Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: ben on May 12, 2009, 18:39

Title: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: ben on May 12, 2009, 18:39
Hello,

I have some courgettes in a cold greenhouse that I have grown from seed.
The greenhouse is ventilated in the day, and closed at night.

They seem to be growing OK, new leaves coming on etc, but the leaves seem to be looking a bit worse for wear ... see the photo which explains better than I can !

Thanks for any help,
Ben
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: gobs on May 12, 2009, 20:14
 ??? Do they all look like that?

And really,don't put slug pellets in a pot. :mad:
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: ben on May 12, 2009, 20:34
They do all look like that :(
As for the slug pellets, they just fell in when I sprinkled ... didn't see any harm in them being there ... is there ?
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: sunshineband on May 12, 2009, 20:48
Have they got scorched in bright sunlight? 
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: Yorkie on May 12, 2009, 21:03
I agree with sunshine band, looks like sun scorching.

I have been known to use slug pellets outdoors in pots in my back yard as the slugs there have huuuuge teeth
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: shaun on May 12, 2009, 21:06
they look hungry and dry too  ;)
i like slug pellets too ,what harm they doing in the pot gobby ??
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: ben on May 12, 2009, 21:11
I only ever water them at night so that the leaves don't get scorched ... is it possible to get scorched even though there are no water droplets on the leaves ?
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: Elcie on May 12, 2009, 21:14
With courgettes, like squash and cucumber, you really need to avoid water on the leaves as they are likely to rot - perhaps that is what has happened.  For mature plants it is best to have a submerged bottle to water through and under the roots, for smaller ones aim to water the soil rather than the leaves.  Also avoiding too much water on the stem (so water slowly!)
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: sunshineband on May 12, 2009, 21:16
I only ever water them at night so that the leaves don't get scorched ... is it possible to get scorched even though there are no water droplets on the leaves ?

Yes if the sun is very strong through the glass  :( Anything can fry like that  :wacko:
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: shaun on May 12, 2009, 21:16
capillary matting can be very usefull or an old carpet  ;)
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: gobs on May 12, 2009, 22:11
My understanding about slug pellets is that you want to entice them out of a place with it. So, only want to put on the furthest perimeters you can.

I don't think it's scorching, especially if all plants look the same and also, emerging leaves look like that. Have a look into this next rainy day. :D
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: sunshineband on May 13, 2009, 20:59
capillary matting can be very usefull or an old carpet  ;)

I used sheets of newspaper this year before I got the shading up. Still put it over potted on seedlings to give 'em a bit of a break on day one  :nowink:
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: ben on May 13, 2009, 21:19
Thanks for the replies, I'll try to not water over the leaves and look into some shading.

Ben
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: sunshineband on May 13, 2009, 21:21
werks fer me  :D
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: gobs on May 13, 2009, 22:02
I shall consult me clever book, Ben on one of these rainy days, they don't look much promising. It could be sun burn, but every single leaf on all plants, hm? :unsure:
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: blue_cortina on May 14, 2009, 12:26
Interesting to see this posting as I've got exactly the same problem with all my squash plants. the leaves papery at edges with some amount of yellowing. I thought it was because they were in the ghouse and getting too hot. Or that they had run out of food. I've moved them outside moved many into bigger pots and gave them a bit of food but so far no great improvement. Dissapointed as much the same happened last year and when the seeds first started to grow the plants looked really good and I've got many varieties on the go so it would be a great shame to loose them all :-(
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: Trebor on May 14, 2009, 12:47
blue_cortina:

We had a spell of really good weather, then a recent bit of bad weather (cold, windy and wet) so my guess is that some of the plants could have been caught out by this. It is always going to be a challenge with cucurbits as they shouldn’t even be started off in pots – we only do it in the UK because we have a comparatively short growing season and need to give them a head start. If you have loads of varieties and plant them at different times then you have a better chance of some of them being successful so don't give up on them yet!

Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: diggerjoe on May 14, 2009, 15:07
on a courgette related theme - I have sown courgettes and pumpkins in my usual way and had then put them in the kitchen - they had been in a few hours when OH decided to be helpful and water them - not noticing I went to check them this morning and all the pots were sitting in 1/2 inch water - i have obviously empited it out but should i just repot them into drier compost or leave them in the hope that they wont rot off being so wet.? The compost was very wet. Needless to say OH is banned fom watering duties
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: Trebor on May 14, 2009, 15:21
on a courgette related theme - I have sown courgettes and pumpkins in my usual way and had then put them in the kitchen - they had been in a few hours when OH decided to be helpful and water them - not noticing I went to check them this morning and all the pots were sitting in 1/2 inch water - i have obviously empited it out but should i just repot them into drier compost or leave them in the hope that they wont rot off being so wet.? The compost was very wet. Needless to say OH is banned fom watering duties

I overwatered once (or twice!) so left them above a radiator and put a bit of very dry compost on top of them. It worked, but not sure I would recommend to leave them in the heat for long as they get leggy.
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: Greengirl on May 14, 2009, 16:00
I don't think it's scorching either, the leaves look too puckered to me to be that. Courgettes can get virus diseases, but it doesn't look like mosaic virus either. I think I'd start again with fresh seed just in case.
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: diggerjoe on May 14, 2009, 16:08
Will give that a try Trebor anything is worth a shot so I dont lose the lot Thanks
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: gobs on May 14, 2009, 19:56
Interesting to see this posting as I've got exactly the same problem with all my squash plants. the leaves papery at edges with some amount of yellowing. I thought it was because they were in the ghouse and getting too hot. Or that they had run out of food. I've moved them outside moved many into bigger pots and gave them a bit of food but so far no great improvement. Dissapointed as much the same happened last year and when the seeds first started to grow the plants looked really good and I've got many varieties on the go so it would be a great shame to loose them all :-(

They can look like that just from scorching all right, what is bothering me, is that the original poster says, all look like that, well, it's possible, of course, but I have never seen it like that in a home environment, that's all.
Title: Re: Courgettes looking a bit worse for wear
Post by: blue_cortina on May 21, 2009, 16:05
ben - how are your plants doing now ? Mine seem to have gone from bad to worse -even though they are all outside and being watered less.... :-(