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Courgettes shrivelling?

danni0912danni0912 Posts: 8
in Problem solving
hi all,

ive got my courgettes growing again this year but some of them seem to be shrivelling up at the end when they’re quite small still and the flower turning a brown colour. Does anyone know what I’m doing wrong? 

Thanks 


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Posts

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Did it get pollinated?  Do you have male flowers in bloom?  Are there bees and other insects visiting the flowers?
    Utah, USA.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    The flowers are supposed to go brown, shrivel up and drop off. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Most garden centre bought courgettes are f1 type so don't need the male flowers so cut them off as an old grower told me it makes them sour. As for the flower if the air can't circulate around the plant as the flower dies it causes the fruit to rot. So lots of air, water carefully try not to wet the plants and if necessary take off flower to prevent rot. Hope this helps.😁
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
     :o   Do check whether the variety you're growing is self fertile or not!

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=676

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Haven't yet had a variety that wasn't Dove.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited June 2018
    :)   Some are, some aren't ... I'm growing these https://www.seedaholic.com/courgette-romanesco.html which definitely aren't.  The flavour is marvellous and they're cropping really well.

    The bitterness your "old grower" spoke of comes from growing plants from saved seed which has been cross-pollinated with another variety.  Nothing to do with them having been fertilised.

    However, when growing greenhouse cucumbers you should remove the male flowers as
    described here https://www.thompson-morgan.com/how-to-grow-cucumbers.

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    You are cropping already ! Well I must admit I was late this year as was on holiday most of May so my planting was about 4/6 weeks late. None from seed. But my courgettes/cucumbers are about an inch long now lol.😁
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Planted mine out under a cloche before we went away in mid-May. Neighbour was on watering duty.  Removed the cloche when we got home at the end of May and have been harvesting for a fortnight now. Just cut these from one plant ... There'll be more tomorrow. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Its the keeping up with them that sometimes is a good problem to have
    Lol.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Need to pop some next door to the holiday watering person  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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