Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: cliff on April 29, 2010, 18:23

Title: courgette flowers
Post by: cliff on April 29, 2010, 18:23

hi just a quick question my plant has got some courgettes on already about 3-4" long but the flowers on them have already opened is this normal? and ifnot will they grow any bigger now?

Thanks

Title: Re: courgette flowers
Post by: mumofstig on April 29, 2010, 18:56

courgette flowers are of 2 kinds the female flowers have a baby fruit behind them the male flowers only have a stem behind them.
Unless pollen is moved from the male to the female, by bees etc, the babies will just wither and die :(
Unless of course you invested in one of the new self fertile varieties.

You can of course remove a male flower and insert the inside 'bits' into the female flower, if you understand what I mean  :lol:

Title: Re: courgette flowers
Post by: viettaclark on April 29, 2010, 22:06

Your cougettes are doing well if they're flowering already! Greenhouse?
You usually get a mass of female flowers then a mass of male and then both together which is when the fruit will set.
Every year I get excited when I see the female flowers......

Title: Re: courgette flowers
Post by: cliff on April 30, 2010, 10:59

Quote from: viettaclark on April 29, 2010, 22:06

Your cougettes are doing well if they're flowering already! Greenhouse?
You usually get a mass of female flowers then a mass of male and then both together which is when the fruit will set.
Every year I get excited when I see the female flowers......

hi yes there in the greenhouse just one early plant. im confused which flowers are the male or female? there was lots of flowers and no fruits then flowers with courgettes behind? im excited as they seem to change daily! all good fun ;)

Title: Re: courgette flowers
Post by: Kristen on April 30, 2010, 11:48

(http://completegarden.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/courgette-male-female-flower-identification.jpg)

From completegarden.wordpress.com (http://completegarden.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/courgette-how-to-identify-male-and-female-flowers/)

Title: Re: courgette flowers
Post by: cliff on April 30, 2010, 20:43

Quote from: Kristen on April 30, 2010, 11:48

(http://completegarden.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/courgette-male-female-flower-identification.jpg)

From completegarden.wordpress.com (http://completegarden.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/courgette-how-to-identify-male-and-female-flowers/)

thats exactly what my plant looks like!

Title: Re: courgette flowers
Post by: viettaclark on April 30, 2010, 22:13

Well...patience! When you've got both male and female at the same time see if you've got insects about to pollinate....if not you'll have to do your "thang" and make like a buzzy bee.......carefully peel the petals back from the stamens on the male flower and rub them against the female stigma....ooooh! I've come over all funny........