Why are my courgettes dying?

[taff]

just take off the end bit
Welcome to Flickr!

[chris]

Mine went like that, which looks down to the compost running out of nutrients.. Have you tried potting them on? Tey loo k quite large for those (3"?) pots.. Mine were potted one when that large.

[chris]

Also, have you tried direct sowing any? The soil may be warm enough to do so now... May be worth covering it with a bit of plastic or glass though as you're up in Scotland.

[Tadpole123]

They will be ok I think if you get them into bigger pots quickly.
I start mine in 3" pots and as soon as the seed leaves are fully open they go outside.
My neighbour showed me theirs last week looking just like yours.
I suggested they re pot and they put it in a 12", today it's looking much happier and first true leaves just coming out.

[eskymo]

Sorry about the link guys - I was using my boyfriends iPod and it took forever to figure out how to add an image to a post as the image button didn't work - hence the need to upload to flickr and then post a link - but took me ages to figure out how to get the link and then I obviously did it wrong - I'm new to using tiny little devices to access the internet.

I always sow my courgettes in this kind of pot and they're not at all root-bound at this stage and so I didn't think the pots were too small. Saying that though, I have four picolino cucumbers that I'm going to grow in the greenhouse and they're planted in a very large square pot, 1 at each corner and they're doign fine so far and I transplanted them at the two leaf stage and was worried that was too soon.

My Konsa cucumbers are looking ery much like my courgettes and so I potted those into bigger pots today and will see how they got on. Thanks for the advice - will pot on the courgettes tomorrow and see if they survive.

Not got anywhere to plant any seed courgettes in situ at the moment as my allotment is very overgrown and I'm just digging it over bit by bit. Off up with a mini rotivator tomorrow to tackle the next patch, so if that goes well I could plant some seeds, but come to think of ti, I'm not sure I have any left.

[Nicos]

Hi there- tis lovely to hear from you again!!

I'd go with potting them on too- courgettes are hungry little beasts.

[womble]

Nope, unheated.

Would you like to tell us how you managed that then? Because I couldn't do that with the temps we've had here I wouldn't think. How did you manage it in Fife? Have you got a warm climate up there?

[taff]

magic!! woooooo ooooo ooooo

[Poddington Pea]

My courgettes have been outside, in the ground for about a month now. They're well and healthy and each have at least 2 courgettes that will be picked next week probably. We also have peas and have picked our first strawberries today. I know this is early, but I'm very pleased with my success! I haven't counted my chickens so to speak and have sown somee extra in the last couple of weeks.
X

[jacob]

Would you like to tell us how you managed that then? Because I couldn't do that with the temps we've had here I wouldn't think. How did you manage it in Fife? Have you got a warm climate up there?

I don't think I've done anything clever, and it certainly isn't warm up here (although it has been very sunny). Indeed the greenhouse only gets sun 9-2:30.

Anyway -- I sowed and germinated in 3" pots indoors mid March. After they had germinated they probably had a couple of weeks on the tray of special stuff that comes inside at night. Potted into 7" pots third week of April, into really big pots a couple of weeks ago at which point they do as courgettes do. They tend to gobble the nutrients in pots in no time, but the idea is they do from now until the outdoor ones choose to play.

I don't think cucurbits are too bothered by low night time temperature (as along as there's no frost), they seem to react to daytime temps. As opposed to chilis, peppers and aubergines which sulk after a chilly night. That said, I've got chilis set too (which is definitely a personal best)!

[womble]

Ahh right, so they are in really big pots that you bring in, in the event of a frost. I'm not sure I've the space for that.

[jacob]

Ahh right, so they are in really big pots that you bring in, in the event of a frost. I'm not sure I've the space for that.

When they were coming in they were in little pots. If there was a frost anytime from mid-April I faced with the choice of a) bring in the pots, or b) keep my fingers crossed. It's a bit of a gamble I suppose, but it paid off this year. I do think it has to be a real sub-zero air temperature frost to trouble the courgettes though.

Space, yes... I can hardly get in the door of the greenhouse at the moment and the tomatoes aren't even in final pots yet!

[eskymo]

If my first batch of courgettes hadn't died onme, I too would be picking lovely courgettes by now and I'm also in Fife - I think we've had really great weather this year - Until now - it is so windy I got totally blown off my feet walking up to my allotment today and when I got up there I discoverd the communal shed had been blown over.