Q.
Hi, my courgettes are producing finger length fruit then dying off, please help? Thanks Adrienne.
A.
It sounds like blossom end rot which is caused by a lack of water, irregular watering or a lack of calcium and magnesium in the soil. Make sure your courgettes get regular watering which is adjusted according to the weather, at the moment with the dry weather we have been having you may need to water twice a day.
Apply a side dressing of Tui Dolomite Lime which will correct any calcium and magnesium deficiency.
Regular applications of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic will also help.
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Why are my courgettes producing finger length fruit then dying off? Comments
Thanks for your prompt reply and I shall do a side dressing in the morning and will water Moore frequently, cheers Adrienne
Adrienne
Could this also be caused by a lack of pollination of the female flower. To increase my crop I hand pollinate by manually taking the male flower and rubbing it into the female flower. Sometimes you may also find there are only female flowers and no males for the bee's to transfer the pollen from one to another.
Bernadette
We have the same problem. Thanks for the hint re the dolomite lime
Gillian
I having problems too, very few in number(compared to last year)and a lot are hollow, I gave them a copper spray but haven't noticed any improvement yet, so will try the lime.
Julie
You can also spray them with a seaweed foliar feeding spray, I found this worked really well on my blossom end rot.
Rachelle
Great advice Rachelle, thank you for sharing! Thanks, Jenna - Tui Team
jenna
Is this the same for pumpkins/ squash and cucumbers?
melanie
I have the same problem with Lebanese Cues form up to about 1inch then slowly go yellow
Roger Pace
I solved this problem by pollinating by hand... stick your finger into the boy flower and pop it into the girl flower. Problem solved!
Polly
My scarlet runners are no good this year. Very few flowers. On the other side of trellis I have a good broad bean crop. Could this be the reason?
Rachel Melhop
How do I know the male from the female flower please?
Nyoman
The male flower grows on the end of a long, thin stalk. The female flower will appear with the courgette fruit swelling directly behind it. But it must be pollinated with pollen from the male flower or the courgette will wilt and die off. It's quite easy to just stick your finger into the male flower, pick up some of the bright orange pollen and then gently rub it inside the female flower - onto the stigma I think it's called! The bees and other insects should do this for you but you can help things along if you wish.
Rob Davies
Thank you for this interesting information Rob.
Lianne
How to tell boys from girl flowers?
Briar
Hi Nyoman, the female flowers will have a little courgette growing at the base. The male flowers just have a stalk growing. Hope that helps ^Tui Team
jenna
I'm having the same issue. This is my first time growing courgette. My auntie used to grow it a lot and made it look easy. Struggling first time grower. Any advice greatly needed and appreciated. Erin
Erin Green
Hi Erin, we hope the above information is helpful. We also have a courgette growing guide here: https://www.tuigarden.co.nz/how-to-guide/courgette-growing-guide/ Happy spring gardening from the Tui Team
Hi Briar, the female flowers will have a little courgette growing at the base. The male flowers just have a stalk growing. Hope that helps ^Happy gardening from the Tui Team
jenna
Hi Rachel, your two bean crops are compatible to grow together, Broad beans form flowers much earlier in the season compared to runner beans. Suggest adding some strawberry or tomato food to the plants now to encourage them to produce flowers, avoid adding any compost or manure, these are high in nitrogen which encourages leaves and not flowers. All the best ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi Melanie, yes, blossom end rot is a common problem with all members of this family. ^Tui Team
jenna