Courgette Seeds - Unwins Easy Wins

New to growing from seed? Easy Wins is a great place to start. Each variety has been chosen to make growing your own flowers and vegetables simpler, with reliable varieties and clear, straightforward instructions to guide you from sowing to picking or flowering.

Some varieties have an extra helping hand too, such as pre-spaced seed tape, compact plants, disease resistance or other useful growing traits. So you can spend less time worrying about getting everything right and more time enjoying what you've grown.

Sowing Indoors Sow seeds from April to May individually, placing each seed on its edge in small pots filled with moist seed compost, approximately 2cm deep. Keep at a temperature of 15 to 18°C and maintain consistent moisture. Once seedlings emerge, move them to a bright, cool location away from strong direct sunlight and allow them to develop before planting out.

Sowing Outdoors Sow seeds from May to June Prepare and water the planting area before sowing. Place two or three seeds together in groups, 2cm deep and 90cm apart. When seedlings are established, thin out the weaker plants, leaving the strongest seedling in each position. Water regularly throughout the growing season and feed with tomato feed to encourage a generous harvest.

Gradually accustom young plants to outdoor conditions for 2-3 weeks before planting out to their cropping positions, after risk of frost has passed. Water generously and feed regularly with a tomato fertiliser once the fruits are starting to swell.

Harvesting typically begins from June and continues through to October, depending on sowing time and growing conditions.

Very occasionally, courgette plants can produce fruits with an unusually bitter taste, which may cause stomach upset if eaten. Check by licking the cut surface of one fruit from each plant. If the fruit tastes bitter, discard it and do not consume any fruits from that plant.

Courgette flowers are edible and can be enjoyed either cooked or fresh in salads. Picking fruits regularly will encourage the plants to continue producing more courgettes throughout the season.