[MonaLisa]

Hi Everyone,

I envy those of you having a good year for courgettes, I am really struggling. I have 4 plants, all started well but now 3 have curled up leaves, don't seem to be growing much and are not overdoing the fruit. The 4th, in a different border, is unaffected.  What might be the problem?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[jaydig]

Courgettes need a lot of water, but they don't like water remaining around the neck of the plants, as this causes rot, so I tend to plant mine on a mound/ridge of soil and, at the time of planting I push a large pipe into the ground adjacent to where the roots will grow.  I usually leave about 2.5 - 3' above ground so that even if the courgette leaves grow tall, I can still access these pipes to pour water directly underground to the roots.  I feed them with comfrey water through these pipes too.
Having said that, it has been a particularly scorching year, and a lot of crops have suffered, no matter how much watering has been done.  There's nothing like a good, steady few hours of rain, preferably overnight, to put things right.

[oldgrunge]

Agree with Jaydig. I dig a hole in spring and fill it with compost, then backfill so I have a mound to plant on, I use 2 litre plastic water bottles with the bottom cut off, in the same way Jaydig uses a pipe.

[Mr Dog]

And just to prove the usual about asking different gardeners the same question - I always plant mine in a hollow.

[MonaLisa]

Hello Everyone

Thank you so much for your replies.  I feel stupid but at the same time very relieved.  When I googled the problem the most likely cause was aminopyralid and I had tried to improve the structure of my sandy soil with horse manure.

Of course you are right because the 4th courgette, which is not suffering,  was the spare and went into a semi-shaded spot which, considering how the summer is panning out, was a prime location.

I gave them a good soaking this evening and will attempt some engineering tomorrow although I am a little reluctant to disturb the roots.  You will be impressed with me next year.

Thank you again.