Unusual Vegetable Plants

Courgettes, Marrows, Squash and Pumpkins - Cucurbita Pepo

In the UK many people don't consider eating Pumpkins and simply know them from their popularity at Halloween time, but of course in other countries they are a popular vegetable and we have all heard of the American "Pumpkin Pie." Like the generally smaller Squashes, they do cook down, but do represent a good vegetable yield for the plants grown and the space they require, because the individual fruits are so big and solid. Admittedly, the centre of Pumpkins is full of seeds, but the health conscious can wash and roast these, which can then be served in many ways. Pumpkin seeds are quite expensive to buy in Health food shops. Courgettes have thinner skins and are generally much smaller than Marrows, but otherwise they are virtually the same. Although relatively small compared to the rest of the family, Courgettes still represent a good value crop to grow as they are fairly expensive to buy in the shops.

All 4 of these vegetables are very closely related and have many growing requirements in common. Firstly their seeds are flat and as with all flat seeds, including things like Cucumbers, they are best sown on their sides for better germination. Some varieties are more tender than others, so it is best to propagate them inside until they are a little bigger and stronger, before planting out in the garden.

This whole family of vegetables require a rich soil and good steady watering to produce uniform crops, however they are all susceptible to grey mould and powdery mildew brought on by poor ventilation in damp conditions. Slugs also have quite a taste for both the foliage and the crop.

None of the family produce large quantities of flowers, so it is a good idea to hand pollinate if there aren't many insects about to ensure that some fruits develop. To do this you will need to remove the male flowers and brush the pollen into the female flowers by removing the petals from the male flower and gently rotating the remaining head with stamens against the anthers in the female. After the female flowers have pollinated and the embryo fruit have started swelling, you may have to remove any excess flowers, especially with the larger Pumpkins, to ensure good size fruits. Do remember to use a sharp knife for harvesting as a ragged break can get infected and harm the plant.