How should I grow courgettes?

Anne Oglesby, Matlock, Derbyshire

Stefan says: An interesting query this, because you comment that some garden writers suggest courgettes should be planted in a hollow to capture water, while some say they should be planted on a mound to prevent stem rotting.

You ask my view, which is that I have never planted courgettes in a hollow, nor on a mound. I plant them on the flat. However, I have a light, free-draining soil. If my soil was a heavy clay, then planting on a mound prepared with compost would make sense. Other than in the most consistently dry parts of the country with truly light soil, I do not think planting anything in a hollow is wise because a pool of cool water on a hot day can become a cold bath the next. It is a technique to be used in hot, dry climates.

Unless you have heavy soil, courgettes are fine to grow on the flat