Vegetable

Growing courgettes

Cucurbita pepo · Cucurbitaceae
By Hannah Price · Updated 12 November 2026

Courgettes calendar

Courgettes sowing, planting and harvest calendar (UK)
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sow indoors				Sow indoors in April	Sow indoors in May
Sow outside					Sow outside in May	Sow outside in June
Plant					Plant in May	Plant in June
Harvest							Harvest in July	Harvest in August	Harvest in September	Harvest in October

Timings suit lowland southern and central Britain and most of Ireland. In northern England and Scotland, or in a cold spot, start two to three weeks later in spring and finish earlier in autumn.

Overview

Courgettes are simply marrows picked young, and a healthy plant can produce more than a family can keep up with from July to the first frosts. They are frost-tender and fast growing, so the trick is to avoid starting them too early. Besides the fruit, the large yellow flowers are edible and can be stuffed or fried.

Varieties to try

'Defender' is a reliable green courgette with good tolerance of cucumber mosaic virus. 'Atena' and 'Soleil' give bright yellow fruit that is easy to spot among the leaves. 'Costata Romanesco' has ribbed, pale green fruits with a nutty flavour and lovely flowers. For pots or small beds, 'Venus' stays compact. Round types such as 'Tondo di Piacenza' are good for stuffing.

Soil and site

Best soil: Rich, moisture-retentive soil with lots of compost or well-rotted manure.

Choose a sunny, sheltered spot. Courgettes are hungry and thirsty, so dig a hole a spade's depth and width, fill it with compost or old manure, and plant on top of that. Many gardeners grow them on the edge of the compost heap, where their roots find plenty of moisture.

Sowing and planting

Sow seeds on their edge, 2 cm deep, in 9 cm pots indoors from mid-April to mid-May. They germinate in a few days in the warmth and are ready to plant within four weeks. Harden them off and plant out in late May or early June once frosts are over, or sow two seeds per station directly outdoors in late May under a cloche, keeping the stronger seedling.

Spacing: Allow about 90 cm each way; compact varieties can go 60 cm apart or in a 40-litre pot.

Care

Water generously at the base of the plant, not over the leaves, ideally into a sunken pot beside the stem so it reaches the roots. Once fruits start forming, feed every week or two with a tomato-type liquid feed. Mulch to hold moisture, and remove the occasional older leaf if the centre gets congested.

Harvesting and storing

Cut fruits when they are 10–15 cm long, using a sharp knife at the stalk. Check plants every two days in high summer, because courgettes become marrows almost overnight and big fruit slows new cropping. They keep for about a week in the fridge; gluts can be grated and frozen for soups.

Common problems

Slugs and snails devour young plants, so protect them with collars or check at dusk for the first few weeks. Powdery mildew whitens older leaves in late summer, especially when roots are dry; water steadily and remove the worst leaves. Grey mould can rot fruit tips in damp weather, so pick off withered flowers.

Read more on the problems that most often hit courgettes:

Not sure what you're looking at? Try diagnosing it by symptom.

Month-by-month reminders

Jobs for courgettes come round in April, May, June, July, August, September and October. Each month page lists the rest of the garden's jobs for the same weeks.

Grow alongside

Sources

Names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; timings and spacings reflect UK growing practice and were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.