Grow Your Own Magazine

Last year I had a problem with growing this lovely veg, and it's happening again this year - Help!

There is excellent leaf and flower growth - then when the squashes start developing, the part of the flower that is still attached to the baby squash's 'bottom' starts to go black, as does the squash itself. I pulled off one of these flowers and it felt damp. The squash never develops beyond a couple of inches, shrivels and falls off. It's very depressing! I have one lovely big squash developing nicely plus another smaller one that looks OK. The rest all have this black damp lurgy. Last year was the same - I got about 6 good ones, and about 20 shrivelled, from 2 plants.

Is there a name for this problem and some emergency First Aid I can perform?

Best wishes and good growing, Composta.

Hi Composta & welcome to the vine. I'm not exactly sure but it sounds similar to the problems a lot of us have been having with courgettes this year, a sort of 'blossom end rot/mould' condition.I'd suggest giving them a good feed & mulch with some manure or similar & watching how you water them. Try to keep the watering even, not too much all at once & keep the plants well ventilated & spaced out & put some straw under the developing fruits. It could also be that the fruits aren't forming properly because they haven't been pollinated properly if they're aren't enough bees etc. around. You could try hand pollinating by taking something like a cotton bud or paintbrush & brushing the pollen from male flowers onto the female ones (these should have a noticable small swelling which is the fruit). Good luck.

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

Blossom end rot. It happens if the plant isn't getting enough feed and water. Squash plants are greedy feeders and need lots of water too! There's been a lot of it this year due to the prolonged heatwave and no rain. Also it's usual to get no more than 6 fruit per plant so if you were getting 3 that's not too bad. Although plenty appear the plant can't possibly sustain them all.
To get more pick off any fruit that appear to be not growing or shrivelling up.( usually the earlier ones but there's no rule) Once a fruit gets underway it'll grab all the goodness anyway. If you water daily when there is no rain and feed at least twice weekly once the first fruit has appeared you'll get maximum harvest. I can't remember the balance but fruiting plants need different fertiliser from when they're putting on leaf.
Try a tomato feed. Preferably one with some seaweed in the mix. Same for any fruiting plant:Tomatoes, courgettes, Aubergines etc

SueA is spot on re pollinating too. There's lots of advice on how to and why on some of the older threads. Have a hunt back to the threads where everyone was lamenting their courgette problems. Masses of advice.
Good luck!

Thanks for the helpful replies re butternut squash problem. I've given the 2 plants a couple of feeds, and touch wood they seem to be doing OK now.

Cheers, Composta