‘Safer to plant out later’ The exact date to plant courgettes outside

How to harvest courgettes explained by B&Q

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Courgette seeds can be sown as early as April, though this is best done indoors. The vegetables should not be moved out into the garden, or planted directly outside, until the weather conditions are correct.

According to an expert from Quick Crop: “You can sow courgettes either inside or outside depending on the weather where you live.

“I think it’s safer to sow indoors and plant out later.”

The reason courgettes should be kept indoors in the early spring months is due to the risk of frost.

Courgettes are not frost-hardy plants, which means any dips in temperature could kill them off entirely.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommends waiting until “late May or early June” before preparing to plant courgettes outdoors.

This ensures that the risk of frost has fully passed before your vegetable is left to fend for itself outside.

However, the exact date of the final frost of the year depends on where you live.

According to PlantMaps.com, the risk of frost has passed in most parts of the UK by early May.

In some parts of the north and Scotland, the final frost can be as late as June 10, so it is worth checking the data for your specific location.

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How to plant courgettes outside

Once the risk of frost has passed, you should prepare the site you want to plant your courgettes by digging in lots of homemade compost or well-rotted manure.

Sow one or two seeds approximately 90cm apart.

The seeds should be planted around 2.5cm deep.

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Gardeners’ World advises covering the site with a transparent glass or plastic cloche and then leaving this in place for a few weeks after young seedlings have appeared.

The experts add: “Choose a sunny, sheltered spot, and give them plenty of room, as they can grow into large plants.

“Allow a square metre for each plant, or one per growing bag.

“Prepare the soil well beforehand by digging in plenty of compost or well-rotted ma

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