Cucurbita pepo 'Defender'
courgette 'Defender'
A popular and reliable courgette variety with an open habit, producing attractive, edible yellow flowers in Summer followed by heavy, solid, mid-green fruits. It is a high yielding variety with almost twice the number of fruits of other varieties and has excellent resistance to cucumber mosaic virus
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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1 yearUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drained, Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Yellow | Green | Green | |
| Autumn | Green | Green | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H2Botanical details
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Potentially harmful
- Humans/Pets: If crop is bitter, don't eat or feed to pets. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
- Genus
A small genus of climbing or trailing, annual herbaceous fruits. Several edible species are cultivated for food and other uses. Native to Central and South America. Solitary, star-shaped flowers are usually golden-yellow. Leaves are palmately lobed, covered with tiny, prickly hairs
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in rich, fertile, well drained soil in full sun. Start indoors in mid-late April, sowing in individual pots with seeds on their side about 1.5cm deep. Harden off before June then transplant outdoors to final growing position. See cucurbit cultivation for further advice
Propagation
Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Patio and container plants
- Wildlife gardens
Pruning
No pruning required. Regular harvesting extends cropping
Pests
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey moulds and powdery mildews. Shows excellent resistance to cucumber mosaic virus
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