Courgettes, I just don't get then !!

[fitzsie]

I have for the first time 4 courgettes plants looking pretty healthy. One of them has got two courgettes growing, yeah ! However the others have quite a few flowers on long stems but nothing else happening. Is this something to do with male/female. What have I done wrong ! I just don't understand this business !

[fitzsie]

[Yorkshire Lass]

The ones with the long stems won't produce a courgette, just give you a pretty flower. Someone will be a long soon to give you a more technical explanation.

[Silverleaf]

If I remember rightly, courgette plants tend to produce more male flowers first and then females later on. It's only the females that produce fruits, but you'll need males to provide pollen for the females.

[fitzsie]

Yes, I have lots of male stems then, just have to be patient and hope the females appear. Typical, always late !!

[Digeroo]

There was a good joke on a thread last year about the guys coming out first to check things out before the ladies appeared.

I take off excess males to stop too much energy going into them. 

You can always dip them in batter and fry them, they are considered a delicacy in Italy.  Franchi even produce packed of all male flowered courgette seeds.

[Jayb]

Courgettes are often unhelpful at the beginning of the season, as previously said usually producing too many male flowers, but then frustratingly they sometimes go the other way with female only flowers!!!!

Very occasionally fruit will set that hasn't been pollinate and I think there is a variety that has been developed to be able to set fruit with or without seeds. 

[Jayb]

Partenon F1 http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/vegetable-seeds/pumpkin-squash-and-courgette-seeds/courgette-partenon-f1/322TM

[GREGME]

dont worry they will sort themselves out in time and then you will have too many and wonder how you can slow them down.

[antipodes]

They don't always flower at the same time even if they were planted together. i have 2 green courgettes, one yellow and a baby squash, some have flowers, just male, some have both, one is just growing flower stems. They will get there eventually. I usually give them a little feed about now, just a few granules or some rotted compost around them.

[Digeroo]

Cavili is Parthenocarpic as well and sets fruit early since it does not need the male flowers, you can take them all off.

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/vegetable-seeds/pumpkin-squash-and-courgette-seeds/courgette-cavili-f1-hybrid/311TM