Zucchini Easy Pick Green F1 plants - Cucurbita pepo

The ‘Easy Pick Green’ F1 courgette is a hybrid variety that is particularly easy to harvest. Thanks to its spineless petioles and its open and airy habit, its beautiful long, smooth, slender, and dark green courgettes are easily accessible and of very good quality taste. The Courgette is an easy-to-grow vegetable plant that allows for abundant harvest. In food, it is often used cooked: sautéed, fried, in gratin, soup, or stuffed, and is of course one of the ingredients for ratatouille. The Courgette can also be consumed raw, grated and mixed with other raw vegetables. The young plants of Courgette ‘Easy Pick Green’ F1 can be planted from April to July, after the last frost, for a harvest from July to October.

The Courgette (Cucurbita pepo) is a summer squash belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, like other squashes (pumpkin, butternut, acorn squash, pattypan, marrow). All of them are native to the Americas and were introduced to Europe in the 16th century. Easily hybridising, squashes present a great diversity of colours (orange, green, red, yellow, black, or even blue), sizes, and shapes.

The Courgette is an annual plant with an upright habit, offering beautiful yellow flowers from May to October. It is harvested immature, that is to say before its full development. The majority of varieties are non-vining, but there are some vining varieties that spread on the ground and will require pruning. Courgettes can be round or long, generally green but sometimes yellow or white.

They are fruity vegetables that need regular watering to give their best. They like heat and sun and appreciate sheltered locations.

Harvesting: It is done from July to October, by cutting the fruits with pruning shears. Harvest the Courgettes when they are young and tender, without letting them grow too big (hervesting on average every 2 days during the peak season). Regular harvesting will promote the development of new fruits. You can also harvest the male flowers (preferably in the morning) which can be consumed in fritters or stuffed. The male flowers, which will not produce fruits, appear on the slender and long, non-swollen stems.

Storage: Courgettes can be stored for a few days at room temperature or in the bottom of the refrigerator, and cut into pieces and frozen for several months.

Gardener's tip: Place a slate or tile under the fruit. It will no longer be in direct contact with the ground, thus avoiding rotting due to humidity.