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Rotting courgettes

• Message 1. 

  Posted by fabdaffodilly (U5278590) on Tuesday, 6th July 2010

  Hi
  I'm a newbie on the allotment site. I normally stick to the flowery queries. But I am growing courgettes in a pot for the first time this year and the first few were fine, but now they are starting to rot at the ends when they are only 2"-3" long. Any ideas please?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by irisdublin (U14428036) on Tuesday, 6th July 2010

  I dont think they were polinated properly, either that or they dried out too much. I never seemed to have much luck with them in pots!
  
  Maybe someone online has a few tricks up their sleeve!

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by fabdaffodilly (U5278590) on Tuesday, 6th July 2010

  Thanks for the response. I've tried to make sure they stay really well watered, but didn't think about the pollinating!

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Mithranstar (U14439116) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  I've had exactly the same problem. i know they were pollinated because I helped them out myself, but they were still shrivelling from the flowered end. A friend of mine who is a very experienced gardener said it was probably lack of water, so now I water my courgettes morning and evening (the rest of the pots just get watered in the evening) and it seems to have done the trick. Certainly I have several courgettes that seem to be getting past the 2" danger mark!

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• Message 5

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  Posted by dragonf1y (U7805835) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  I have tried to grow courgettes for 3 years in my back yard on decking in a grow bag laid flat. All the watering and hand pollinating in the world didn't work so this year I have them in a raised bed and after hand pollinating again they are growing fine. I think they need quite deep / large root area to grow so if you can get them transplanted! Best of luck

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Lokelani (U8896212) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  Mine get watered well & are in enormous pots. I've had & am still getting loads of perfect courgettes but an average of 1 in 3 on the same plants as the perfect ones are rotting at the ends.
  
  This happens every year & although I know it's meant to be blossom end rot due to erratic watering, I still can't solve it.
  
  As all 4 plants survived & are massive we have way more courgettes than we can ever eat, so I let the rotten ones get to a decent size & then take them off. Cutting well clear of the rotten bit leaves half that can still be eaten I find. Then more grow that are mostly okay.
  
  So unless they're all doing it I wouldn't worry too much. They just seem to do it.
  
  

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by collperson (U13806187) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  Stop me if I am wrong, but I thought it was humidity which rotted the ends of courgettes. During dry weather mine are all fine, but when it starts to rain they rot and go mouldy at the end. Could anyone contradict me?

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Ian W (U8604472) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  My experience too. They just do it - I've tried all sorts but nothing seems to prevent it. I take them off early to put the plants energy into the others.

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• Message 9

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  Posted by realfood (U13916672) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  Collperson, Yes you are quite right. If the weather is wet, it is a good idea to remove the spent and wizened flower petals as soon as the courgette has been pollinated.

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by doncat (U11203674) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  This is my second year growing courgettes and has I found last year that quite a few rotted though the variety I tried didn't seem to crop well for me or for anyone I gave my extra plants too. This year I am trying three different varieties, all three plants are cropping well (courgettes on toast for breakfast, anyone?) but all have the odd courgette that rots. As someone else said, I just take off the fruit that isn't growing well to give the plant energy for the next fruits.
  
  Right, time for a cup of cocoa and slice or two of courgette.

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by cazsudz (U7061972) on Monday, 12th July 2010

  Every year the first few courgettes from each of my plants are like this - with rotting ends. Someone told me it was because they weren't fertilised but I don't know if that's right. After the first few they seem to sort themselves out and the courgettes are great. I grow them in the ground.
  
  caz

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