Special: Pumpkins, Courgettes and Aubergines: Tips for a Bumper Harvest!

In brief: Even a beginner can manage pumpkins and courgettes: they need nutrients, sun and generous watering, and are planted outdoors only from the second half of May. Harvest courgettes at up to 20 cm long. Aubergine is more demanding: sow it from mid-February to mid-March, plant it at a spacing of 40 × 40 cm and leave no more than 5 fruits on each plant.

Courgettes, prepared in so many ways, are an integral part not only of Italian but also of Czech cuisine, where they have become part of a whole range of popular summer dishes. In recent years the tasty Hokkaido pumpkin, which is very undemanding to grow, has also won the hearts of many gardeners. And, to round off all this goodness, the heat-loving aubergine is now starting to be grown successfully even in our latitudes.

Pumpkins differ in shape, flavour and size. Which one will you choose?

Growing pumpkins and squashes is not usually difficult. Pumpkins are a rewarding garden crop that give a bountiful harvest with minimal effort. You only need to follow a few basic rules. Pumpkins need plenty of nutrients, a sunny position and occasional but generous watering in summer. They grow well both from direct sowing and from pre-grown seedlings. They are sensitive to frost, so the time for planting out comes only from the second half of May. If you plant the seedlings at the right spacing (according to the instructions on the seed packet) and keep the bed free of weeds, you can look forward to a bountiful harvest.

If you turn up your nose at the thought of eating pumpkin and the only thing that comes to mind is the not very popular pumpkin compote, then know that you are making a big mistake. Besides the typical pumpkins with giant fruits, which are not always the tastiest, it is worth trying varieties with smaller but all the more delicious fruits. One example is the smaller Hokkaido pumpkin, from which you can make excellent soups, but it is also great baked or stewed together with other vegetables. Pumpkins known as musk pumpkins taste similarly good. Among the curiosities of the pumpkin family are also the so-called spaghetti squashes, whose flesh falls apart into thin strands after baking and can thus serve as a healthier substitute for ordinary spaghetti. If even after tasting these three specialities pumpkins still do not win your favour, you can also try an oil pumpkin for harvesting the seeds, or at least one of the ornamental types, with which you can decorate your garden in autumn.

Courgettes must not be missing from any garden

The growing requirements of courgettes are very similar to those of pumpkins. In any case, they are among the less demanding vegetables. For successful growing, a supply of nutrients, warmth and sun is again important. Courgettes need enough space to grow. Some creep along the ground, while other types form a compact upright bush. Trailing types (like pumpkins) will also gladly use a support to climb. Bed maintenance and later weeding are made easier by growing on non-woven fabric. Courgettes like organic fertilisers as well as plant-based liquid feeds.

With courgettes it does not pay to compete with your neighbour for the biggest fruits. Harvest courgettes when they reach a length of no more than 20 cm. Young, unripe fruits taste best. The plant allows continuous harvesting and sets new fruits again and again. Courgettes are good for cooking, but are also good raw in salads.

Young fruits do not have to be peeled before eating, so the coloured skins also enrich the dish aesthetically. You can choose from various types of green courgettes, from dark single-coloured ones to varieties with light streaking. Variants with a rich yellow skin also look decorative. You can also try white courgettes. In terms of shape, the traditional elongated one predominates, but courgettes with round fruits are also available.

Aubergine has a long growing season and loves warmth

For growing aubergines you need to prepare well in advance. Aubergine is a plant with a long growing season, so you cannot do without pre-grown seedlings. The right time for sowing is from mid-February to mid-March. If you miss this period, it is better to buy seedlings later at a garden centre. Growing aubergines in an open bed is successful here only in the warmest regions; in that case, plant the seedlings outdoors in the second half of May. In other locations you can plant the seedlings in a greenhouse or polytunnel from April. Keep to a spacing of approx. 40 x 40 cm.

Remember that aubergines require even more warmth than peppers. So choose a fully sunny position protected from draughts for them. In autumn, work well-rotted manure or compost into the bed where you will grow aubergines; at planting and throughout the growing season aubergines will appreciate extra feeding with fertilisers for fruiting vegetables, e.g. BIOPON. Aubergines grow abundantly and produce side shoots. It is recommended to leave rather only two, but at most 4 main shoots and to pinch out all the others regularly. Leave no more than 5 fruits on one plant. During growth the aubergine will also require regular watering.

When choosing seed you can pick from several types; the traditional dark purple aubergine is by no means the only option. There are also white, green, light purple or pink varieties, which differ in shape too, from egg-shaped through elongated to round.

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