Experience with Courgettes and Marrows

I was never found of the usual vegetables when I was a child such as carrots or parsnips as a child and was rather turned off most vegetables if they weren't green (I know what a weird child who loves all of her green vegetables). So my parents would cook courgettes fried up with garlic and a bit of lemon juice and still do. It was only recently that we discovered that they were the easiest thing on the planet to grow in our climate.


Growing experience

What we needed to grow them:

Courgette seeds
Compost
Pots
Lots of water
A grow bag, large pot or well composted soil bed

Basically what we did was plant the seeds in small composted pots and then when they were strong and large enough we transplanted them outside in large pots, and what used to be out flower bed though a grow bag would do fine also. Settling them in with lots of water, a few weeks to months later the plants started producing flowers followed by vegetable like nobody's business, just remember to keep watering them and to break or twist off the courgettes or marrows instead of cutting this encourages the plant to keep on producing.

Some things we have learned not to do

If you do live in a damp environment like we do, do not let the vegetable directly touch the soil as it causes them to rot. Instead put hay or straw under them, otherwise the slugs and snails get them. I would also advise you to eat them when they are small and tender. If they get too big then they develop a large hole down the centre so you end up with around the same amount of vegetable but not as sweet or tender and they tend to develop a prickly skin which isn't too nice.


In Comparison To Store Bought Equivalent

There isn't any comparison, the home grown version tastes so much better in texture, flavour and you know no junks gone into them too. We have also saved a great deal of money and usually have a steady supply for 3-6 months, plus it just feels good to eat something you have hand grown yourself.
Courgettes are so versatile too, you can make soup, pasta sauce or simply fry them up or stuff them, and there is no disadvantage to growing them unless you dislike the taste of them of course.


Conclusion

Easy to grow, they don't take up a lot of space, generally produce a lot of vegetables providing you look after them and you can cook them so many different ways what's not to like.