Growing A Marrow

martinn123

Hi Folks,

I planted a marrow in the greenhouse. It has grown along the ground to about 7'

It has thrown out loads of flowers over the past 5 weeks or so, but none of the fruit is swelling, and some have just fallen off the plant.

Do I need to cut the head off the plant to stop it growing, in length, and will it then swell the fruit.

I have Gerkins, growing vertically on string, which are doing great, also Peppers, and Chillies in the same greenhouse, all doing well.

I water daily, and feed with Tomato Feed once a week, the flowers on the Marrow, are attracting ants, will they do any harm

Thanks for any info

yellowlabrador

It might have been too hot. Mine are outside this year but my pumpkin is in the polytunnel and I have 4 large fruit that have set. I water 2-3 times a day and I also cut off the male flowers and impregnate the female ones by removing the petals and placing the male pollen inside.
Watering would be the biggest factor though.

sirpsycho

You may need to give it a helping hand to get pollinated just in case the insects didn't do the job.

Have a look at Dan's video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H6aHLYdIwE

looksee

It seems to me there have not been too many insects around this summer, most likely there are not enough insects in the greenhouse to pollinate the marrows, as the others have suggested. Marrows will grow quite happily outside, even in a poor summer.

martinn123

Thanks for the comments, so far.

I did not realise the Pollination, Male/Female Flower issue at all.

Thinking about it the first flowers were all Female, the Male flowers have started shooting up in the last couple of weeks, I had left the door open all through the Hot Weather so plenty of opportunity for flying things to get at the Flowers.

So i'll increase the watering, and see how it goes.

Cheers.

martinn123

So I increased the watering routine, and the ''Birds and Bees'' have done their thing with the Male/Female flowers, and I have one Marrow set.

So what now, as I never grew these before.

How big do I let it grow, the plant is still setting flowers so I may be lucky to get one or two more to set.

And finally, any ideas what to do with the Marrow when I harvest it

Cheers.

inocybe

martinn123 wrote: »

So I increased the watering routine, and the ''Birds and Bees'' have done their thing with the Male/Female flowers, and I have one Marrow set.

So what now, as I never grew these before.

How big do I let it grow, the plant is still setting flowers so I may be lucky to get one or two more to set.

And finally, any ideas what to do with the Marrow when I harvest it

Cheers.

Much nicer if picked while small - courgettes. Fry or roast them in chunks for pasta sauce etc. Marrows are yuck. You should get a lot more than 2 or 3, they'll come along fast now.

yellowlabrador

Do you remeber the name of the seed variety? That looks more like a pumpkin. marrows would be longer. I grate them to add to stirfries, cube them and soflty fry them with onions and garam massala and nutmeg. Stuff them. First hollow out and cook flesh with other veg and rice and meat. Stuff the hollowed out marrow and place in oven. Grate and eat raw. You can also pick the flowers and fruit and batter them and fry.

scarepanda

Hi OP!

This is my first time growing marrows, I have 6 plants outside in the garden. One of my plants did the same thing, it was the first to flower, but all female, in the end it was the last to set fruit, but now has two decent sized fruits. Some fruits that looked like they had set also died off as well. All iv done with my plants is water them during the dry weather, put some farm yard manure in the ground when I was planting them out and weed them particularly when they were smaller.

Its always been my intention to let them grow to full marrows as I want to make jam out of them, rather than use them as courgettes.

SP

martinn123

yellowlabrador wrote: »

Do you remeber the name of the seed variety? That looks more like a pumpkin. marrows would be longer. I grate them to add to stirfries, cube them and soflty fry them with onions and garam massala and nutmeg. Stuff them. First hollow out and cook flesh with other veg and rice and meat. Stuff the hollowed out marrow and place in oven. Grate and eat raw. You can also pick the flowers and fruit and batter them and fry.

Yes I think you are right, more like a pumpkin.
The Photo posted also of a Marrow in the adjoining thread, shows a longer and striped fruit.
Anyway I still only have one, but this morning a good number of flowers were open, including one Female

So I took the advice posted above, and ( hopefully) pollinated that flower, by taking a Male Flower and inserting the pollen, into the Flower.

Will let you know, if I have been successful.

Should I cut the ends off the plant, to stop it growing, and to concentrate, energy into the fruit??

RobGJ

If you decide to use them as courgettes I recommend courgette, basil & Parmesan soup - one of my favourite uses of courgettes - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/italianstylezucchini_9833 If you let them grow the recipe might still taste good but I've never tried with marrows..

martinn123

I think my attempt at Assisted Reproduction has been successful,

( or as a mate called it Pumpkin Porn)

anyway I think I have another Fruit Developing,:)