Rotting Courgettes

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stwdv

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Rotting Courgettes
« on: May 15, 2018, 13:42 »
good afternoon, I have been trying to grow courgettes for the last couple of years.
The fruits grow ok but the ends get rotten.
I understand the standard reason for this is watering, and the flower fills with water.
I dont think is the cause in my case as I am very careful to not do that
Has anyone else got any other ideas??
Regards

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mumofstig

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Re: Rotting Courgettes
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2018, 14:04 »
Once the flower starts to shrivel I pull the petals off, that way at least the flowers can't rot in situ.
If the courgettes then start to rot while they are still quite small, it is because they haven't been pollinated :(

If you don't see many buzzies about perhaps you need to hand pollinate the flowers (just take off a male flower, tear off the petal to expose the stamens and make like a bee inside the female flower).

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oldgrunge

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Re: Rotting Courgettes
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2018, 19:53 »
Agreed, MoS
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Mr Dog

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Re: Rotting Courgettes
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2018, 20:08 »
I had a similar problem with tromboncino squashes last year. A search on t'web suggested it was likely blossom end rot.

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JayG

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Re: Rotting Courgettes
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2018, 21:32 »
If it's very wet it's just about possible that the soggy remains of the flower can rot the fruit, but I agree with MoS that 99 times out of a 100 it happens due to lack of pollination.
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

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Mr Dog

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Re: Rotting Courgettes
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2018, 09:17 »
If it's very wet it's just about possible that the soggy remains of the flower can rot the fruit, but I agree with MoS that 99 times out of a 100 it happens due to lack of pollination.

If I've understood the OP correctly, I'm  not sure the whole of the fruit is rotting as it does with non-pollination (it certainly wasn't in my case where the fruit ends started to rot only after they'd grown to a significant size).

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mumofstig

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Re: Rotting Courgettes
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2018, 09:34 »
Rotting because of non-pollination starts at the blossom end, in my experience, some advice from the RHS here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=676

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Mr Dog

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Re: Rotting Courgettes
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2018, 22:17 »
Rotting because of non-pollination starts at the blossom end, in my experience, some advice from the RHS here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=676

With non-pollinated ones, as well as ending up rotting completely if not removed, I've never seen one grow to any sort of size beyond that of a largish little finger whereas the OP says his grow ok and then start to rot. I find it difficult to believe that in 2 years of growing non of the fruits have been pollinated. If it were me I'd pick them smaller than perhaps I would like before they start to rot.

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goose

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Re: Rotting Courgettes
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2018, 20:26 »
like most posters, I would say non pollination.  I remove about 5 a week like this from my plants.

I also see you are in the Highlands.  I wouldn't water much TBH.  I am in Berkshire and my courgettes get really neglected and hardly get watered on a very sunny/dry site and I am overrun with the things every year. ::)



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