How to Grow Courgette
'All Green Bush' from Seed
A reliable, compact, and prolific courgette that earns its keep all summer long — dark-skinned, tender fruits at their very best when harvested small at 10cm, on a bushy plant that needs no support and crops continuously from July to October as long as you keep picking
'All Green Bush' has been a staple of the British kitchen garden for decades because it does exactly what a good courgette should do, reliably, season after season. The plants are compact and bushy — around 45cm tall and spreading to 90cm — making them manageable without the sprawling ambition of some larger varieties, and well-suited to growing in large containers or raised beds. The fruits are dark-skinned, smooth, and tender, and the plant produces them generously throughout summer. A single well-maintained plant typically yields six to ten fruits over the season. The key to keeping that harvest coming is understanding one golden rule: pick them small and pick them often.
The courgette's biological instinct is to produce large fruits — to grow, set seed, and complete its purpose. Every courgette you leave on the plant too long sends it a signal to slow down. Every one you harvest at 10–12cm encourages the plant to produce another. This rhythm — checking every two or three days and harvesting anything at picking size — is the single most effective thing you can do to maximise output. It is also the most effective way to ensure the best eating: a 10cm 'All Green Bush' courgette has a sweetness and tenderness that a 30cm marrow simply cannot match.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Half-Hardy Annual — sow fresh each spring
Harvest
July–October; pick at 10cm for best flavour
Sow indoors
April–May at 20–25°C; seed on its side
Sow direct
Late May–June outdoors; 90cm spacing
Size
45cm tall · 90cm spread · no staking needed
Difficulty
2 out of 5 — easy; reward regular attention
Understanding the Plant
Courgettes belong to the cucurbit family (Cucurbita pepo) alongside squashes, pumpkins, and cucumbers — vigorous, heat-loving annual plants native to central America. 'All Green Bush' is a bush type: compact and non-trailing, staying in a contained mound rather than sending out long running stems. This makes it far easier to manage in a typical UK garden and perfectly suited to containers or raised beds where space matters.
Understanding Courgette Flowers — Male and Female
Courgette plants produce separate male and female flowers. Female flowers are easy to identify: they have a tiny immature courgette directly behind the petals. Male flowers grow on a plain stem with no fruit. Outdoor plants are usually pollinated freely by bees, but in poor weather early in the season young fruits may yellow and drop — this is failed pollination. Hand-pollinate by picking a fully open male flower, folding back its petals, and pressing it gently into the centre of a fully open female flower on the same morning.
Edible Flowers — A Kitchen Garden Bonus
Courgette flowers are edible and delicious. Pick them in the morning when fully open and use on the same day. Male flowers (no fruit at the base) can be harvested freely without affecting the crop. Classic uses: stuff with ricotta and herbs then dip in light batter and fry; wilt in olive oil and stir through risotto; use raw as a garnish. The flowers make a stunning and entirely edible centrepiece of a summer kitchen garden meal.
Sowing & Growing On
Sow Seeds On Their Side — Prevents Rotting at the Tip
Push each large courgette seed into compost on its side — not flat, not pointing straight up — and cover with 2cm of compost. Sowing on the side prevents moisture sitting on the flat seed surface and dramatically reduces pre-germination rotting, which is the most common cause of courgette sowing failure. Do not exclude light during germination — light helps trigger it in cucurbits.
Sow indoors April–May, one seed per 9cm pot, on its side, 2cm deep, at 20–25°C. Use free-draining seed compost. Keep consistently moist but not waterlogged. Germination in 5–7 days. Move to bright, slightly cooler conditions immediately after germination to prevent drawn, leggy growth.
Grow on in bright, frost-free conditions until two true leaves have developed. Courgette seedlings grow rapidly. If roots appear at drainage holes before planting time, pot on into a larger container immediately — rootbound courgette seedlings suffer a significant setback when transplanted.
Harden off over 7–10 days before planting out in late May or June. Gradually introduce to outdoor conditions, starting with sheltered daytime positions before leaving out overnight. Courgettes are frost-tender — even a light frost will damage or kill plants. Do not plant out until all frost risk has genuinely passed.
Plant in rich, fertile, well-drained soil in full sun, 90cm apart. Prepare each position generously: dig in a full barrowload of well-rotted compost or manure. Courgettes are extremely hungry plants — the richness of the soil at planting is the single best investment you can make in a productive season.
Or direct sow outdoors late May–June, 2cm deep, 2 seeds per position, 90cm apart. Thin to the stronger seedling after germination. Direct-sown plants establish quickly in warm soil and often catch up with indoor-sown plants by midsummer. Protect with a cloche in early June if weather is unsettled.
Growing On & Care
Watering — Never Let It Dry Out
Courgettes require consistent, generous moisture throughout the season. In hot weather the large leaves transpire enormous quantities of water — plants may need watering daily. Focus water at the base of the plant rather than overhead. A thick mulch of compost or straw around each plant helps retain moisture and reduces watering frequency significantly.
Feeding — High-Potash Every Two Weeks
Once plants begin flowering and fruiting (usually from late June), apply a high-potash liquid fertiliser — tomato feed works perfectly — every two weeks throughout the cropping season. Without feeding, plants exhaust even well-prepared soil relatively quickly and production slows noticeably by August.
Harvesting — The Golden Rule
Pick every 2–3 days. Never leave a courgette on the plant until it becomes large — a hidden fruit that reaches marrow size signals the plant to slow production dramatically. Use a sharp knife to cut cleanly at the stem. If you discover a hidden marrow, remove it immediately to restart the cropping cycle.
Companion Planting — Calendula
Calendula (pot marigold) planted alongside courgettes attracts hoverflies and other pollinators. The more pollinators visiting, the better the fruit set — particularly during spells of poor weather when bee activity is low. A ring of Calendula around each plant creates an attractive and productive kitchen garden combination.
In the Kitchen
Young 'All Green Bush' courgettes with their tender skins are ideal cooked whole — sliced and fried in olive oil until golden; roasted with garlic and thyme; grilled with herb butter; grated raw into salads. They freeze well when blanched. The smaller the fruit, the sweeter and more flavourful. Keep refrigerated and use within 3–5 days of picking.
Extending the Season
A cloche or fleece over plants in early June when weather is cold extends the effective season. In autumn, plants continue cropping until the first frost — covering with fleece on frost-risk nights can protect healthy plants and extend harvest into October. A second sowing in late May produces plants that crop heavily from August onwards when first-sown plants are tiring.
When to Sow and Harvest
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow indoors | ||||||||||||
| 🌱 Sow direct | ||||||||||||
| 🥒 Harvest |
Common Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Young fruits yellowing and dropping | Pollination failure — poor bee visits | Hand-pollinate in the morning: pick a fully open male flower (plain stem, no fruit at base) and press it gently into the centre of a fully open female flower (tiny courgette behind petals). Repeat on different days. Plant Calendula nearby to attract pollinators throughout the season. |
| Wilting despite watering | Leaves losing water faster than roots supply it | Water more deeply and less frequently to encourage deep roots. Mulch around the base to retain moisture. Wilting on very hot afternoons can be normal — check if plants recover by evening. If wilting persists in cool weather, check for vine weevil damage to roots. |
| White powder on leaves in late summer | Powdery mildew — fungal; very common | Expected from August onwards as nights cool. Plants usually continue to crop despite mildew — it is cosmetic at this stage. Remove heavily affected leaves. Avoid overhead watering. A spray of diluted milk (1 part milk to 9 parts water) applied in the morning reduces spread if started early. |
| Seeds not germinating | Cold; seeds flat not on side; light excluded | Ensure 20–25°C consistently — use a propagator. Sow seeds on their side. Do not cover the seed tray — light helps germination in cucurbits. Pre-soaking seeds for 12 hours before sowing can accelerate germination. |
| Production stops mid-summer | Missed large fruit; dry or under-fed | Check carefully under all leaves for any hidden fruits and remove anything large immediately. Water deeply and feed with high-potash fertiliser. In some cases, removing all remaining fruits triggers a fresh flush of flowers and new fruits within 7–10 days. |
Plant Specifications
The reliable kitchen garden staple — one plant that crops continuously all summer when you keep picking at 10cm
Sow on its side in April, plant out in enriched soil after all frost, water generously, feed fortnightly from first fruits, and check every two or three days with a sharp knife. The flavour of a home-grown courgette picked at exactly the right size and taken straight to the kitchen is one of the genuine rewards of growing your own — and 'All Green Bush' delivers it reliably, season after season.
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