Keep picking courgettes regularly for tender crops

Check and harvest your courgettes daily. They can rapidly grow to the size of a marrow, which makes them less tender but also exhausts the plant and slows down production.

Cut off courgettes with a sharp knife when they are about 15cm in length, and before the fruit hits the ground and becomes susceptible to rotting. This is when they are at their most tender. Remember that you can also harvest, stuff, cook and eat the flowers.

Once fruits have started developing, pick some of the male flowers that are still in bud – the male flowers have no swelling at the base of the flowering stem. The best time to do this is in the morning.