The Poultry Keeper

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1322 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Hello again!

I've some healthy courgette plants from which I've harvested ONE lovely fruit, but all of the new ones rot on the plant at about two inches long. It is, as always, pretty wet here, though they are in a sheltered spot. Would a cloche help do you think? I thought I would put down a bed of straw and then a cloche....

Also, I've two very healthy cucumbers plants which are getting very big, with the odd flower but no fruit...I heard about taking off the male flowers but not sure which is which....

Thanks for any advice, total newbie at this! Wink

robgodfrey · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:13 am Post subject:

Usually my courgettes do really well - but this year they are quite slow and the fruit (especailly on the yellow variety) reluctant to grow. If your site is windy I would give them shelter - but otherwise a cloche will not help a lot - and it might stop the flowers getting pollinated by flies/bees.

All the courgette/squash/pumpkin/cucumber female flowers have a small undeveloped fruit immediately behind them - the males flowers just stick out with nothing behind (no saucy comments now!).

crazypianolady · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 793 Location: Nottinghamshire

This year I've grown varieties of courgette that don't need a pollinator, and they're providing a good crop. Courgettes every way you can think of, chutney, courgette & ginger jam, I'm even feeding them to the hens! Rolling Eyes

dobby · Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 8

Hi e Girl to help prevent the courgette roting lift them of the ground with anything like bits of wood/ bricks just so they not sat on the wet ground like you do with pumpkin's.

Courgette chutney:D
do you have the recipe
never thought of that we had to make a big batch of courgette soup this week and put it in the freezer about 20 portions and still got loads more

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1322 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Great, thanks Dobby, I knew it was the wet ground and that I should lift them off it. I'll get a couple of bits of wood under them tonight!

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2671 Location: South Cumbria

the ones that are rotting have not been fertilised either because there is no male flower available or if wet no insects, my courgettes have had a late start but had 12 now off 2 plants no sign of any squash yet though, I grow mini cucmbers in the greenhouse and am getting far too many at least 5 every day Sad

off 2 plants last yerar I grew 3 plants and had less fruits so I am going to try just 1 next year not sure if they would grow outdoors too windy here to even consider it as we are right on the coast. I think it is best to remove male cucumber flowers I think if they are pollinated the fruit is bitter and not fit to eat like Robgodfrey said the male floweres have no fruit behind the flower

crazypianolady · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 793 Location: Nottinghamshire

I'll post the recipe in the recipe section Smile

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1322 Location: Dublin, Ireland

thanks Gilly, I think it's a mix of rain & lack of pollination. I'm going to grow them in a small greenhouse next year as we love them and it's so disappointing to get so little fruit. Oh well, you live and learn!

closer2 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Tiptree, Essex

Probably a stupid question, but do courgette plants grow more than one male flower? We picked them early in the season, thinking we'd get more and now have no edible crop at all, as all the courgettes are rotting from the end.

We've done better with beetroot, but the chickens demolished the leeks and onions.

closer2 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Tiptree, Essex

Well, since I posted this message, still no sign of male flowers and no edible courgettes. Be warned by our experience! Leave at least one!

scottg · Joined: 18 Sep 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Bristol, UK

For the second year on the trot, our courgettes and cucumbers were very poor in terms of yield.
It has been very wet though, and even keeping them off the ground didn't help much.
Plenty of them had end rot, and we definitely didn't have enough sunshine!

Maybe next year will be better!

If we all keep our fingers crossed!!!