ina wrote:There are self-pollinating varieties out there - can't remember what it was called,
Parthenocarpic or similar sounding name.
I can recommend these although the seed is VERY expensive.
I grow one at a time as an early (February) croppers in the polytunnel, as I find that if I only grow one plant it takes ages to get a male & female flower open at the same time.
And more than one plant means we get inundated with courgettes later.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Odsox wrote:Parthenocarpic or similar sounding name.
I can recommend these although the seed is VERY expensive.
I meant the name of the variety, really... Will have to look atthe catalogue I might have got them from. They can't have been that expensive, or I wouldn't have bought them, penny pinching miser that I am!
There may be different ones on the market, of course.
Just googled it - would you believe it, the name of the variety is Partenon... Ah well.
Ina
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)
Yes, Parthenon is the variety I grow, but you must be rich Ina and certainly not penny pinching if you think £2.99 for 5 seeds is not expensive
I grow 2 per year, one in the spring and one in the autumn, so two and a half years courgettes for £3.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Yes, Parthenon is the variety I grow, but you must be rich Ina and certainly not penny pinching if you think £2.99 for 5 seeds is not expensive
You didn't mis-understand - quite obviously the name of the variety is extremely similar to the scientific or whatever name! I should have realised that...
Anyway: you use a different supplier. Organic gardening catalogue have them £3.27 for 10 seeds (haven't checkd others yet, I'm sure you could get them cheaper somewhere, as they are not usually the cheapest!). OK, more expensive than the others, but it may be worth it - you could always try and share them with friends, or swap for other seeds, if you only need 2 plants per year and don't want to keep them for so long.
Ina
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)
Jules wrote:I get one or two bees in the greenhouses if I leave the doors open (mostly going for the borage I keep in there for that reason!) but hand pollinate and have loads of success.
Geeky question here then - are bees the pollinators for courgettes? The flowers are usually yellow and I thought that bees prefer red/blue/purple flowers. I've a feeling that yellow flowers are more likely to be looking at flies and beetles as pollinators. Might be completely wrong though, I've not sat and watched them for long enough to find out!
"If you want to catch a loon, you have to think like a loon"
I'm not sure if it's relevant but I have just walked round my "estate" and I can report that my honeysuckle is alive with bees, both honey and bumble, as is my gorse bush ... and I know for a fact that commercial tomato growers have captive bumble bees living in their glasshouses, all of which of course have yellow flowers.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
I knew about the bumble bees - problem is with honey bees, there are so few around this year, I wouldn't know whether they'd pick out particular flowers!
I'm talking rubbish, I just realised - I do know: oilseedrape is very, very yellow - and makes wonderful honey. So there we are. Bees like yellow flowers.
Ina
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)
Sadly my single courgette plant hasn't managed to open a male and female flower at the same time yet so I'll just have to enjoy the flowers and learn the lesson for next year.
On the positive side, without this thread, otherwise I would probably been in the same position again next year, so thanks so much or all the useful tips!
