Gardeners given advice on growing courgettes

Gardeners opting to grow courgettes have been told of the importance of picking the vegetables in order to ensure that their plants do not stop producing more items.

James Ashford has written for Get Reading that he is currently suffering from the problem of the vegetables growing at such a fast pace that he is struggling to eat them quickly enough.

However, he explains that this is a good problem and gardeners should avoid leaving the picking of courgettes until the time they are going to be eaten as this could have a negative impact on future growth levels.

He told the news provider: "Like many vegetables, courgettes need to be picked to keep the plant producing more.

"They contain the seeds for the next generation and if they are allowed to reach maturity the parent plant will consider its work done for the year and shut up shop."

In order to avoid wasting any of his courgettes, Mr Ashford added that he has tried a range of cooking techniques including steaming them, baking them and placing them on a barbeque.

Among the nutritional benefits of courgettes are the fact that they are considered to be low in calories, while containing good quantities of vitamin A and potassium.