Whereabouts are the plants? Are they outside or in a poly tunnel? What’s the weather been like … has it been wet/windy or have there been plenty of pollinating insects around?
Inside the PT. Weather? Well, this is the UK Plenty of wind though, that's the norm up here. We do get bees, but I wouldn't have thought many. Haha, you just got me thinking, we don't get wasps up here and I never realised. Usually plenty of insects in the PT, but usually fly type things. Any butterflies I help back out. I did find a male and female flower open together this morning so stuck my finger in them both, I think that's the way forward from now on?
How far north are you? I've always found that courgettes do better outside and planted direct in the soil. I didn't realise you were growing in a polytunnel, as previously mentioned a small paintbrush is a good tool for aiding pollination.
We're on the Pennines. Trees have problems growing here so I don't think Courgettes stand a chance I'm still learning what will and won't, Squash is supposed to go outside, but it did nothing for weeks so I dug it up and brought it in. Only the hardiest of plants grow outside here. I can plant things direct in the soil in the PT, I prefer it that way.
I can understand why you grow under cover, hopefully as the plants get bigger they'll produce more flowers ,male and female, but it's probably best to hand pollinate. Even here in the south east I find that often the first few courgettes don't set but as the plants grow it improves. Fingers crossed you get success with hand pollination.
Whereabouts are the plants? Are they outside or in a poly tunnel? What’s the weather been like … has it been wet/windy or have there been plenty of pollinating insects around?
Inside the PT. Weather? Well, this is the UK Plenty of wind though, that's the norm up here. We do get bees, but I wouldn't have thought many. Haha, you just got me thinking, we don't get wasps up here and I never realised. Usually plenty of insects in the PT, but usually fly type things. Any butterflies I help back out. I did find a male and female flower open together this morning so stuck my finger in them both, I think that's the way forward from now on?
How far north are you? I've always found that courgettes do better outside and planted direct in the soil. I didn't realise you were growing in a polytunnel, as previously mentioned a small paintbrush is a good tool for aiding pollination.
Well there is something worth discussing and that is whether to grow in pots or not. One theory says that if the roots are bound then all the 'energy' will go into the fruit and not into making more growth below ground. I grew a few in pots this year, I noticed lots of roots sticking out of the bottom and they were going through a lot of water. So I put one fully formed and fruiting plant in the ground maybe 2 weeks ago. It finished up what it started and isn't producing anymore. The ones in pots have loads on. A few things could have happened: It didn't like being disturbed. It's putting all it's energy into putting more roots out. It doesn't like the compost it's in (How dare it, it's my own special brew). Or something else......
Next year I'll put one in the ground and some in pots right from the start, If you haven't maybe you should and note the differences.....
I think it just isn’t warm enough yet for those type of plants, I’ve got marrow plants in the conservatory, it’s no where near warm enough here to put them out. They’ll go out in about 2 weeks hopefully, I would have down the same with courgettes. it all depends on your weather. There won’t be enough goodness in homemade compost alone, I add a handful of bone meal to it and some garden soil.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Posts
I'm still learning what will and won't, Squash is supposed to go outside, but it did nothing for weeks so I dug it up and brought it in. Only the hardiest of plants grow outside here.
I can plant things direct in the soil in the PT, I prefer it that way.
Even here in the south east I find that often the first few courgettes don't set but as the plants grow it improves. Fingers crossed you get success with hand pollination.
One theory says that if the roots are bound then all the 'energy' will go into the fruit and not into making more growth below ground.
I grew a few in pots this year, I noticed lots of roots sticking out of the bottom and they were going through a lot of water. So I put one fully formed and fruiting plant in the ground maybe 2 weeks ago. It finished up what it started and isn't producing anymore.
The ones in pots have loads on.
A few things could have happened:
It didn't like being disturbed.
It's putting all it's energy into putting more roots out.
It doesn't like the compost it's in (How dare it, it's my own special brew).
Or something else......
Next year I'll put one in the ground and some in pots right from the start, If you haven't maybe you should and note the differences.....
it all depends on your weather.
There won’t be enough goodness in homemade compost alone, I add a handful of bone meal to it and some garden soil.