Rotting Courgettes

[Cookie]

I'm not having much luck with my courgettes this year. I'm growing a yellow one and they only grow small then start to rot at the flower end. What can I do to stop this happening? Is it too late to sow a different variety?

[realfood]

This can happen if the weather is wet and the remnants of the flower are still attached. Once the courgette has "set", I remove the shrivelled flower to prevent rot starting.

[Cookie]

That's great. Thanks. At least I know now that I will have home grown courgettes to eat this year. How soon can I remove the flower? I ask this because I was thinking of using them for cooking which is something I have never done before.

[Mopsy]

I had the same problem with yellow courgettes (mine were 'Taxi'), but the green ones I'm growing this year (Tristan) don't seem to have the same problem I had to harvest all the yellow ones at really tiny size, although taking the flower off did help a bit. Just wait until the flower has closed up & started to wilt ever so slightly before trying to remove it - if it seems like you'll damage the fruit to get it off just wait til the next day & try again.

[realfood]

You can also use some of the surplus male flowers for cooking.