{"product_id":"courgette-atena-polka-f1-the-big-veg","title":"Courgette 'Atena Polka' F1 — The Big Veg","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe courgette that shows up in gold.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eMost courgettes are green and get on with it. This one turns up bright, glossy yellow — same easy plant, same great flavour, twice the swagger on the plate. 'Atena Polka' is a reliable, prolific golden courgette that grows as a bush (not a sprawling vine), so it's a tidy, willing thing to grow and a brilliant one to start with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eGive it sun, food and water and it'll keep the kitchen busy from midsummer onwards — courgettes are famously generous once they get going. Pick them small and often and they just keep coming.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eHere's the honest bit: a courgette is not a windowsill plant. It's a big, hungry, thirsty thing that wants a large container (proper bucket-sized, with drainage holes) or a spot in the ground, in full sun and sheltered from strong wind. No garden? A sunny balcony or doorstep with a big pot will do the job. But cramming it onto a shelf indoors won't — and we'd rather tell you that now than sell you a disappointment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's in your kit\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGolden courgette seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e — 'Atena Polka' F1\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeaweed meal\u003c\/strong\u003e — a gentle all-rounder that feeds the soil and hands your plant a spread of trace nutrients\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWool pellets\u003c\/strong\u003e — hold moisture in the compost (courgettes drink a \u003cem\u003elot\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComfrey pellets\u003c\/strong\u003e — slow-release potassium, exactly the nutrient a fruiting courgette wants. It's a greedy plant, though, so top up with a tomato-type (high-potassium) feed every couple of weeks once it's cropping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA plain-English grow guide card\u003c\/strong\u003e — no jargon, no gatekeeping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's \u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e in the box (on purpose)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo plastic planter and no bag of compost. You supply a big upcycled container (a drilled bucket, a crate, a builder's tub) and your own peat-free compost. It keeps the kit light, cheap to post, and genuinely low-waste — not just low-waste on the label.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe grower's bit\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSow:\u003c\/strong\u003e late March into April, indoors or undercover — one seed per small (8cm \/ 3in) pot, placed \u003cstrong\u003eon its edge\u003c\/strong\u003e about 1cm (½in) deep. Standing the seed on edge is an old courgette-grower's trick to help it shed water and rot less\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe make-or-break bit — warmth:\u003c\/strong\u003e the seed needs steady soil warmth of \u003cstrong\u003eat least 18°C (65°F)\u003c\/strong\u003e to germinate, ideally a bit more. A cold windowsill won't cut it — a heated propagator, warm airing cupboard or the warmest room in the house does the trick\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGerminates in:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–10 days\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContainer:\u003c\/strong\u003e as big as you can — at least 30–35cm (12–14in) across and deep, and honestly bigger is better. A drilled builder's bucket or a 30–40 litre tub suits one plant nicely. One plant per container\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlant outside:\u003c\/strong\u003e only \u003cstrong\u003eafter the last frost\u003c\/strong\u003e — for most of Scotland that's late May (it's a half-hardy annual, meaning frost kills it)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFirst courgettes:\u003c\/strong\u003e roughly \u003cstrong\u003e50–60 days\u003c\/strong\u003e from sowing, so expect picking from around July into October\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePick at:\u003c\/strong\u003e around 10–15cm (4–6in) long — small and often keeps the plant cropping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun, sheltered from strong wind; well-drained soil, as rich as you can make it\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater:\u003c\/strong\u003e copiously, and around the base of the plant rather than over the leaves\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeason note:\u003c\/strong\u003e Scotland runs 2–3 weeks behind the usual timings — build that into the plant-out especially, and don't rush it outdoors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eEvery kit you buy funds living wage jobs and horticultural training in Ayrshire. That's the whole point of us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShipped plastic-free to mainland GB.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGardening, minus the gatekeeping.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e","brand":"Laura Florals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54286286029127,"sku":"CAP006","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0957\/8319\/0855\/files\/courgette-atena-polka-f1-yellow-containergrown-on-patio.png?v=1783112587","url":"https:\/\/www.lauraflorals.co.uk\/products\/courgette-atena-polka-f1-the-big-veg","provider":"Laura Florals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}