Should I tell him

[veggiechicken]

I'd leave him to it! The best way to learn is by making mistakes.

[Bren In Pots]

I'd also leave him to it but ask if he's planning on using a cloches to help protect them from the cold weather.

[muddled]

aww no!
Tell the poor man!

I would say something like 'Hi, can I give you a little tip? If I were you I'd lift some of those and keep them back in case of frost....it would be gutting to lose the whole lot in one morning!'

If he takes your advice he'll ether lose half to frost and be grateful he saved some...or he'll see how quickly they grow and realise that he planted too many!

Not butting your nose in is one thing...but deliberately watching someone set themselves up for an epic fail is just mean!

I would certainly want to be told.

[GreaterMarrow]

Still too early?

I'd also leave him to it but ask if he's planning on using a cloches to help protect them from the cold weather.

I'm in northwest of UK - do you think I can get away with putting courgettes out with cloches yet? Mine are getting a bit big for the windowsill now! I've been putting them in the blowaway on nice days and bringing them in at night for a couple of weeks now.

[Snoop Puss]

I would agree with SP, let him get on with it. He has planted them now would be a shame to make him feel inadequate. As NG says, why not mentioned how wonderful this forum is!

The only trouble is, he might see this thread and realise that jonny the plant pot has been gossiping about him.

[Bren In Pots]

I'm in northwest of UK - do you think I can get away with putting courgettes out with cloches yet? Mine are getting a bit big for the windowsill now! I've been putting them in the blowaway on nice days and bringing them in at night for a couple of weeks now.

I've not even sown mine yet won't be doing for a couple of weeks yet I still get frosts plus one year I sown early and I ended up with triffids that were really difficult to carry in and out of the kitchen. I just thought if they use cloches they wont be too disappointed when they all die of the cold. because at least they've tried.

[AkionTotocha]

If you plant them that close together what happens? Do they die and produce no fruit or do they make only small fruit because they're so restrained? If it's the latter then it could be a good thing if he likes young small courgettes?

I'd keep an ear out for the weather. If it's going to get cold just say 'I heard on the news it's going to be cold tomorrow so don't forget to cloche your courgettes ' and then later in the year if he is having difficulty he might ask you because you cared about his courgettes earlier, and you can say something like 'well you could always dig some of them out to give the others more room to grow?' Split the advice up into two parts so it's not as soul destroying to hear it in one go.

[jonny the plant pot]

Dilemma over went down today and he's realised his error and removed 30 and spread the others out offered to give him some cabages collies ect and a couple of sweetcorn when there ready so think he's a happy chap now

[maverick451]

If you plant them that close together what happens? Do they die and produce no fruit or do they make only small fruit because they're so restrained? If it's the latter then it could be a good thing if he likes young small courgettes?

I'd keep an ear out for the weather. If it's going to get cold just say 'I heard on the news it's going to be cold tomorrow so don't forget to cloche your courgettes ' and then later in the year if he is having difficulty he might ask you because you cared about his courgettes earlier, and you can say something like 'well you could always dig some of them out to give the others more room to grow?' Split the advice up into two parts so it's not as soul destroying to hear it in one go.

I did an experiment last year growing 64 sweetcorn in a 4x4 foot area just for fun, each plant only produced 1 cob and some were very small so not really a great success

[Alison]

Seems advice not needed now but am VERY glad you didn't give your opinion. If they'd wanted it they'd have asked you. It's almost impossible not to come over as rude when giving unsolicited advice. I think quite a few people on our site do things in a stupid manner, they probably think that of me too. I would much rather learn by my own successes or failures than feel somebody was judging me. Likewise how they run their plot is none of my business unless they ask me.

[Muddy_Boots]

I planted 9 in my first year in a bed the triffids produced so many courgettes they were sick of them at work and they were big as well, you could hear them creaking they were growing that fast.

Not growing any this year as I'm all done as far as courgettes are concerned, they were giving me nightmares and I was dreading going to the lottie knowing I'd be faced with a mountain of green things to collect.

[SarrissUK]

LOL Muddyboots, I did the same thing in my first year of growing - more than 10 courgette plants of various types and christ - my daughter BEGGED me to stop! She had courgettes in everything for her tea, bless her, as well as in the cakes and puddings haha

[1Bee]

You're a good person, Jonny's. Glad it's resolved.

I've welcomed every bit of advice I've been given as a newbie on my site, all of it unsolicited, even if I had every intention of ignoring it. They're good folk, they want me to succeed, and they were always full of compliments just because I was putting the graft in.

[Containergardener]

Good result Jonny .

Aww they sound a good bunch 1bee.

[SusieG]

Well done Jonny - dilemma over
Let's hope he doesn't have several seed packets brimming over with mint ...