Beans, Peas and Courgettes

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your courgettes. Courgettes prefer a hot, sunny, reasonably dry position in the garden; with moist, free draining soil. If your soil is water logged you may need to add in more compost or a vegetable mix to help with drainage.

There are often more male than female flowers on zucchini and pumpkin plants. This is nature’s way of ensuring there is sufficient pollen for pollinating insects to fertilise female flowers.

Peas, like most vegetables, grow only as well as the soil that is prepared prior to planting and the care they are given as they grow. They can be grown all year round and prefer a rich, viable soil that is well drained, in position of full sunlight.

Peas prefer cooler conditions so unfortunately you will not have much success during the summer months. It becomes too hot in the season for them, and they tend to start browning, with the pods not fattening up regardless of watering.

This year there have been many reports of lower than usual crops of runner beans and there could be several causes.

First off, hopefully you planted into a well prepared site with lots of compost added to the soil to give your plants the best start.

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your courgettes, it can be frustrating when it happens over a few seasons. There could be a few reasons for the problem. Courgettes prefer a hot, sunny, reasonably dry position in the garden; with moist, free draining soil.