Courgette dying- advice please

[vegnovice10]

I'm giving up on my courgette plant. Can anyone tell me what has happened to it and why please? Is it safe to compost or put it in the council green bin and what do I do with the compost/soil it's in please/

thanks

[Lesley Jay]

Hi VN, don't give up on the plant - there is a courgette growing! Have you been feeding the plant each week?? Some people use a tomato feed but I use an organic liquid seaweed feed. Pinch off a couple of the worst looking leaves and next year try using a slightly larger container to grow your courgette plant in - the box that the pot is standing on would be great. Is it in a windy location?

[vegnovice10]

Thanks I have been feeding it with tomorite weekly. Are the problems caused by being in too small a pot? Is it safe to compost the leaves then?

thanks

[vegnovice10]

Forgot to add it's at the end of the drive so could be a bit exposed. Should I get help to move it somewhere else? thanks Susan

[ember]

Hi your courgette looks rather like mine

I thought it might have been the effect of that very wet cold spell we had in July so didn't worry too much. Since then I've developed a rot at the growing point I've picked out. Some flowers have been afected with the centre being horrid.

Mine are in a sheltered spot so not wind that's done it.

I'm trying to find out what it it. Will post as and when come up with anything.

M
Where abouts in Yorkshire?

[hiyatim]

lesley..am i mis interperating what you say or do cougette plants not die off at winter time??

all four of mine appear to be dying, the fruits start to grow and then rot, the leaves are all dying, they put out a flower which dies before opening properly. i just thought they were just at the end of their lives

i kinda hope they dont overwinter as ive decided courgettes are horrible and the plants are a pain in the bum which take up too much space

[Nicola_D]

my courgettes are doing lovely - they looked like they were dying, some of the leaves have dried out, but now that there are male flowers and female flowers opening at the same time they are getting pollunated and the fruits are growing. It was slow at the start as a load of male flowers opened which dropped off after 1 or 2 days and then all the female flowers opened when there were no male flowers left and so the little courgettes behind them rotted and dropped off unpolinated, but now they seem to have got themselves in sync! :-)

[vegetable-gardener]

My courgettes our taking over. I am at the stage I hate courgettes!! I don't have enough neighbours to give them to!! I don't have enough pots to make any more chutney!! Every day i go outside and there are more courgettes. Tried stuffed courgettes the other day and the family don't like them. Anyway i attach a pretty picture of one of the courgettes

[Nicola_D]

Aw those courgettes look lovely. I was careful not to grow too many courgette plants as I heard they are prolific fruiters, my MIL was like you last year, just couldn't face eaing any more courgettes and couldn't give them away! So I only have three plants and they are in a smallish container to keep them under control. Have you tried grated courgette (squeeze the juice out) then cook them in oil and butter with garlic in a frying pan, that's really nice. Also slice them and roast them with other med veg like peppers, aubergine, red onion and garlic. I think you can even freeze this mix once it's cooked and cooled (we've bought it from the farm shop frozen and just shoved it in a roasting tin from frozen) though I haven't tried freezing it like this myself yet.

[fromthecrowsnest]

Courgettes coming to an end now and the leaves are looking really sad.

Dozens of fruit this Summer; the best four grew on a bonfire mound, which surprised me. They did far better than the two planted on the veggie plot.

Must have been all the residual potash.