Courgette Defender F1 is an excellent variety that produces lots of mid-dark green fruits with lovely firm flesh. It is a very easy to grow, compact plant with an open habit so the courgettes are easy to see & pick.
Courgette Defender is a versatile gardeners' favourite because it is so productive over such a long period with very little maintenance. Other than a good water and weekly feeding with potassium rich fertilizer when in fruit, it will continue to produce courgettes from late June through to October. Regular picking of young courgettes will keep the plant producing more fruits & prevent any turning into marrows.
This UK bred courgette is well worth the RHS AGM, as it works so hard in the garden & has some resistance to the disease Cucumber Mosaic virus & mildew. The best performing green courgette in Which Gardening Trials 2012 - 'It gave a good crop of attractive green fruits from mid-July'.
Courgette Defender F1 is a real star performer loved by gardeners & cooks too! It performs well griddled, sliced thinly raw into salads or added in wafer thin strips to pasta. The flowers are also fantastic stuffed with ricotta cheese and fried. There are so many different chefs ideas for cooking with courgettes that to just boil them seems such a waste these days!
Pack Information
| Seed Quantity: | Approx 8 seeds per pack. |
When to Sow Courgette Defender F1 Vegetable Seeds
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor Sowing | ||||||||||||
| Outdoor Sowing |
Indoor Sowing Information
| Site: |
Well drained & humus rich soil. A sheltered sunny spot out of way of strong winds which causes damage to the large leaves.
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| When to Sow: |
April to May.
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| How to Sow: |
Sow seeds vertically 1cm deep in a pot or tray of moist seed compost. Place in propagator/cover with glass, polythene bag until the seedlings appear (5-8 days). When the seedlings have 2/3 leaves transplant them into 2l pots and grow on for a few more weeks. Harden them off by putting outside during the day for 3/4 days. Plant out in mid - late May when the chance of frost has passed. Incorporate plenty of organic matter to feed the plant and help retain water. Keep well watered.Can also be grown in greenhouse soil provided it is very fertile and they are well watered or even in gro-bags or containers.
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| Care: |
As they are hungry feeders, feed them every 14 days with a potash rich fertiliser. Keep well watered but do not wet the fruit.
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| Harvest: | July to October. Pick fruit regularly to prolong cropping when they are about 7cm long. The flowers can be picked before this. |
Outdoor Sowing Information
| Site: |
Well drained & humus rich soil. A sheltered sunny spot out of way of strong winds which causes damage to the large leaves.
|
| When to Sow: | Early June. |
| How to Sow: |
Squashes are hungry feeders so to give them a good start outside, dig a hole 30cm square and fill with well rotted manure and cloche the area a week before direct sowing. Mound soil up and plant 2 seeds 2.5cm deep into the mound and cloche again until the seedlings grow. Remove the weaker seedling, and remove cloche a couple of weeks later. Seed will not germinate until the temperature is consistently above13C. Keep well watered. Space plants 90cm apart, and 90cm apart in rows.
|
| Care: |
As they are hungry feeders, feed them every 14 days with a potash rich fertiliser. Keep well watered but do not wet the fruit.
|
| Harvest: | July to October. Pick fruit regularly to prolong cropping when they are about 7cm long. The flowers can be picked before this. |
RHS Award of Garden Merit
| Courgette Defender F1 Vegetable Seeds have been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM). This award indicates that the plant is recommended by the RHS and helps gardeners make informed choices about plants. [] |
