What lovely courgettes (zucchini) I'm getting this September. I've been eating them every way I can think of - vegetable soup, courgette lasagna, courgette mixed with beans and cherry tomatoes, etc, etc. I think I have about ten courgette plants, some in pots and some in the ground. I spread the plants about the garden in an attempt to find suitable growing conditions, as last year I had an extremely pour harvest, mainly from blossom rot.
Left: Courgette 'All Green Bush'.
What I've noticed about 'All Green Bush' is that it has prickly little bits on its skin. Can you see them in the photo? They can be a bit painful. The prickly hairs seem to go away when cooked.
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| Sliced courgette ready to go into a vegetable lasagna. Yum! |
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| Another good looking courgette. I lifted the leaves to look underneath, and guess what I saw... a big fat slug, plump from eating a baby courgette. |
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| Above: Walking around the garden I spotted other signs of slugs on my courgettes. Do you see the slimy trail in the above photo? Below: Looks like slugs have developed a taste for my courgettes. |
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| A few days later the above courgette was fully eaten and I would put more beer traps out but I'm still getting a fair supply of courgette so I suppose the slugs eating a few won't hurt. It looks like big bites have been taken above, but I think its just a slug working its way through over about a week. Below: slug damage to the plant stems as well. |
Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.
Thank heavens you are growing so many plants to share with the slugs. I always try with zucchini but they always get blossom rot and the get covered in sooty mould not sure I will try them this year. They do look good though
ReplyDeleteWell. I think I would declare all out battle on those pesky slugs. As a matter of principle. After I do all the work of planting, weeding, etc. I am sorry, but I just wouldn't share!! Glad you are getting a good lot of zucchini!
ReplyDeleteJust made courgette vegetable soup, but of courgetttes from the market. My plants in the garden are eaten by the slugs before I could use them. And in the greenhouse they rot. Next year better, but you have a nice crop.
ReplyDeleteLooking at your courgette I feel more motivated to sow some more seeds.
ReplyDeleteHopefully this weekend I can get it done :).
Our cucumbers are prickly too - doesn't seem to deter the slugs does it but I suppose the slime protects their underbellies.
ReplyDeleteThose are some great looking courgettes. I don't have the ground space for these plants so for now I should buy some off the supermarket.
ReplyDeleteI've seen so many more telltale slime trails all over the place this year than I usually see, the slugs and snails are certainly out in force. My courgettes are really producing now, so much so that I'm having to give some away. At least something's come good this year.
ReplyDeleteMy courgettes were very late in fruiting this year but like yours have been prolific since then. I haven't lost too many to the slugs through - they've been far too busy on my dwarf beans!
ReplyDeleteJane has a recipe for Patty-pan-cakes on her Onions and Paper blog, which works just as well with Courgettes:
ReplyDeletehttp://onionsandpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/patty-pan-cakes.html
Hi Kelli, those slugs are certainly doing damage but they are probably running out of things to eat at this stage of the season!Our courgette plants did not do well this year so it has been easy enough to use them up
ReplyDeleteThey look gorgeous, both the courgettes and the slug! lol I do not know what it is, but the slugs in your area are really quite beautiful. I know they are doing damage, but I just find them so interesting.
ReplyDeleteYour courgettes look deliciously luscious. It's no wonder that the slug got so plump!
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