How to Grow Courgettes in Containers

Courgette is the British or especially the New Zealand name for zucchini squash. All types of squash are vigorous growers and with a little care they can be grown in containers on a patio or deck.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flower pots 3in and 10in
• compost
• potting soil
• seed
• water
• trellis
• liquid tomato fertilizer

1. 
    
   compost

   To start courgettes from seed, two weeks before the last frost date for your area, fill a 3 inch flower pot with compost. Push a hole in the compost with your finger and place 2-3 seed in the hole and cover with compost. Water well and place pot on a sunny window sill.

2. When your courgettes have been growing for two weeks, all three seeds will usually sprout and grow, remove the two weakest looking plants and discard.

3. 
    
   flower pot

   After the danger of frost has passed, fill a 10 inch flower pot 3/4 full with potting soil. Transplant the courgette you started indoors to the pot, finish filling pot with soil firming it down as you go.

4. 
    
   wooden trellis

   Place the pot in a sunny location on your patio or deck. You may want to provide a trellis for the courgette to run on to limit its spreading.

5. 
    
   zucchini

   Keep your plant watered and feed it with a liquid tomato fertilizer once a week. Picking the squash when they are about 4 inches long will keep the plant producing. A well maintained plant can produce as many as fifty courgettes.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't let the soil dry out. May need to water every day during dry summer months.
• Don't overwater! Courgettes/squash like moist soil but will not tolerate sitting in water.

Resources

• PawPaw's homepage
• PawPaw's other articles by category

[GreenGardenChic]

on 4/7/2009 Good advice and instructions. Now I can't wait for summer.

[ReuseItAll]

on 4/6/2009 We grow zucchini out in our garden. I'd love to try it in a pot as well. Great tips on how to grow them successfully! I had no idea you could get 50 from one plant! Wow!

[slphilbrick]

on 4/6/2009 Courgettes, huh? Learned something new today ! I grow zucchini every year, but never potted. I think I'll try your method this year.

[joanhaines]

on 3/17/2009 I didn't realize you could grow zucchini in containers! Plus, you taught me a new name for them: courgettes.

[Muzikpeach]

on 3/12/2009 I have never tried growing these in containers before. Good idea!