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Variety profile · Pumpkin & courgette (Cucurbita pepo)

Growing Defender: from an open plant to regular courgette harvests

With Defender, variety choice, care and harvesting follow each other. Read what the source confirms about the variety and discover how flowers, soil and young fruit guide your garden round.

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AI illustration of Defender
AI illustration

This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.

Species
Cucurbita pepo with diverse variety groups
Summer type
Harvest young for tender skins and small seeds
Winter type
Harvest only suitable types ripe for storage

This growing advice helps you choose. Your variety, growth stage, weather and conditions in your space determine the actual timing.

A good start

Sowing under cover and raising seedlings

Start under cover in warmth · Pumpkin & courgette (Cucurbita pepo)

April–early MayStart indoors in warmth and reserve enough bright space for raising plants.

Germination and temperature
Germinate in warmth, around 18–21 °C; avoid cold, waterlogged seed compost.
After emergence
Give seedlings light immediately after emergence. A dark loft needs suitable grow lights; warmth alone is insufficient. Ventilate and keep the compost moist without saturating it.
Pricking out and potting on
Sow in individual pots or deep modules. Do not prick out bare-rooted; move the whole root ball before the roots become restricted.
Hardening off and planting out
Gradually acclimatise indoor-raised plants to sun, wind and outdoor temperatures; shelter them again on cold nights. After the last frost and hardening off, usually late May–June, with the root ball intact.

These plants grow quickly. Do not start in February if you cannot plant out until late May.

Sources and use

RHS · courgette ↗Britse teeltrichtlijn voor een gematigd klimaat; de genoemde perioden zijn richtlijnen voor Nederland en Vlaanderen.

Royal Horticultural Society · Zomer- en winterpompoenen kweken ↗Soort- of productgebonden bron; buitenlandse perioden zijn geen vaste Nederlandse zaaidatum.

University of Minnesota Extension · Zomerpompoen en courgette kweken ↗Soort- of productgebonden bron; buitenlandse perioden zijn geen vaste Nederlandse zaaidatum.

Guideline periods for the Netherlands and Flanders. Check the variety, available light, soil and measured temperatures. Greenhouse heating does not guarantee enough winter light.

Compare how to raise other vegetables →

What makes Defender different?

Frost-sensitive
YesUnited Kingdom
Variety type
CourgetteUnited Kingdom
Growth habit
Open growth habitUnited Kingdom
Harvest method
Regular picking encourages harvestingUnited Kingdom
Height
10–50 cmUnited Kingdom
Light
Full sunUnited Kingdom
Main colour
Mid-greenUnited Kingdom
Resistances
Some resistance to cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)United Kingdom
Width
50–100 cmUnited Kingdom

The source context and any limitations are in the background information at the bottom.

Compare with another variety
How it could look in your garden

How to grow pumpkin & courgette (cucurbita pepo)

The options below belong to the plant. From these, choose the method that suits your variety's growth habit.

AI illustration of een zomertype als open struik
AI illustration

This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.

A summer type as an open bush

Courgette or pattypan remains a different project from trailing storage squash.

  1. Choose an identifiable edible summer squash variety and check its growth habit.
  2. Plant after frost with room to reach around the foliage.
  3. Pick young fruits often and leave the growing point intact during care.

For many bush courgette and pattypan varieties; not every variety stays equally compact.

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AI illustration of een kleinvruchtig wintertype op een sterk rek
AI illustration

This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.

A small-fruited winter type on a strong frame

A suitable trailing type can grow upwards if variety and structure suit it.

  1. Check that the winter type trails and produces small fruits.
  2. Install a firmly anchored frame and guide vines with loose, soft ties where needed.
  3. Support each fruit separately and let it ripen as the variety requires.

For suitable small winter fruits; give large, heavy types a ground bed.

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A plant that needs checking between the leaves

The RHS describes Defender with open growth and medium-green fruit. Use this profile for recognition, not fixed yields. Label clearly from raising. Discover performance in your garden by following growth and harvest through the season.

A steady start begins with the roots

Well-developed root balls help courgette planting. Avoid root damage delaying establishment. Choose sunny, fertile, draining sites. Include plant condition in plans; calendars alone cannot judge seedling readiness.

Look beyond a wet soil surface

Water to reach roots and assess soil before repeating. Mulch can retain moisture but requires soil already warm enough. Record watering with plant observations to track care without assuming universal quantities.

The first yellow flower need not become a fruit

Courgettes have male and female flowers. Small swellings behind female flowers are ovaries. Early falling male flowers alone do not prove failure. Observe flowering sequence; once both appear, pollination enters your plant's story.

Watch what happens after flowering

Bees transfer courgette pollen. Poor pollination weather affects set. Inspect not just flowers but later fruitlets. Do not exclude pollinators with bloom-time covers. Rain/cold notes help review weeks with little set.

CMV resistance needs a precise explanation

The RHS advice page lists Defender as having some resistance to cucumber mosaic virus. Its cultivar profile uses a stronger qualification; we use the limited wording here. CMV can spread through aphids and infected material. Handle tools carefully after contact with a suspect plant. This property promises no immunity and does not automatically apply to other viruses.

Make picking part of your garden rhythm

Young courgettes need not reach full size. Check regularly, cut carefully and avoid plant damage. General guidance links regular picking to continued production. Choose harvest size by cooking aims; variety names alone set no required fruit size.

From variety name to your own growing experience

Courgettes are young summer fruit; skins and seeds firm as they grow. Record quality with harvest timing. Planting, flowering and picking in one record build useful continuation. Compare the same site next year or clearly note changed conditions.

Ready to begin

What you need

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The basics
Propagation
Optional
Harvesting

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More background, sources and image information

SeedSteps editorial team · updated on 11 October 2026. The AI images illustrate species and practical growing situations; they do not prove an exact cultivar, observations from your own garden or yield.

Britse gewasadviezen worden gecombineerd met Nederlandse en Vlaamse informatie waar beschikbaar. Amerikaanse Extension-bronnen ondersteunen plantprincipes en herkenning; hun kalenderdata, lokale plaagdruk, bestrijdingsmiddelen en mestdoseringen worden niet rechtstreeks op Nederland of Vlaanderen toegepast. Vorst, bodemwarmte, standplaats en expliciete rasinformatie blijven de lokale controle. Commerciële bronnen onderbouwen uitsluitend benoemde ras- en plantkenmerken; zij zijn geen affiliate-aanbeveling.

  1. World Checklist of Vascular Plants — 4 juni 2026Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · accessed 2026-10-07
  2. Common catalogue of varieties of vegetable species — 27 januari 2023Europese Commissie · accessed 2026-10-07
  3. Defender — beschrijving en teeltcontextRoyal Horticultural Society · accessed 2026-10-08
  4. Courgettes kweken — RHSRoyal Horticultural Society · accessed 2026-10-08
  5. Komkommermozaïekvirus — beschrijving en teeltcontextRoyal Horticultural Society · accessed 2026-10-08
  6. Klimcourgette Ola Escaladora — producentbeschrijvingDe Bolster · accessed 2026-10-11
  7. Courgette Black Beauty — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  8. Courgette Caserta — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  9. Courgette Cocozelle de Tripolis — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  10. Courgette Geel — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  11. Courgette mengeling — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  12. Courgette Mutabile — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  13. Courgette Ola Escaladora — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  14. Courgette Ola Redonda — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  15. Courgette Ronde de Nice — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  16. Courgette Tabergmouzt uit Marokko — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  17. Courgette Verte d’Italie — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  18. Courgette wit uit Egypte — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  19. Courgette Yellow Crookneck — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  20. Pâtisson Oranje — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  21. Pâtisson panaché — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  22. Pâtisson wit — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
  23. Growing summer squash and zucchini in home gardensUniversity of Minnesota Extension · accessed 2026-10-07
  24. Summer and winter squash in the gardenUtah State University Extension · accessed 2026-10-07
  25. Vorsicht beim Verzehr von bitteren ZucchiniBundesinstitut für Risikobewertung · accessed 2026-10-10
  26. Zomer- en winterpompoenen kwekenRoyal Horticultural Society · accessed 2026-10-10
  27. Meloen en pompoen: rijping, oogst en bewaringUniversity of Minnesota Extension · accessed 2026-10-10
  28. Zomerpompoen en courgette kwekenUniversity of Minnesota Extension · accessed 2026-10-10

Supporting evidence by chapter: A plant that needs checking between the leaves: Royal Horticultural Society. A steady start begins with the roots: Utah State University Extension. Look beyond a wet soil surface: Utah State University Extension. The first yellow flower need not become a fruit: University of Minnesota Extension. Watch what happens after flowering: University of Minnesota Extension. CMV resistance needs a precise explanation: Royal Horticultural Society, Royal Horticultural Society. Make picking part of your garden rhythm: Royal Horticultural Society. From variety name to your own growing experience: Utah State University Extension.

Frost-sensitive: Yes Brits RHS-rasprofiel; beschrijving voor Britse groeiomstandigheden, geen vaste maat of opbrengstgarantie voor jouw tuin. Royal Horticultural Society

Variety type: Courgette RHS beschrijft dit ras als courgette, binnen de bestaande registergroep Cucurbita pepo. Britse waarneming, geen Nederlandse verkoop- of opbrengstgarantie. Royal Horticultural Society

Growth habit: Open growth habit Brits RHS-rasprofiel; beschrijving voor Britse groeiomstandigheden, geen vaste maat of opbrengstgarantie voor jouw tuin. Royal Horticultural Society

Harvest method: Regular picking encourages harvesting RHS beschrijft dit ras als courgette, binnen de bestaande registergroep Cucurbita pepo. Britse waarneming, geen Nederlandse verkoop- of opbrengstgarantie. Royal Horticultural Society

Height: 10–50 cm Brits RHS-rasprofiel; beschrijving voor Britse groeiomstandigheden, geen vaste maat of opbrengstgarantie voor jouw tuin. Royal Horticultural Society

Light: Full sun Brits RHS-rasprofiel; beschrijving voor Britse groeiomstandigheden, geen vaste maat of opbrengstgarantie voor jouw tuin. Royal Horticultural Society

Main colour: Mid-green Brits RHS-rasprofiel; beschrijving voor Britse groeiomstandigheden, geen vaste maat of opbrengstgarantie voor jouw tuin. Royal Horticultural Society

Resistances: Some resistance to cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) De RHS noemt Defender op de CMV-adviespagina met enige weerstand. Het rasprofiel gebruikt een sterkere kwalificatie. Geen immuniteit, weerstand tegen alle virussen of opbrengstgarantie. Royal Horticultural Society

Width: 50–100 cm Brits RHS-rasprofiel; beschrijving voor Britse groeiomstandigheden, geen vaste maat of opbrengstgarantie voor jouw tuin. Royal Horticultural Society