The last courgettes can still ripen. But they need a bit of help

Do you look at your own vegetable patch and think that the plants might as well keep producing for as long as possible? Perhaps you even tell yourself, ‘Ideally, right through to winter.’ It isn’t always possible, but some vegetables really can bring joy in the form of fruit for a very long time. But they certainly need a bit of help. Courgettes are a prime example in this regard. If we look at the ones in our vegetable patch, they still look brilliant. In fact, you can see for yourself in the photos. But this certainly didn’t happen by itself. We gave them a helping hand. How? We’ll reveal that to you in the following paragraphs.

Mouldy leaves must go

We removed all the mouldy leaves from the courgettes. You need to bear in mind that courgettes develop mould gradually. The leaves first turn yellow, then brown and dry out. Many also develop a greyish coating. Such leaves must be cut off at the base without mercy; otherwise, it will be too late and the whole plant will be lost.

Tip: Sweet zucchini desert. Its tasty.

Remove affected plants

We had quite a lot of courgette plants in the vegetable patch. The yellow ones, which hadn’t done very well this year, were the first to start going mouldy. Gradually, we had to remove them all and dispose of them in the organic waste bin. Mouldy plants do not belong on the compost heap and could cause much more damage, perhaps even next season.

Courgettes in October: Photo Radek Stepan 

Let only one or two courgettes grow

Ideal. Removing the leaves aerates the plants perfectly, which often prevents the mould from spreading further. What’s more, autumn has been relatively dry this year. Mould thrives in damp conditions, which it naturally lacks.

Add compost to the courgettes

We’ve added a bit of compost to the courgettes. It certainly can’t do any harm. Organic fertiliser can help plants at any time of year. We still have beautiful, healthy courgettes that taste excellent.

Sources: Author – grower

Courgettes in October: Photo and photogallery Radek Stepan