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chez

Courgette-based world take-over plan

Can I train my courgette plants to go upwards? I have never tried it before.
NorthernMonkeyGirl

I'm doing it with squash, so I don't see why not. Just don't let the courgettes get too big/heavy?
marigold

Yes. I always grow Black Forest which is sold as a climber though you need to tie it in, it doesn't support itself. I use strips of old T-shirt material to tie it up as they have a bit of give in them and don't cut into the stem. I grow mine* on a tripod of 3 canes or at the end of a row of runner bean canes. If you have a suitable fence it could be trained up the fence to a suitable height then run horizontally.

*One plant which will easily yield 30+ fruits - more than enough for me to cope with in the season!
joanne

Yes. I always grow Black Forest which is sold as a climber though you need to tie it in, it doesn't support itself.


Ahhh that will be why mine has been trying to take over the raised bed rather than climbing nicely up it's poles I put in for it!
chez

Thank you! Perhaps I can incorporate this is to my Duck Fencing Plan - grow them along the non-duck side of the fence and train them along it ...

ETA: Not this year, obviously.

*starts thinking about strawberries*
marigold

Yes. I always grow Black Forest which is sold as a climber though you need to tie it in, it doesn't support itself.


Ahhh that will be why mine has been trying to take over the raised bed rather than climbing nicely up it's poles I put in for it!

Depending on how far it's got, it may be better to move the poles and start training it from the current growing point rather than trying to hoist the whole plant up. You can trim off tatty old leaves to make space around the older part of the stem in the raised bed.

Black Forest is also marketed as suitable for containers. IMO it isn't! It will grow at least 12ft long (up the canes and down again) in good conditions. It might work in a huge container with constant attention, but even one plant in a well-watered growbag is a dismal thing compared to one grown in the ground.
Green Rosie

Remember some courgettes are bush varieties and they won't climb what-ever your training regime. chez

I was hoping I could get them to all march in line and annexe the Sudetenland if my training regime was stiff enough, though. Mistress Rose

Don't think you've much hope of that, although a large enough planting might make any place uninhabitable as they grow like triffids given the right conditions. Very Happy frewen

Now I like this idea. I'm going to try Black Forest next year Smile NorthernMonkeyGirl

In one of the blogs I follow, the lady has butternut squash climbing up an apple tree. I've no idea how she's going to harvest them! Laughing mark

The only problem with climbing these sort of things is supporting the fruit ! makes for more work marigold

Courgette fruit don't need supporting. I suppose they would break off if they got absolutely huge, but I've never known that happen. The stalks toughen up a lot once the fruit has set. mark

Courgette fruit don't need supporting. I suppose they would break off if they got absolutely huge, but I've never known that happen. The stalks toughen up a lot once the fruit has set.

Yeah I can see that with young corgettes and cucumbers but harder work with squash courgettes marrows melons etc - it might not be clear but i was replying to the butternut squash post .
marigold

... it might not be clear but i was replying to the butternut squash post .

Ah, you said "these sort of things" which I took to include courgettes Smile
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