Um guia de cultivo passo a passo, da sementeira à colheita.
pH ideal 6.0 to 7.0Temperatura ideal 20 to 30 °CCompasso 100 cm in the row, 100 to 120 cm between rows
Sementeira
Sow in individual pots two to three weeks before planting out, two or three centimetres deep with the seed on its edge, at 20 °C to 25 °C. Germination takes five to eight days. It grows very fast, so do not keep it in the tray for more than three weeks or it goes leggy. Direct sowing works well once the soil passes 15 °C, with two seeds per station. It carries separate male and female flowers on the same plant and depends on insects for fruit set. The first flowers are all male and set no fruit, which alarms many gardeners for no reason. If small fruits shrivel and drop, the problem is a shortage of pollinators: sow flowers nearby, avoid spraying during flowering, or hand pollinate early in the morning with a brush. This is a compact or bush variety that does not run long vines, so it takes about one square metre per plant. It is the right choice for small gardens and large containers, but the closed habit traps humidity inside the plant: remove the old leaves at the base regularly so air can move.
Solo
It wants deep, loose soil, very rich in organic matter and free draining, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. The classic approach is to open a wide hole, fill it with mature compost and plant on that spot, which gives the plant the reserve it needs. Rotate on a four year cycle with crops from other families.
Clima
It wants full sun and temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C. It is greedy for space: one plant easily fills a square metre, and planting too close is the commonest mistake, because it kills airflow and brings powdery mildew straight away. On the Portuguese coast the crop starts slowly because nights stay cool and morning fog keeps the leaves wet for hours, so pick the sunniest spot you have, shelter it from wind and space the plants generously so air moves through. Inland in Portugal and Spain heat rather than cold is the limiting factor: in weeks above 35 °C the plant stalls and light shade over midday pays for itself. In France outdoor growing is reliable from the centre southwards, while in northern France and in Germany a greenhouse, a polytunnel or a warm south facing wall makes the difference, and planting out should wait until after the mid May cold snap. Where summers are short, always choose the shorter cycle varieties and start them early in a heated tray. In Italy it is an easy crop: in the centre and south plant from April onwards and the only real care is light shade through the July and August heat; in the Po valley and the north wait for the late frosts to pass and pick the sunniest spot you have.
Fertilização
This is a hungry crop. Work two to three kilos of well rotted compost or mature manure into each square metre before planting and add a handful of bone meal or wood ash to top up phosphorus and potassium. Once growth is away, feed with a liquid organic fertiliser every two or three weeks, moving from a balanced formula to a higher potassium one as cropping begins. Avoid excess nitrogen, which gives lush leaves, a poor crop and a lot of aphids.
Rega
It needs plenty of water while cropping, but always at the base and never over the foliage. Water deeply two or three times a week, or daily at the height of inland heat. A straw mulch cuts water use and keeps the fruit clean.
Controlo de Infestantes
The critical period is the first month, before the foliage covers the ground. Hand weed in that phase and, once the vines start to run, stop disturbing the soil: from then on the plant smothers weeds itself. A straw mulch under the foliage keeps the fruit clean and dry and greatly reduces losses to rot where fruit touches the soil.
Controlo de Pragas
The main pests are aphids, red spider mite, thrips and whitefly, and on young plants slugs and snails, which can cut down a newly emerged seedling in one night. Protect the seedlings with a cut bottle or an ash barrier for the first weeks. Against aphids and whitefly use potassium soap in the late afternoon; against red spider mite, which appears in dry heat, wet the leaves in the morning and use neem oil. Also watch for stem borers at the base of the plant and beetle larvae in the roots.
Doenças
Powdery mildew is practically unavoidable and shows as white dust on the upper leaf surface, above all from midsummer on. It is checked with potassium bicarbonate or sulphur applied at the first signs, together with removal of old leaves and good airflow. Cucurbit downy mildew gives angular yellow patches bounded by the veins and thrives in coastal humidity. Water at the base of the plant, never at night and never over the leaves. Anthracnose and collar rot appear in waterlogged soil. Use a four year rotation and clear all crop debris at the end of the season, because that is where the fungi overwinter.
Colheita
Pick young, at fifteen to twenty centimetres, every day or every other day in full production. A forgotten courgette turns into a giant marrow and stops the plant producing altogether, which is the classic mistake of anyone who goes on holiday. Cut with a knife, leaving a stalk. The male flowers are also worth picking for the kitchen, always leaving some for pollination. Allow about 65 to 75 days from transplanting to the first harvest of this variety. The reference colour is yellow, and that is what tells you it is ready.
