Precise timing and great care
Two years ago, Louis started working at his father-in-law’s strawberry farm. Since last year, in addition to strawberries and lettuce, Louis and his wife Héléna have also started growing courgettes from March to October.
We spend most of the year growing courgettes, which we plant from the end of February. The young plants must grow for three to four weeks before the first fruits show, at which point we prune them so the plant can mature further. Pollination is done by bumblebees, or by workers if the weather is bad, as the bumblebees won’t leave the hive in these conditions. “Each plant has to face upwards with its heart towards the sun, as this is the part where the new courgettes grow.” Each plant is regularly checked, tended to, and straightened individually. “We cut the fruits when they are the right weight. Courgettes that are too big no longer fit in our boxes and develop seeds, which we prefer to avoid.”
Louis grows two crops of courgettes a year this way. As a result, we can enjoy fresh courgettes until mid-October.” “In spring and summer, we aim for around 35 to 40 courgettes per plant. From August onwards, there are about 25 per plant.
Like many vegetables, courgettes need plenty of love, and sometimes things must move fast. “In May, you go from a small courgette to a big one in just four days, so it’s a matter of keeping up well,” Louis explains. We have 12,000m² of courgettes, which is equivalent to 12,000 plants. So, in one year, we have 24,000 plants to take care of. Watching the plant grow and looking back on your harvest, and the beautiful product that comes of it, is what I like most. Being outside and working with nature – that’s what we do it for.”
In spring, Louis grows Tosca courgettes, and then from mid-August, the Milos variety. He says: “I think these are two of the most beautiful and high-quality varieties available. There’s minimal taste difference between the two, but they both have a full dark green colour and nice sheen.” Louis explains: “We depend a lot on the weather. A courgette is a tropical plant and is therefore at its best grown at 25 degrees. However, if it does get too hot in the greenhouse, we can tweak it by adjusting the fertilisers.”