Courgette Black Forest F1

Encourage your Black Forest plants to scramble up a trellis, fence or netting (tie in the stems regularly to help support the weight of the fruits) and see your crop of rich green smooth fruits developing before your eyes. With sturdy support your plants can reach the dizzying heights of 1-2m and allow you more ground space for other crops. This height also makes it one of the easiest courgettes to harvest at the optimum size that you prefer.

SOW: late April to the end of May, under cover or on a windowsill, 1 seed per pot 25mm deep or outside mid-May to June.

GROW: keep moist, but not waterlogged, harden off and plant out after all danger of frost has passed.  In cooler areas you can protect young plants with cloches until they have settled in.  Give this variety a firm support (fence, trellis or net) and tie in the shoots regularly to encourage it to scramble upwards and support the developing fruits – can reach 1-2m tall!  Use the space below for other crops such as dwarf French beans.

ENJOY: at any size, courgettes are very versatile with myriads of recipes to try.

What size is best?

You can eat courgettes raw in salads – for this you need to pick them when immature at about the size and length of your little finger. These can be crunched as they are or cut them and use them like carrot sticks and eat with dips & humus

For roasting courgette sticks pick the fruits at about 15cm and cut lengthways in half and half again (into 4 long pieces). Drizzle these with oil (or spray with a 1cal spray) & scatter with herbs. For a stronger flavoured dressing try balsamic vinear 7/or marmite! At this size the will take about 20 mins at 190°C

For pan frying or grilling rings then you can harvest at a larger size and simply slice the fruits