fertilizer guide

           

 

 

Courgette belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, species Cucurbita pepo, and it is an annual herbaceous plant with a creeping nature. The fruit is a fleshy berry, with no central cavity, green or yellow. Its skin is smooth and very sensitive to chafing. It is elongated, cylindrical and with very short peduncle. Fruit is harvested approximately when it is halfway through its development.

Climate: Courgette is not too demanding in temperature, less than melon, cucumber and watermelon, although it supports higher temperatures.

  • Germination: Optimum temperature 20-25°C, minimum temperature 15°C and maximum temperature 40°C.
  • Vegetative Growth: Optimum temperature 25-30°C, minimum temperature 10°C and maximum temperature 35°C.
  • Flowering: Optimum temperature 20-25°C, minimum temperature 10°C and maximum temperature 35°C.

Soil: It adapts easily to all types of soils, although it prefers loamy, deep and well drained soils. It is a very organic matter demanding plant.

Humidity: Optimum relative air humidity is between 65% and 80%.

Light: It is a very luminosity demanding plant, so that a greater insolation will lead to an increasing production.

pH: 5-7

Carbon dioxide in greenhouses: 1,500 p.p.m. of CO2 increase production and precocity.

Nutritional requirements

Nutritional requirements (kg/ha)
Growth conditions Yield N P2O5 K2O
Outdoor 25 75-100 30-40 110-160
Greenhouse 80-100 200-225 100-125 250-300

 

Fertigation recommendations

 

Courgette Fertigation recommendations. Source: Reche, 2000
Nutrient dosages (kg/ha). Yield: 80-100 t
Crop N P2O5 K2O CaO MgO
Autumn Crop 200 150 350 60 50
Winter-Spring crop 300 200 500 64 50

Courgette Fertigation recommendations. Source: Reche (2008), Cabello y Cabrera (2003), IFAPA (Almería)
Nutrient dosages (kg/ha)
Growth Yield (t) N P2O5 K2O
Outdoor 25-35 85-102 30-40 110-160
Greenhouse 50-60 200-250 60-80 220-300

Foliar Fertilizers

Foliar fertilization is the fastest and most effective method to supplement and enrich plant nutrition and to correct nutritional deficiencies when needed. This contributes significantly to higher and better quality productions.

Lima Europe has a wide range of foliar fertilizers and special products for foliar application.

To verify the safe rate under local conditions, it is advisable to spray recommended rate on a few plants. After 3-4 days check the tested plants for scorching symptoms.

 
Courgette fertilizer program

5 NPK Terra 12-44-12 + 6 CaO + 3 MgO + TE

5 NPK Multi 20-20-20 + 6 CaO + 3 MgO + TE

5 NPK Fructus 18-9-36 + 6 CaO + 3 MgO +TE

Vegetative 27-27-27 + 3 MgO + TE: 2-5 kg/ha 

Fruit 18-11-59 + 2 MgO + TE: 2-5 kg/ha 

Grogreen Ca/B: 2-4 kg/ha. In order to correct Ca deficiency. Ca/B increases flowering and fruit set

Pro-mino: 200-300 ml/hl from establishment to fruit development

Micro: 0.5-1.5 kg/ha. Possible deficiencies from vegetative growth to fruit development

proteKt-K50: 2 l/ha. 1 application before first flowering and 3-5 applications at fruit growth stage