Piglet is going green! No, that’s not green with envy of EC’s wonderful zucchini and squash. But I do feel I can at least make a small contribution to help reduce global warming by cutting down on my personal carbon emissions. How? By not growing zucchini (courgettes) What…has Piglet gone mad? (probably…) How will not growing zucchini help? Easy! I won’t be exuding hot air from exasperation on huffs and puffs, moaning and groaning, sighing and temper tantrums, tears of frustration. Yes, as much at it grieves me folks, despite my best efforts (and I really have tried) I finally concede defeat, and will not be growing any more zucchini! EVER…
A picture saves a 1000 words! All these misshapen zucchini were picked from the plant pictured above.
I’ve tried growing zucchini directly in the ground and in pots and neither method was successful.
Related posts:
Zucchini – I give up!
Vegetable Diary June 2011: Veggie Disasters – S.O.S
‘Poorly’ Zucchini (Courgettes) July 2010
What have you failed to achieve despite your best efforts? Have you plodded on regardless or did you quit while you were ahead? Please share your experiences, gardening or otherwise in comments below.
Piglet in Portugal 
Well you now know the problem caused by growing in pots, so apply to all crops. Yes Deb loves her cooking, I am spoilt rotten.
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I tend to take some of the early ones off, so there is not a strain on the young plant, plants have a way of telling us that can only produce so many.
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That’s a good idea steve and it makes sense – thnks 🙂
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Works a treat with cucumbers and melons as well :-))
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I am just starting a new batch of cucumbers, so a great time to try the theory. I think my cucumbers were also had phosphorus deficiency?
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PS loved your wife’s foodie blog 🙂
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Looking at your photos it would appear they are suffering from blossom-end rot. The easiest solution is to pick off the flower as soon as the fruit starts to develop so the end of your courgette dries and no mould forms. You still might lose one or two though.
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Hi Almost and welcome 🙂
thank you for your tip I will try again and see how it goes!
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This is one vegetable the kids like. I cook them with onions and tomato paste sauce. Kids don’t like real tomatoes much! I never thought they would be hard to grow. I only got introduced to them in Australia, via the Italians (I think) importing them.
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This gave me such a giggle!
And you should win an award for the post’s title – the most intriguing I’ve read 🙂
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LOL, I was quite indignat when I wrote it as I ahte admitting defeat. Glad you like the humourous spin!
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My husband grows $500 carrots – at least that is what the cost is by the time he arrives home with truckloads of guff to plant them…
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Hi Jody and welcome,
My husband says my veg are gold plated they cost so much to grow and we can buy them for half the price in the supermarket
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Piglet,
Zucchini won’t grow in my garden either. I grew up on a farm, so my mom thinks it’s hilarious. I’ve tried hand pollinating, compost fertilizing and all my zucchini do is flower and wilt. Never mind that I can grow a bunch of other things, my failure at the “easy” zucchini has me down. And then to top it all off, my neighbour brings over her extras.
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“And then to top it all off, my neighbour brings over her extras.” 🙂 I wonder why yours will not grow either – how strange. It was a mission with me to begin with to crqack this and like you I’ve tried most things.
I’ve just been weeding my pots and just discovered I think the melon plants I bought from a market are actually zucchini! I’d thought I’d dug them all up and thrown them away. grrrrrr What else do you grow?
can you grow squash?
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I’ve grown squash inadvertently from the compost pile, and melons the same way (or should I say, melon).
More conventionally, I can grow swiss chard, cilantro, tomatoes, basil, beans (glorious purple beans), salad greens and foxglove (although I don’t eat those).
Every other year, I re-try zucchini. I do not like giving up on anything, so this is a re-try year.
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PiP…I love your sense of humor…vital whether you are gardening or doing anything else. 🙂 I have a question…do others in your area have success growing those troublesome plants that shall remain nameless? If so, perhaps you can purchase enough for consumption at a very reasonable price and concentrate on growing more amenable fruits and veggies. 🙂
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Hi Vivian, my sense of humour is a little bizarre to say the least. 🙂
My plot is close to the sea and my lack of success may be down to the high humidity. I’ve given them my best shot so I think time to move on and grow, as you say, more amenable fruit and veg, 🙂
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Zucchini grow well and abundantly . . . except when they don’t. I fear they don’t like Portugal.
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Hi Nancy they just don’t like growing in Piglet’s plot! Why, remains a mystery because other people grow them just fine 😦 Hey ho, They are cheap to buy and rasberries will be different
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😦 I’m sad to hear that you’ve thrown in the proverbial towel and are giving up on zucchinis. Have you tried growing other types of squash? The yellow straight neck or crook neck are really tasty and sweet.
I wish you well on your gardening and I know you’ll produce many other varieties of delicious veggies and fruits. 🙂
Thanks for the mention. 🙂
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Thanks EC, sometimes, despite our best efforts, things are just not meant to be…I may try growing squash. Next time I go to the market I will see what’s on offer. I love your squash website 🙂
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There will be no zucchini growing at Suncreek Gardens…we opted for yellow squash and patty pan…
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I may try squash, are they easy to grow?
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I dont eat it as much…time to tuck in again.
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Not many calories in Zucchinis 🙂
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Raspberries are WAY tastier than zucchini! 🙂
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Hi H,
Yay and about 10 times the price of Zucchini to buy!
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As long as they taste the same as regular, should the shape matter? You could probably make a killing on the market with your unique Zucchini. They’ve made millions selling sugar water to people. It’s all in the marketing 🙂
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Hi Jacob and thanks for dropping by. Even a marketing guru such as yourself would have trouble with the USP’s for these motley specimens 😦
They were hard and tasteless when I tried to cook them. Even the animal that had tried to eat them gave up. Hey ho…
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I(m also planting Zucchini and they are full of energy so far. Planting vegetables by ourselves is good for the earth. 🙂
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Hi Cocomino, hope your zucchini grows with success 🙂 Please let me know how you get on.
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Zucchini does really well here. I love to grill it with just a little olive oil. But, if it doesn’t work for you there, don’t torture yourself. You are right to move on to something that will make you happier!
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Ah Mother Nature has a sense of humor.
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Mother nature certainly has!
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I was wondering the same as Lindsay. Did you taste-test them? I’m sure that the S.P.Z.A. (Society for the Prevention of Zucchini Abuse) will thank you for your abstinence. haha Sorry, Pip.
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Hi Rose,
I did taste them and they were hard. That was the last straw. re. S.P.Z.A. I have put them up for adoption as I need the pot for my new project. Rasberries, Fingers crossed the plant will find a good home 🙂
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Don’t they taste the same? Even if they look funny? I am a plod on regardless sort of person and never give up, I always think things will get better and could be worse!
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Hi Lindsay,
No, they were very hard, unfortunately. 😦 I’ve come to the point, after three years where I had to give up for my sanity. I’m not normally a quitter, but sometimes we need to recognise and accept failure, shrug our shoulders and move on. Things may get better and will get better, if we recognise limitiations and channel our energies more effectively 🙂 By doing so we can even develop new skills or take on new challenges. I am going to use the pot and buy a small rasberry bush 🙂 I love rasberries and they are expensive here.
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My guess is that there’s something wrong with that plant. Zucchini aren’t that hard to grow and I’m sure the problem isn’t you. Have a great zucchini-free day.
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CC I just have to face facts I am useless at growing zucchini 😦 THis is the third year I’ve tried. Tomorrow is my zucchinin-free day I’m digging them all up and taking them to the pound 🙂 Perhaps someone will feel sorry for them and rehome them 🙂
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Didn’t the chicken come before the egg Piglet??
On the subject of zucchini, it is all about the cross pollenation. You need to assist sensitively, in an understanding way. I get the feeling you may have been over-zealous?
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Hi Chip, nah it has to be the egg…same with tomatoes.
Hmmm not me chip…it was the birds and the bees honest!. I tried it with a paintbrush last year.
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We grow a fair few things at The Ark’s spot – not so much quantity as variety. Much of this is as a result of the stuff we chuck out in the form of compost.We just bury everythig organic and a few months pass and up something sprouts.
What I have never been able to grow is chickens. No matter how I try they just will not sprout at all.
I had almost given up when I asked a friend, who is also an occasional gardener, if he could help. On inspecting my efforts he concluded that I was planting the chickens too close together. So next year, it will be all systems go.
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No you are doing it all wrong. You don’t plant the chickens, you plant their eggs!
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filho da policia!
I knew my mate was having me on. Too close together, indeed. Sheesh! Thanks, Piglit. Takes a woman to sort these things out.
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