumber Mosaic Virus.

In My Seed Box For 2022 - Index

Greenhouse Door

Early this morning giving the tomatoes a dip in water filled trays for half an hour each so they suck up the water from the bottom. 

Some sorting of the Micro Toms so they are in the tray near the eaves of the Norfolk Space Savet Greenhouse and the taller tomatoes will go in the middle bays where the door is.  

Radish really need to go in down the allotment 

Beetroots on the left and short Tomato seedlings on the right 

Aubergines Long Purple way behind the other varieties 

Spring onions taking their time 

Cucumbers, Gherkins and Courgettes need potting on to their own vending machine cups. 

During the evening rather than watch TV I potted on half of the plants in self watering pop bottles.

Sowing Courgettes & Gherkin

 

Seeds placed equally as far as possible at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 o'clock as indicated in the photo before the seeds were helped into the compost, watered in and then the reservoir filled with water and the Pop Bottle Propagator lids were placed on top of the handles.     

Hit and miss on the sunshine and rain front today, plus after over a year of not being able to work I have three enquiries to process today.  

Early morning I made another four Pop Bottle Propagators and have sown the following between showers:

5 x Courgettes Thompson & Morgan Midnight F1 Hybrid as there are 10 seeds in the pack and the sow by was 2020 so I've sown half of them

6 x Courgettes Romenesco - Johnsons Sarah Raven Collection These have been in the seed box for some time and were sow by 2017 so it will be interesting to see if they germinate or not!. If not I have the Midnight F1 as back up. 

6 x Gherkin National from Seedmegastore bought to grow in 2020. Sowing Time Feb to April so a little late but I'm sure they will catch up and perform.

In My Seed Box For 2021 - Courgette

 

It's very rare that I harvest these when they are the size they should be, and I don't really need more than a couple of plants 

All Green Bush - Thompson & Morgan - 10 Seeds - £2.99 - Sow by 9/2021
Midnight F1      -  Thompson & Morgan - 10 Seeds - £3.29 - Sow by 12/2020

Information - All Green Bush

Sow courgette seed indoors from April to May for transplanting later on, or direct sow outdoors from late May to June. Prepare the soil in early spring by adding plenty of well rotted farmyard manure to improve its structure and fertility.

Indoors, sow seed at a depth of 2cm ( 3/4") in 7.5cm (3") pots of free-draining, seed sowing compost. Place in a propagator or seal container inside a plastic bag at a temperature of 20-25C (68-77F) until germination which takes 5-7 days. Do not exclude light, as this helps germination. Once germinated, grow courgettes on in cooler conditions until all risk of frost has passed and courgette plants are large enough to be transplanted. 

Gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7 - 10 days before planting courgettes outdoors in rich fertile, well drained soil in full sun at a distance of 90cm (36") apart. Cover with a protective netting or fleece to prevent attack from birds and insects. When growing courgettes, a thick mulch of organic matter spread around the plants will help to conserve moisture at the roots.

Alternatively direct sow courgettes outdoors at a depth of 2cm ( 3/4") and a distance of 90cm (36") apart. Sow 2 seeds per hole and thin out the weakest seedling per station after germination.

Information - Midnight F1

Sow courgette seed indoors from April to May for transplanting later on, or direct sow outdoors from late May to June. Prepare the soil in early spring by adding plenty of well rotted farmyard manure to improve its structure and fertility.

Indoors, sow seed at a depth of 2cm ( 3/4") in 7.5cm (3") pots of free-draining, seed sowing compost. Place in a propagator or seal container inside a plastic bag at a temperature of 20-25C (68-77F) until germination which takes 5-7 days. Do not exclude light, as this helps germination. Once germinated, grow courgettes on in cooler conditions until all risk of frost has passed and courgette plants are large enough to be transplanted.

Gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7 - 10 days before planting courgettes outdoors in rich fertile, well drained soil in full sun at a distance of 90cm (36") apart. Cover with a protective netting or fleece to prevent attack from birds and insects. When growing courgettes, a thick mulch of organic matter spread around the plants will help to conserve moisture at the roots.

Alternatively direct sow courgettes outdoors at a depth of 2cm ( 3/4") and a distance of 90cm (36") apart. Sow 2 seeds per hole and thin out the weakest seedling per station after germination.

More Information 

Water courgettes regularly - do not allow the soil to dry out as this will impair their development. Hoe between plants regularly to prevent weeds from establishing. Courgettes appreciate an application of a high potash fertiliser every two weeks during the growing season. Hand pollinating courgettes is not usually required when they are grown outdoors. However, for indoor cultivation the female flowers can be fertilised by pressing a male flower against them. Begin harvesting courgettes from midsummer onwards when they are 10cm (4") long. Regular harvesting will encourage more courgettes to be produced. Culinary note: Courgette flowers are edible and can be eaten cooked or added raw to salads.

In My Seed Box For 2021 - Index