Growing Courgettes in Containers
Courgettes are one of the most productive vegetables you can grow, and they don't need a full plot to do it. One well-fed plant in a generous tub, kept somewhere warm and sunny, can keep a household in courgettes right through the summer.
Quick answer
Grow one courgette per pot, choosing a compact or bush variety rather than a trailing one. Choose a pot no smaller than 45 cm across, use a peat-free compost (either multi-purpose or soil-based), and give it the warmest, sunniest spot you have. In hot spells daily watering isn't unusual, so aim the can low at the compost, and once fruits start to swell, switch to a fortnightly high-potash liquid feed. Pick regularly to keep new courgettes coming.
Choosing a container
Courgette plants have big leaves and a thirsty root system, so they need real room to grow. Aim for a container roughly the size of a large dustbin lid — 45 cm across and deep is the minimum — whether that's:
a large glazed or plastic pot
a half barrel
a growing bag, which can hold one or two compact plants
That much compost buffers the roots against sudden drying and gives them somewhere to spread. A cramped pot heats up and dries out too quickly for a plant this vigorous.
Which variety to grow
Not every courgette suits a pot. Look for compact or bush varieties bred for containers, rather than trailing types that sprawl and need much more space. The seed packet or plant label will say if a variety is suitable for pots.
Filling and planting
Firm in a peat-free compost, either multi-purpose or soil-based, and plant a single young courgette dead centre of the pot. Water it in well straight after planting to settle the roots.
There's more on the difference between compost types in best soil for vegetable gardening in the UK
Watering
This is the part container courgettes are least forgiving about. A pot has a fraction of the moisture reserve a bed has, so on hot days it can dry out within hours. Check the compost regularly and keep it evenly moist, never letting it dry right out or sit waterlogged.
Aim the water can at the compost itself and try to keep the foliage dry, since damp leaves are an invitation to powdery mildew, which tends to show up on courgettes from midsummer onwards.
How often to water courgettes sets out exactly how much and how often.
Feeding
The nutrients in fresh compost don't last a whole growing season, especially with a hungry crop like courgettes. Switch on a liquid tomato-type feed, rich in potash, as soon as fruits begin to swell, and apply it every one to two weeks. This pushes the plant towards flowers and fruit instead of just leaves.
Position
Courgettes need a warm, sheltered, sunny spot to crop well. A spot against a south- or west-facing wall works especially well for pots, as it holds extra warmth. The more sun the plant gets, the more fruit it will set.
Keeping plants healthy
Snip off any yellowing, tatty or mildew-covered leaves so light and air reach the fruits and the crown of the plant.
Check under the leaves regularly, as fruits can hide and grow oversized surprisingly fast.
Fruits tend to split when parched compost is suddenly soaked, so little and often beats catching up in one go.
Harvesting
Cut courgettes young, somewhere around finger to wrist thickness. Regular picking, every couple of days once cropping starts, is what keeps the plant producing more flowers and fruit rather than putting its energy into one or two oversized marrows.
See when to harvest courgettes for more detail, and for everything else on raising them from seed to harvest, how to grow courgettes in the UK
Common questions
What size pot do courgettes need?
Nothing under 45 cm across and deep. A smaller one leaves too little compost to hold moisture and support the plant's roots.
How often should I water courgettes in pots?
Often — daily in a hot spell. Keep the compost consistently damp and direct the water at the compost, not the foliage.
Do courgettes in pots need feeding?
Yes, once fruit begins to form. A fortnightly high-potash liquid feed, the kind sold for tomatoes, keeps flowers and fruit coming.
Can you grow courgettes in a growing bag?
Yes, growing bags work well and can support one or two compact plants, with the same watering and feeding routine as a pot.
Container sizes, compost and feeding schedule based on RHS guidance.