Courgette rot

Symptoms

Baby courgettes fail to develop. Instead of growing into a long or round shape, they quickly rot on the plant.

Find it on: courgettes, outdoor cucumbers, marrows, pumpkins, squashes

Time to act: early summer

Problem categories

Overview

Poor early-summer weather, with a prolonged cold spell, and few insects results in poor pollination. This means courgettes fail to develop, and they quickly rot on the plant. However, this is only a temporary problem, and once the weather starts to improve, so then will the crop.

Solution

Baby courgettes fail to develop. Instead of growing into a long or round shape, they quickly rot on the plant.

Organic

Pollinate the early batch of flowers by hand, rather than relying on insects. Pick an open male flower (which doesn't have a swelling at the base) and strip off the petals to expose the stamens and pollen. Then just rub them thoroughly against the stigma of a female flower (which has a swelling or an immature fruit at its base).

Watch Monty Don plant out courgette plants in our video from the Gardeners' World garden at Berryfields.

Discuss this problem

Talkback: Courgette rot

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rojeff 24/11/2011 at 15:27

I'd like some tips about how to grow potatoes in containers

janeil 24/11/2011 at 15:27

Hope to get a better summer this year then!

SueN 24/11/2011 at 15:27

I'm growing courgettes for the first time this year. I've put them in pots as I don't have a lot of room in the garden. I keep checking them over and found a bit of grey mould on the leaves so I cut them out. Hope I get some courgettes to eat!!

emily's 24/11/2011 at 15:27

i love this artical because every year i get this with my cougettes so its very help ful

siorapwil1 24/11/2011 at 15:28

Hi

I’m growing courgettes for the first time this tear, and all I’m growing is massive leaves with large flower on long stems, out of 4 plants there are 3 fruits.

PS is it ok to cut off leaves.

Can you help?

Siorapwil

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