Grow Your Own Magazine

Firstly hello to everyone, I'm a newbie round here but have been picking up some great tips for what to do with my allotment (I've had it since Feb), so thanks to all for the great advice.

My problem (well, the worst problem of the moment, aside from the horrible weather!) is my courgette/squash plants and cucumber plants. I started them all off from seed back in March. Most germinated and I planted them out (after a few days hardening off outside), rather optimistically it would seem, at the end of May. The day after I planted them out there was a huge storm which damaged a lot of the plants, and then the ones that survived slowly wilted, turned yellow and died. The ones that survived that ordeal got eaten by slugs!!!! Argghhh! I have one squash plant left which has a few small leaves on it that are gradually going yellow!

In a bid to recover I planted some more courgette and cucumber seeds. The courgettes never germinated but I now have two small cucumber plants (about 4 leaves each so far) growing happily on my windowsill. What should I do this time to avoid the above disasters?! They are a variety of outdoor ridge cucumbers (think they might be 'Marketmore').

Also, is it too late to try once more with courgettes? Third time lucky maybe? I keep looking jealously at my neighbour who has about 8 plants and never bothers to come and pick anything!!!! grrr

(PS I don't have a greenhouse but do have a small outside cold frame and several sunny windowsills)

Hello Katie B and welcome to the Vine.

I think you will find that many of us have been having problems this year with cucumbers and courgettes. I've lost all my cucumbers and so far have only had one courgette! Have a search as you may find some helpful advice in other posts. Failing that I'm sure someone will be along to give you advice very soon!

I've only had luck with my indoor cucumbers - nothing from my outdoor ones which really are just about hanging on.

I must say, I did much the same as you and planted out in May, keen to get stuff in the gound, but I am lucky enough to have a greenhouse so I kept a couple back which I planted out at the very beginning of june...I must say that I think they did well being kept in the sun and out of the wind / rain for May, and I think I'd do that next year.

If you've got sunny windowsills then perhaps keep the cucumbers on there until it brightens up outside? I think it might be a bit late to start again with courgettes though - sorry.

Not too late to sow courgettes, they'll be a bit later but you should still get a good crop and they'll be fuiting when some of the early ones have run out of steam.

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Many people sow a few extra courgettes at this time of year. Even if you have great success with the plants - this year it has been more good luck than good management with the atrocious weather conditions - they tend to go off a bit later in the season. They become a bit scrappy and exhausted so it's useful to have another batch to take over. They won't fruit for as long but will extend your season if you are already harvesting and give you a season if you've lost your plants.

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Thanks for the replies. Is there any way to stop pesky slugs apart from pellets? I've tried eggshells but it doesn't seem to work in this weather!!!

Welcome to the Vine KatieB. Shame about your curcubits but I think most of us have had the same problem with the weather. You've had good advice re sowing courgettes now from the others.
About the slugs - they can't swim, so if you really don't want to use pellets you could stand your pots up on a brick in a tray of water. Flush the water out regularly or the mosquitoes will breed there. Good luck and hope we all get better weather.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Katie - I've started using copper tape on my pots to keep the slugs off, it works a treat (apparently gives the little b*****s an electric shock if they touch it so they drop off), just make sure there are no overhanging leaves or etc they can use to get over the tape. Good luck with your courgettes, mine failed miserably.

Hi KatieB and welcome to the vine! Hope your veg is OK, I can't really add owt to the advice given above - just wanted to say hello! Bernie

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Try re-sowing, surely the weather has to improve sometime (soon I hope). Last year I was struggling to keep up with the courgettes and so far I have had one and a half fit to eat. I cut down on the number of plants, but only one is even looking as if it is trying to grow properly.

As I sit here looking at the rain out of the window (again) at my greenhouse full of non-producing toms, I can honestly say I have been pleased with my courgettes this year.

The OH is already fed up with them, but as they (and the broad beans) are my only regular harvest atm, they'll continue to be served up until they die !

I have no idea why mine are so successful but I'm jolly glad for them.

Now you've said we can sow this late I may even get a few more on the go.

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Don't worry about the tomatoes - there really is time for them to come good.

Sounds like you're doing better than many of us, in fact!

Me: hardly any broad beans, a few courgettes, dead outdoor cucumbers...

And last night the violent winds blew over my tomatoes and I lost a dozen small Sungold fruits.

Hmph!

Snails ate two of my little cucumber plants. They climb down the garage wall and into the pots.... The most organic thing to do is a slug-and-snail-hunt by torchlight. Or set some traps to catch them. Or grow something they won't eat - stones, for example!

I've got my courgette plants in the ground, planted through weed-control fabric. As I was having major slug problems, I lifted the plastic and threw loads of those organic slug pellets under it. Hasn't been anything like as much munching since then, and the weed fabric seems to be keeping some of the rain off too. For the plants in pots, I've been scattering the organic pellets around the pot (about a foot diameter) on the ground so they reach them before the pot. It's working in most places - my french beans which were gettin savaged are making a recovery now

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Cutecumber, sorry to hear about your toms Hope the rest of your crops come good - as i keep being told, very truly, have patience and dont give up

I've mulched my courgettes with grass and the odd organic pellet. The ones on the lottie were pot bound before they got transplanted up there so were fairly hefty before they were put in the ground.

the ones at home, were put in the ground from tiddlers, and also mulched with grass and pellets. Lottie ones are slightly ahead of the home ones.

I must admit, considering the weather we usually get, we've got off far more lightly that those down south. OK it hasn't been dry since saturday but nothing like the record breaking amounts of rain most other people have been having.

most things have got away without being munched, partially due to the pellets and grass, but more likely i think cos they headed straight for my french marigolds. they seem to like those !

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Catch up with my daily doings at http://kaypeesplot.blogspot.com/ and http://kaypeeslottie.blogspot.com/

I'm very glad to know I'm not alone with these problems! It seemed like everyone else at my allotments had about fifty plants and I had zero! I have planted some more courgette seeds in pots and am now planning some serious slug war..... I wasn't aware you could get organic slug pellets! I tried some garlic repellent (New Horizon) but that didn't seem to do very much - don't know if anyone else has had any luck with it?