Defender Courgette

[Colin Miles]

I noticed in the latest KG that someone had complained about Defender Courgette succumbing to Cucumber Mosaic Virus despite it being touted as resistant. I have also grown Defender this year, as I usually do. I also have grown the yellow variety Jemmer. The first 2 - 1 of each - were grown in pots in an attempt to get really early fruits. Not that successful really - I think too wet - and both plants eventually gave up and I planted out 2 Jemmer and 1 Defender in the garden. The Jemmer are starting to do quite well, but Defender is really pathetic - just 1 small fruit on it and the plant looking very small. However, I wonder whether it is really a question of mildew rather than virus.

[Weed]

Colin

I also grow defender courgettes and usually do extremely well but this year the hot start and sodden ground in June/July have resulted in some of the courgettes rotting.

The plants have suffered with mildew to a degree but not mosaic virus

I am still receiving some serious complaints from my Governor on the quantity I am taking home so perhaps its as well I am losing a few.

[GIULIA]

We've had rubbish courgettes this year, hardly any, but the cucumbers have done their best ever. My solution is to enjoy cooked cucumbers as a green veg instead, and actually they're rather better (peel, de-seed, cut in chunks and fry in just a smear of seasoned olive oil for about 5 mins each side). Excellent with fish.
One thing I don't understand. Why does Romulus, my elderly allotment rat and fellow plot-holder, ignore the green courgettes and nibble only the yellow ones? Does he know something I don't? He's picky about his strawberry variety preferences too - ignores the early ones and waits for the late crop to ripen. Of course he's an expert, he lives on the plot, I just visit.

[John]

I've grown Parthenon this year. The plants started well and fruited but succumbed to the severe weather we had here in Glos in June. I re-sowed in July and have a fine plant now cropping away nicely. It apparently doesn't require pollination to set fruit so you get early crops.
When a plant variety is described as resistant to this or that the description can be a bit misleading. It doesn't mean that the plant is immune to something and will never get it but just less likely to suffer from the problem. I suspect that there are degrees of 'resistance' and seed companies are likely to latch onto things like 'improved resistance' etc because its such a good selling point. In fact the difference between varieties might be quite small.
Is there a definition of what resistance is?

John