Wow, what is there not to love about Sunstripe: spineless, full of flavour, fine texture, British Bred and let’s not forget their amazing golden yellow skin that sports white stripes. Plus they are compact bushy plants that crop really well - 20 to 24 fruits from each plant make this a top choice in every way. Price for 6 seeds
SOW: start them from late April on into June, inside, 1 seed per small pot. Sow on their edge about 1cm below the surface. Keep moist but not waterlogged. We use a sand base or capillary matting under our pots to spread the moisture and avoid waterlogging.
GROW: harden off when they have a pair of rough leaves and plant out from late May – in cooler areas you can protect young plants with cloches until they have settled in. Sunstripe can produce 20-24 fruits per plant so keep picking! You can pick them from 10-15cm long right up to marrow size but try to reserve one plant to give you big sized fruits as it is regular picking that encourages continuous fruiting.
EAT: use finger sized in salads, larger fruits can be baked, grilled, roasted (with or without stuffing), steamed, stewed… And then you can freeze courgettes either diced or finely chopped in a food processor, simply pack into portions and use throughout the winter in soups, casseroles, curries, stews or as part of a sauce (we add it to tomato sauces and ‘hide’ it in spaghetti bolognaise).
