Waiting is something Gardening teaches us along with patience. It’s worth knowing that not everything happens instantly and that’s part of the growing process. Whilst you can’t rush growth, you can choose when it begins.
The earlier you sow, the earlier the harvest. This why it’s better to sow Courgettes in April and not May, to give them the head start they need.
Courgettes are one of the most cost effective vegetable to grow. Sow 1 seed and get about 5 plus courgettes off that plant, maybe more. Courgette seeds start from 39p from UK seed suppliers so this is great value and you are getting courgettes back for your money.
Can you Sow Courgettes Outdoors in April in the UK?
Courgette’s are classed as Tender vegetables which means they are susceptible to frost.
This means that whilst you are ‘winging it’ by putting those Tomato plants in the greenhouse, hoping not to get too many cold nights or frost. It’s not going to work for Courgettes as they need heat (indoor sunny windowsill type of heat) roughly 18 – 23 degrees centigrade to germinate.
This year I’ve started my Courgette seeds (an early variety called ‘early green gem’) in 9cm diameter pots on the indoor windowsill and they have germinated in 1 week!
It just shows if you ‘Think Like a Grower’ and give your seeds the right conditions, they reward you for it every time!
Why Sow Courgettes in April instead of May?
- The earlier you sow Courgettes, the earlier you harvest them. If you love eating courgettes, this is the perfect way of growing them and spreading out the courgette glut instead of growing them all at the same time.
- If you start Courgettes on the windowsill or heated propagator in April, the heat does all the work and they will have time to establish, before going outdoors after the last frost.
Think Like a Grower Tip:
If you control your temperature and moisture, by growing inside on a sunny windowsill, you can control your results.
When to Transplant Courgettes Outside
When you are working with the seasons and not against them by sowing in April, you’ll find that:
- Courgettes should go outside after the last frost (check the frost date in your area here – usually Late April in the South of the UK to Late May in the North of the UK).
- Once your Courgette plants are strong, with several leaves they can be put outside.
- Hardening Off is a process of holding their hand whilst they go outside and face the colder, windier conditions. This is a step not to miss if you want these gentle giants to produce courgette’s all summer!
Common Mistakes When Sowing Courgettes Too Early
Starting sowings early is powerful, if it’s done right. Here are a few things to consider:
- Courgettes are tender vegetables, they do not like cold so don’t plant out too soon.
- Courgettes are made of a high percentage of water but seedlings do not like to be overwatered. A rule of thumb is, if the compost is dry, water it. It can get very sunny on a sunny windowsill, so check if seedlings need water.
- Courgettes are fast growing once the seedling germinates. They should be in a 9cm diameter pot for a maximum of 4 weeks otherwise the roots become pot bound and the seedling will stall on growth. Pot it onto a large pot in May and place into a greenhouse or outside when ready. (See steps above).
Think Like a Grower Tip:
Problems are signals as to what your plants are telling you. Is it too cold? Is it too hot? Is it too dry?
April Vs May Sowing: What’s the Real Difference?
Theres nothing wrong with sowing in April or May, it just depends on how you want the setup and growth to be. April does give an advantage. Let’s look into what the difference of a few weeks makes.
April Sowing =
- Earlier harvests,
- Stronger plants – by sowing earlier,
- Windowsill sowing – more control by watering.
May Sowing =
- Easy to Direct Sow in the soil (when it has warmed up),
- Slightly later harvests,
- Less indoor setup needed especially if you haven’t got a sunny windowsill.
Think Like a Grower Tip:
There’s no ‘right’ way, just choices with different outcomes. Choose the way you want to grow.
Sowing Courgettes – Sow Now!
My Courgette seedling has been on my sunny windowsill for 1 week. I am aiming for this courgette seedling to be on the windowsill for another 2-3 weeks whilst it gets established. It will then be put outside in the greenhouse and potted on to a larger pot. It’s final position will be planted into a raised beds with lots of compost added next to my Summer Squash plant, if that seedling decides to germinate as well.
Get the best of both worlds and sow early in April and sow another seed or 2 in May. This way it might spread the courgette gluts as well as giving the earlier harvest.
Looking for Courgette Inspiration?
Long Courgettes? Ball Courgettes? Yellow or Green? If you cannot make up your mind, take a look at my inspiration.
My favourite courgette grown so far is ‘Summer Holiday’ a striped yellow and white strip ball courgette. It looked amazing in the vegetable garden.
Growing Courgettes – All Posts with Courgettes
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