[shokkyy]

In the last week or two my courgettes have been growing to a decent size and then rotting from the tip back. It's that sort of rot where it's kind of grey and powdery, though the leaves look pretty healthy and green. What causes this?

[mumofstig]

botrytis....grey mould........perfect weather for it (and it got half of my tomatoes )

Some people like to pull the flower remnants off as soon as it has been pollinated, because that's where the rot seems to start

[JayG]

In the last week or two my courgettes have been growing to a decent size and then rotting from the tip back. It's that sort of rot where it's kind of grey and powdery, though the leaves look pretty healthy and green. What causes this?

Shokkyy: 1) how do you know they have been fertilised? 2) What do you mean by "decent size" and 3) The weather has been a lot wetter recently so they can rot off even if fertilised (usually starts from the flower end, especially if the flowers aren't removed after the fruit starts to swell.)

[shokkyy]

Shokkyy: 1) how do you know they have been fertilised? 2) What do you mean by "decent size" and 3) The weather has been a lot wetter recently so they can rot off even if fertilised (usually starts from the flower end, especially if the flowers aren't removed after the fruit starts to swell.)

Well, they're more than big enough to pick, sometimes verging on marrow size. I kind of like courgettes big enough to stuff so I do tend to leave them on the plant longer than a lot of people do. I do take the flowers off when they start to swell, and have been getting a good crop up to the last couple of weeks. It's just recently it's started to happen. And actually, it's also happened to one or two aubergines, now I come to think of it. So I guess it must be botrytis with all the wet weather. Is there any way to avoid that? When they're getting a daily drowning like they are at the moment, I'm loathe to put any more water on them, but if I don't water them once a week I can't feed them either.

[JayG]

OK, so it's damage limitation mode in Swindon!

Don't add more water just because you think you have to keep feeding them! Mildew is pretty much a "given" on courgettes from about now onwards, botrytis is closely related and thrives when conditions are wet, humid, and air circulation is poor. Improve air circulation as much as possible by removing all old, dying leaves. Any fruits large enough to be sitting on the soil would benefit by having an old slate or similar slid underneath to keep them drier.

[kingdhesiii]

botrytis....grey mould........perfect weather for it (and it got half of my tomatoes )

Some people like to pull the flower remnants off as soon as it has been pollinated, because that's where the rot seems to start

I think Ive got some of the rot you mention on some of my toms,, arghhhh. Guess they have to be all chucked away I take it.

[shokkyy]

OK, so it's damage limitation mode in Swindon!

Don't add more water just because you think you have to keep feeding them! Mildew is pretty much a "given" on courgettes from about now onwards, botrytis is closely related and thrives when conditions are wet, humid, and air circulation is poor. Improve air circulation as much as possible by removing all old, dying leaves. Any fruits large enough to be sitting on the soil would benefit by having an old slate or similar slid underneath to keep them dryer.

Okay, thanks for that, I'll stop the feeding, take the old leaves off and find something for the fruit to sit on. They are crammed in a bit close together so that probably isn't helping. Is it best to stop giving liquid feed to my toms, peppers and cukes as well? There's no sign of mould so far but cukes are pretty close to courgettes, aren't they, and if it can happen to aubergines I guess it can happen to peppers too. But the toms? The ones in pots and hanging baskets are going to start starving without feed, aren't they?

[JayG]

Don't get too downhearted shokkyy! Just because your courgettes are suffering it doesn't mean everything else is going to go down the pan as well!