Male Courgettes Only - Help

[dominic10]

From my experience courgettes grow really quickly - pick them when they are around 4/5 inches long or a tiny bit longer. If they get too long - marrow size, production falls off.

As far as picking is concerned, without my trusty pruners, although I am not very strong, I have almost pulled a plant out of the ground trying to yank a courgette off and they also tend to snap off too! Mine never sealed off - just rotted on the plant.

My lady courgettes are around half an inch long and just look like swellings behind the flower head.

[indigox]

My courgettes are growing very slowly at the moment, but I expect they'll soon pick up speed. The first one or two rotted, I think they were too early and it was a bit too wet.

[MagicLady]

I've got 4 courgette plants in, but didn't know you get two types of flower. Guess I'd better google courgettes

[vikkib]

How is the best way to harvest them when they are ready I am a newbie and never grown or eaten them before is a sharp knife the best way? Or brake them off.

Abby - me being clumsy when I used a sharp knife to harvest my first courgette a few days ago I managed to cut off a perfectly good stem too!

Yesterday I used some pruning clippers and they worked a treat!

[Scottishnewbie]

Can someone tell me if I should be taking off the males please? I have both on my courgette but I'm not sure if I take the males off or leave them on. Many thanks

[Alison]

You can leave the male flowers on no problems but they are also nice to eat deep fried in batter also. Unlike some types of cucumbers, your courgettes need to be fertilised so even if you do pick some off then you need to make sure that there is at least one there when the female flowers start up.

[abby]

Abby - me being clumsy when I used a sharp knife to harvest my first courgette a few days ago I managed to cut off a perfectly good stem too!

Yesterday I used some pruning clippers and they worked a treat!

Thanks for all your helpfull info I think the clippers will be the best bet as I am frighting with a knife..