Cucurbita pepo 'Lemona'

RHS Plant Profile

courgette 'Lemona'

RHS

Annual Biennial

Beautiful, vibrant yellow, cylindrical fruit (20cm long) make this a lovely courgette to grow for some added colour. Not only do they look gorgeous but they taste delicious and produce a good yield too.

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand, Clay, Chalk

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1 year
Max Spread: 1-1.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand Clay Chalk

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H2

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Cucurbitaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
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 a sunny spot in rich, well-drained soil. Enrich soil with well rotted horse manure or compost during the previous autumn or that spring. Courgettes prefer acidic to neutral soil so adjust pH if neccessary. Courgettes are thirsty and hungry plants so need regular watering and a feed every 10–14 days with a high potassium liquid fertiliser, such as tomato feed, once the first fruits start to swell. Harvest July to September. See courgette cultivation for futher information

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

May be susceptible to slugs and snails.

Diseases

May be susceptible to aphids, Powdery mildews, downy mildews and grey moulds.