This year 2020, I am growing yellow round courgettes and what a success they have been. They look like round yellow balls with a green sprout of hair where the stalk is.

They are fascinating to watch growing and my daughter loves pointing at them in the garden. They are a bit woody if they get too big as you have more seeds than flesh but I have harvested them as just over a tennis ball size and they have been very tasty sliced on a mandolin and used in a courgette tart with puff pastry. Their yellow skin is smooth and thin so it’s easy to peel in the kitchen.

A few years ago, I grew black beauty courgettes from a free seed packet from gardeners world magazine. I had know idea how many seeds to sow or plants to put in but I quickly found out, you don’t need many plants to feed a family of three.

However it all quickly got out of hand as once I have plants about 8 or so I couldn’t destroy them, so I’d run out of room in my vegetable plot so the remaining ones had to go into my flower and shrub borders. Needless to say we were over run by courgettes and we had so many I didn’t know what to do with them all and certainly didn’t want to see another courgette after that year!

This year I went conservative on the plants, so I grew three plants of yellow round courgettes. My thinking was that if one doesn’t produce the other two plants will. I planted them about a metre apart which I thought was a little large on the area but they do quickly fill that space. The seed packet says I shall expect to see 2-3 courgettes per plant, well they have already exceed that estimate.

This year in the press, there has been an issue with bitterness in some green courgettes causing severe illness in several batches of mr fothergill seeds. I have checked the taste of mine raw before cooking and all have been okay.

Things to know about growing courgettes:

1. Sowing – Sow 1 seed per 9cm pot and when the seedling has more than 2 leaves, it’s best to wait until 4 leaves appear, you can harden it off, by putting it outside for a few days to get it use to the temperature outside, then plant it in a pot, raised bed or border.

2. Growing – Expect minimum 2-3 courgettes per plant and check how many plants you need before sowing the seeds, this will minimise any waste or having to be creative with courgette meals to use up your harvests.

3. TOP TIP! When planting out your seedling with 4 leaves, next to the seedling, sink your 9cm pot into the ground. This will enable you to water the roots without hitting the leaves. They are thirsty plants and like lots of water on their roots.

4. Planting Distance – When planting out, they will need at least 1 metre between each plant. They start small and suddenly once established they will grow and grow some more. Anything that is growing round them will be swamped with their huge leaves.

5. Soil – They don’t need any special soil or extra fertiliser, just plant out in multi purpose compost in large pots (1 plant per pot) or in a raised bed spaced 1 metre apart.

6. Watering – When watering the plant, try to direct the water to the base of the plant near where the stem comes out of the ground or in your side pot (as per point 3). Try to avoid watering on the leaves as this will cause mould and mildew and avoid watering near the courgettes especially if one is close to the ground, this reduces the rotting rate whilst the courgette is sitting on the soil.

7. Harvest Times – different varieties will have different harvest time so it’s best to check your seed packet for instruction. Roughly the long courgettes should be 5 or more inches long and the yellow round courgettes should be a bit larger than a tennis ball.

8. How to Harvest – Wear gloves as they are spiny and so are the leaves which may cause irritation. Grab the courgette and twist. Sometimes a small amount of stalk will come with the courgette and sometimes it’s a clean break, it doesn’t matter both are okay.

9. Kitchen Storage – Wash the courgette to remove any compost or soil, leave to air dry or wipe with a towel. Do not put it in the fridge. They are best used within 2-3 days. I leave mine on the windowsill until ready to use.

10. Cook – Courgette, bacon and cheese tart is a favourite of ours. Cut the courgette into thin slices, chop the bacon and put cream cheese on a pre-rolled sheet puff pastry and then add the courgette, bacon and grated cheese on top. Pop into the oven for 20-25mins until golden brown. It keeps until the next day so have any left overs for lunch.