Been down to pick sunday lunch veg (cauliflower, carrot and mange toute) and noticed one of my young yellow courgette has gone soft and brown for about 1cm behind the flower. Is this a disease and so should I pick and destroy that fruit, is it just because the end is touching the ground (although lots of other unaffected ones are as well, or something else?
I have left it on the plant but as always appreciate any advice! oh the fruit is about 50cm total.
Thanks Iain
I would think you've watered it and it has rotted.
Might be wrong though, someone will more insight will be along soon I'm sure. ;D
Poor pollination?
Here's another...
My courgette flowers have fallen off - what is this due to ???
Debs
If you pick it and it's squidgy, then I'd agree with AC that it's rotted. It's happened before with mine. One courgette will just rot - usually the lowest one, though oddly enough others at the same level (on different plants) stay fine. I just treat it as one of the great mysteries of courgettes!
I was taught that if a squash started to develop, then started to go soft and fall off, it hadn't been fully pollinated, so just doing what comes naturally, as Tim said. I don't think overwatering would cause the fruits to rot on the plant, more likely the stem of the actually plant would rot.
What do you mean by the flowers falling off Debs? Are there little fruitlets there, then they fall of as the fruit develop, or are they falling off when still buds? I have found that my pot grown courgette in the greenhouse, if not watered, sheds a few flowers, but I am still picking a courgette every other day, it isn't hindering harvest.
Put this somewhere recently but can't find it.
Just to show typical poor pollination.
EJ - Flowers still not unfurled, no fruit showing yet.
Plants are very healthy looking, so maybe not enough water?
They were on a slight slope, so have made a soil mound around each
to act as a dish & hold water.
Fingers crossed :-\
Debs
If you have no fruit showing then they are probably male flowers?
Speaking of which, my Rondo in the cold 'house has a 10/1 ratio of male flowers - a bit unusual. And annoying!
john_miller
If all male flowers, what can I do ???
Debs courgette novice
wait for the females...;)
watch it guys, no comments from you, if you please. i always have to wait for my husband when going out ::)
Thanks for the picture Tim (and reponses from everyone) - looks very much like it was poorly (or not) pollinated. Was down again tonight and the whole thing was nearly brown so now on the compost heap. The rest of the plant and other plants all okay to the point I should be able to harvest in a few days -yippee!!!!!!! - my first home grown courgettes although nine plants may have overdone it just a bit..........
Win some...........................!!
aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww
Debs; pick the open male flowers and stuff 'em (they are much easier to handle than the females). The production of female flowers is phenologically dependent so just hope for suitable weather. Luckily (some may disagree eventually) the weather is typically conducive at some point in the summer.
Tim; 10/1 is unusual? Early in the season, for my varieties at least, that is typical. Hoe-itis?
Hi all,
this is my first post - I'm worried, my dad told me although he hadn't grown corgettes himself he thought they may be like cucumbers and that if you didn't take the male flowers off the fruit would be bitter. I merrily spent the evening yesterday deflowering all the thin stemmed buds and male flowers on my corgettes smugly thinking I was doing the right thing. Reading this thread has me worried as you imply the pollination is necessary for fruit formation.... Awwwww, have I just ruined my whole crop? :'(
I'd be grateful for any help or advice :)
Lynda
They'll produce more!!
Tim,
Thank you sooooooooooooo much!!!!! Greatly relieved and grateful for forum culture ;D
Lynda 8)
My flowers don't seem to be opening...
Plant is producing loads, both male and female on courgette and pumpkin, but they are not opening to let anything in to pollinate them!!
Opened a female one by hand last night and took a nice ripe male to rub all over it (oo-er missus!), and the female flower had lots of little black beetles swimming around in it. Are these the problem, or nothing to worry about ???
When are you looking? In my climate, which is being shared by the U.K. this year I gather, any individual squash flower will start closing by midday. If you aren't looking in the morning you've missed it. By the same token hand pollinating in the evening won't work as the stigma, whether it has been pollinated or not, will no longer be receptive to the pollen. Come to that, the pollen is already dead too. I'm not sure what the black beetles are, we don't see them over here as Striped Cucumber beetles are our problem, so I don't know if they are helping, which they could, or not.
They are probably rape/pollen beetles and they eat pollen. They become a problems when the oilseed rape stops flowering and they need an alternative foos source. I have heard they are not a problem but I think they are responsible for a lot of failed pollination in early summer. They do die out though. They are attracted to yellow and one solution is to have a yellow bowl half full of water and washing up liquid.
Debs; pick the open male flowers and stuff 'em (they are much easier to handle than the females). The production of female flowers is phenologically dependent so just hope for suitable weather. Luckily (some may disagree eventually) the weather is typically conducive at some point in the summer.
Tim; 10/1 is unusual? Early in the season, for my varieties at least, that is typical. Hoe-itis?
John_Miller,
Re above...
Pick the open male flowers and stuff 'em...
Q: stuff 'em...where?? :o
What does a male flower look like ???
and
Where am I to stuff it ...
Answers on a postcard please and only non-smutty replies
thankyou!!!
Debs ;D
Stuff them with something good to eat Debs, like a mince mix, or creamy cheesey mix, then you could batter them and deep fry them or bake them. Very good eating! Male flower doesn't have the baby fruitlet behind it, just a flower, on a stalk......
Thanks EJ :D
Having never grown courgettes, I did not realise the flowers could be eaten.
Do you stuff them then dip in batter mixture?
Can they be oven baked in this way - I do not have a deep
fat frier... could they be shallow fried, if so , which type of
oil??
Questions, questions... ;D
Debs