The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Wouldbesmallholder on July 22, 2013, 12:09:34 pm
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I have two huge yellow courgette plants, they both have a huge number of fruit, but they seem to get to about 2" long then go dark yellow to orange and seem to die. I have kept them well watered on a daily basis. Any ideas?
Thanks
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No ideas - but mine are doing the same.
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bizarrely enough I have also noticed this (normally have the opposite problem) though mine haven't rotted yet. I think I will pick them and see if this encourages more fruiting. Good job I'm not really mad keen on courgette.
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It happens when they haven't been pollinated. The easiest way around that is to take a male flower with plenty of pollen, tear off the petals and push the sticky-up bit that's left into the hole bit of the female flower and wriggle it around. I'm sure you can use your imagination here ::) When there is plenty of pollen you can tap it in.
One male flower will do a couple of female flowers. Both need to be at the right stage, so the male with plenty of visible pollen, the female fresh and unfaded but fully open.
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See you can be romantic when you try, FW. :roflanim:
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Male flowers being the ones that don't fruit, correct?
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Yes, there's no small fruit behind the flower in males, and inside the flower is a bit different too.
See you can be romantic when you try, FW. :roflanim:
Ohhh yes :eyelashes: :eyelashes:
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Yes, there's no small fruit behind the flower in males, and inside the flower is a bit different too.
See you can be romantic when you try, FW. :roflanim:
Ohhh yes :eyelashes: :eyelashes:
Have I just had a "the birds and the bees" talk about courgettes :-[
:roflanim:
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Have I just had a "the birds and the bees" talk about courgettes :-[
:roflanim:
Yes, you have! :)
So they produce some fruit - albeit small - even without pollination? Interesting. Well, we have had a lack of pollinators - although I've had some bees in my garden since the phacelia started flowering, so maybe it'll be better in future.
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See you can be romantic when you try, FW. :roflanim:
Ohhh yes :eyelashes: :eyelashes:
:innocent: :roflanim: