Cucurbita pepo 'Syros'

RHS Plant Profile
courgette 'Syros'

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Annual Biennial

Compact and busy, this variety produces lots of dark green, shiny fruits. Easy to harvest due to its long spine-free stems so a good one to grow with children. Shows good disease resistance, particularly to powdery mildew so a long harvest period is usually possible.

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. 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

Shows resistance to some Powdery mildews and viruses but may be susceptible to aphids, other Powdery mildews, downy mildews and grey moulds.