Courgettes - dying!

[Kris78]

Hi all, help needed!

I've grown a couple of new fruit or veg each year and this year thought I'd try some courgettes. I have a small garden so most of my fruit and veg is in pots and does pretty well but although the courgettes started well, lots of big green leaves, every time one starts to grow it gets to a few inches long and then goes wizened (not sure this is a word but the best I can think of to describe it!) and yellow and then dies. They're in a greenhouse.

Is it because they shouldn't be in pots - so I should just give up on courgettes for the moment or could it be something else I'm not doing. I have plenty of other plants in the same greenhouse, chillis, peppers, aubergines and all seem to be fine. I don't have photos unfortunately.

[OverWyreGrower]

I don't think they need to be in a greenhouse, mine are out in the very wet and very windy garden and are producing loads of fruit...

If they are in pots, they'll need plenty of water I think as well...

Could you stand them outside somewhere?

[Kris78]

Ah okay, I will take them out as soon as I get home! Yes, have been trying to give them extra water but guess they might be getting too warm and drying out quicker if they're inside.

Much thanks, and hopefully I'll be able to eat one of my own courgettes soon!

[lottie dolly]

please don't give up on them,the main reason they wither,yellow and drop of,is because they not pollinated,it's normal to get female flowers[swelling behind the flower] before the male[ no swelling just a long thin stem],you have nothing to do ,let nature do her work,as owg say,they are thirsty plants,and are better outside where the insects can readyly find them to pollinate,is also cooler for them this time of year,as for thepot,if its smaller than a bucket it may be better to pot on onto a bigger container,this will give more root space,i personaly have only ever grown them in the ground when they big enough.
Perhaps someone will be along that HAS grown them in pots.

[divvy]

Mine have died too. I had them in a big trough in an open greenhouse. They just didn't grow very well and when they got to about 4 inches high they just went yellow and died. Last year I grew them the same way and had plenty of fruit off them.I think it could be this funny weather.I just don't know.

[shushkin!]

Hi Divvy
I have planted loads of courgettes on my allotment and I am having a similar experience. I am starting to suspect the weather to this year as I am usually inundated and giving them away to anyone who will have them. The old peoples day centre around the corner usually do very well from my contributions.
I am going to stick with it and have given them some extra feed. Maybe the recent downpours will perk them up. Dont give up!

[Kris78]

Well, I took them out yesterday and they're already looking better. There's one on there that (cross fingers, touch wood etc) is good so hoping more will follow!

Is tomato feed the best thing to use as an extra bit of help or is there something else that is better?

[pjh75]

I've had these problems too... when I hear stories about people having more courgettes than they no what to do with I wonder what I am doing wrong. To date I have had 3 fruit from 2 plants... the first I picked at finger size as that is supposed to make them crop better, the other 2 are still on the plant but growing very slowly. I'll try again next year though.

[armadillo]

I have 5 'gold rush' courgette plants in half-barrel planters, as well as one ordinary green variety in a half barrel planter and 3 ordinary ones in the ground. All are doing very well; the ones in planters seem to be ahead of those in the ground, which makes sense as they have warmer soil and are in a sunnier spot. They still get a few rotting and dropping off; i agree that this is probably because they have not been pollinated, and am making an effort to hand-pollinate now, checking every day for new flowers.
I think courgettes are very nutrient-hungry- I give them lots of manure in the compost I plant them in, plus a manure mulch at the beginning of flowering and weekly feeds of tomato food.

[Kris78]

Thanks for that great advice Armadillo,

possibly a stupid question but how do you hand-pollinate?

[Bassman]

in order to hand pollinate I take a male flower (flower with very slim stem) take the petals off and then use it like a paint brush to pollinate the female flowers.
Before choosing the male flower make sure the yellow pollen is powdery otherwise it wont pollinate properly.

[KellsSimon]

Any one checked the soil in their pots for little white worms eating the roots?
I had this problem a bit earlier in the year when the plants were smaller.
it was due to scariad fly larve.... swine
if you find them fast you can save the plants by washing off any old soil (away from anything growing) and repot them. then make sure that you water them by standing the pots in water rather than soaking the compost from above. as wet compost is one of the things the flys go for when laying eggs.
good luck.