When to plant
courgettes in the UK
You only need 2-3 plants. Seriously. Pick them small (15cm) or they turn into marrows overnight.
Work out your own dates
Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.
Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it
Growing journey
12 weeks from planting out to harvest · Start indoors 6 weeks before planting out
Get courgettes seeds
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What courgettes need
Full sun. Rich soil. Lots of water.
Spacing
90cm between plants
These plants need serious room. Plan for at least a square metre each.
Varieties worth growing
Black Beauty
commonDark green and glossy, and so willing that by August you'll be finding homes for them up and down the path. It's the variety that turns every first-time grower into a generous one — pick them small and often, and they just keep coming.
Courgette fritters
Grate, squeeze out the water (this bit matters), mix with feta, mint, and a beaten egg. Fry spoonfuls until golden. Crunchy outside, melting inside.
Courgette ribbons with lemon and parmesan
Peel into long ribbons and turn them in a hot pan with olive oil, lemon zest, a pinch of chilli and shaved parmesan. Two minutes, and summer is on the plate.
Tromboncino
rareAn Italian climbing courgette with long, curving, pale-green fruits like a trombone. It goes up rather than out, which suits a small plot, and the flesh is firmer and nuttier than the usual sort — it'll keep cropping right up to the first frost.
Tromboncino pasta
Dice into cubes and fry with garlic and chilli until golden at the edges, then toss through spaghetti with toasted breadcrumbs and a shower of pecorino. The firmer flesh holds its shape beautifully.
Costata Romanesco
uncommonRibbed and grey-green, with a firmer flesh than the smooth sorts — an Italian heirloom that cooks beautifully, the ridges catching the oil and crisping at the edges. The blossoms come large and golden, and are a pleasure in themselves.
Stuffed courgette flowers
Fill the big golden blossoms with ricotta, lemon zest and mint, dip in a light batter and fry until crisp. Eat them straightaway, warm from the pan.
Golden Zucchini
uncommonBright yellow courgettes that show up easily among the leaves — which means fewer marrows quietly swelling out of sight. The flavour is a touch nuttier than the green sorts, and a plateful of yellow rounds is a cheerful thing.
Golden courgette and goat's cheese tart
Slice into rounds, arrange overlapping on puff pastry with goat's cheese and thyme. Bake until the pastry is golden and the courgettes have caramelised at the edges. The yellow rounds look like gold coins.
Courgettesdrink heavily through summer — a good soak at the roots beats a daily sprinkle. How I water, and the lance I use →
Good companions
When to sow courgettes
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
Where to buy courgettes seeds
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What you'll need for courgettes
The stuff beginners wish they'd bought sooner.
Ferric phosphate — pet-safe and organic-approved. Young plants are slug magnets. One night can finish them.
Keeps fruit off wet soil (prevents rot), suppresses weeds, retains moisture. Courgettes are thirsty and hate sitting in mud.
Protects from late frost and gives seedlings a head start. Keep a roll in the shed — you'll use it constantly.
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Get your exact dates
Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for courgettes.