I purchased two small courgette plants from my local garden centre back
in March/April. One was the variety "Ambassador" a F1 hybrid that seems
to be well recommended in the gardening web sites. It has been a
conspicuous failure. Every fruit so far has rotted off before it gets
to a size worth picking. The other, alas I don't know the variety as
I've lost the plant label has been wonderful. A very heavy and healthy
cropper. This plant started producing fruits at the start of May. But
alas, I don't know its name or variety. Oh well, maybe blind chance
will do the same next year.

As a bit of a scientific blind chance, you could always try saving some of
its seeds.

I have never done this with courgettes, but a few years ago got some
wonderful peppers from plants grown from a supermarket eating pepper.

The rot thing might be as much to do with the site, and the queer summer we
are having. My Father used to grow marrows in his compost heap, but it didnt
work for Grandfather, and didnt for me either.

Good Luck


John

"Peter James" wrote in message
news:1i0l1ap.1xdilogtn5dzdN%pfjames2000@googlemail .com...
I purchased two small courgette plants from my local garden centre back
in March/April. One was the variety "Ambassador" a F1 hybrid that seems
to be well recommended in the gardening web sites. It has been a
conspicuous failure. Every fruit so far has rotted off before it gets
to a size worth picking. The other, alas I don't know the variety as
I've lost the plant label has been wonderful. A very heavy and healthy
cropper. This plant started producing fruits at the start of May. But
alas, I don't know its name or variety. Oh well, maybe blind chance
will do the same next year.

"Peter James" wrote in message
news:1i0l1ap.1xdilogtn5dzdN%pfjames2000@googlemail .com...
I purchased two small courgette plants from my local garden centre back
in March/April. One was the variety "Ambassador" a F1 hybrid that seems
to be well recommended in the gardening web sites. It has been a
conspicuous failure. Every fruit so far has rotted off before it gets
to a size worth picking. The other, alas I don't know the variety as
I've lost the plant label has been wonderful. A very heavy and healthy
cropper. This plant started producing fruits at the start of May. But
alas, I don't know its name or variety. Oh well, maybe blind chance
will do the same next year.

Sounds like "flower end rot". This happens if rain (or watering can) wets
inside a flower.

David.

"Peter James" wrote in message
news:1i0l1ap.1xdilogtn5dzdN%pfjames2000@googlemail .com...
I purchased two small courgette plants from my local garden centre back
in March/April. One was the variety "Ambassador" a F1 hybrid that seems
to be well recommended in the gardening web sites. It has been a
conspicuous failure. Every fruit so far has rotted off before it gets
to a size worth picking. The other, alas I don't know the variety as
I've lost the plant label has been wonderful. A very heavy and healthy
cropper. This plant started producing fruits at the start of May. But
alas, I don't know its name or variety. Oh well, maybe blind chance
will do the same next year.

Courgettes are always a bit iffy. Sometimes the crop is far too big for
normal people to use. The recent weather hasn't done them any favours ...

Mary

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Peter James" wrote in message
news:1i0l1ap.1xdilogtn5dzdN%pfjames2000@googlemail .com...
I purchased two small courgette plants from my local garden centre back
in March/April. One was the variety "Ambassador" a F1 hybrid that seems
to be well recommended in the gardening web sites. It has been a
conspicuous failure. Every fruit so far has rotted off before it gets
to a size worth picking. The other, alas I don't know the variety as
I've lost the plant label has been wonderful. A very heavy and healthy
cropper. This plant started producing fruits at the start of May. But
alas, I don't know its name or variety. Oh well, maybe blind chance
will do the same next year.

Courgettes are always a bit iffy. Sometimes the crop is far too big for
normal people to use. The recent weather hasn't done them any favours ...

Mary

I always have one extreme or the other. Enough courgettes to feed a small
town or none. Usually a few are lost to the end rot so I take care when
watering not to get any on the flowers, but sometimes every plant gets what
I think is some form of mosaic virus and they just stop growing full stop,
plants and courgettes both. Typically if one plant get it they all do even
if the affected plant is pulled up and destroyed.

David.

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Peter James" wrote in message
news:1i0l1ap.1xdilogtn5dzdN%pfjames2000@googlemail .com...
I purchased two small courgette plants from my local garden centre back
in March/April. One was the variety "Ambassador" a F1 hybrid that seems
to be well recommended in the gardening web sites. It has been a
conspicuous failure. Every fruit so far has rotted off before it gets
to a size worth picking. The other, alas I don't know the variety as
I've lost the plant label has been wonderful. A very heavy and healthy
cropper. This plant started producing fruits at the start of May. But
alas, I don't know its name or variety. Oh well, maybe blind chance
will do the same next year.

Courgettes are always a bit iffy. Sometimes the crop is far too big for
normal people to use. The recent weather hasn't done them any favours ...

Mary

I always have one extreme or the other. Enough courgettes to feed a small
town or none. Usually a few are lost to the end rot so I take care when
watering not to get any on the flowers,

Yebbut we've just had the wettest June since 1914, we haven't needed to
water anything growing outside. It's also been cooler than normal. My
cauliflowers have been ruined but so far the courgettes, while slow to grow,
have been firm.

Mary

David (Normandy) wrote:

snipped

I always have one extreme or the other. Enough courgettes to feed a small
town or none. Usually a few are lost to the end rot so I take care when
watering not to get any on the flowers, but sometimes every plant gets what
I think is some form of mosaic virus and they just stop growing full stop,
plants and courgettes both. Typically if one plant get it they all do even
if the affected plant is pulled up and destroyed.

David.
Both of my plants are outside, in very large tubs and right together.
You would think that a highly contagious plant disease in affecting one
plant would affect the other. But no. One very healthy cropper and one
very sick non-producing plant. The latter does appear to be blossom end
rot in spite of applying calcium once a week and treating with tlc.
Still, as another poster said, the first plant is producing enough crop
to feed an army. And I'm the only one in the house who likes
courgettes.

"Peter James" wrote in message
news:1i0l1ap.1xdilogtn5dzdN%pfjames2000@googlemail .com...
I purchased two small courgette plants from my local garden centre back
in March/April. One was the variety "Ambassador" a F1 hybrid that seems
to be well recommended in the gardening web sites. It has been a
conspicuous failure. Every fruit so far has rotted off before it gets
to a size worth picking. The other, alas I don't know the variety as
I've lost the plant label has been wonderful. A very heavy and healthy
cropper. This plant started producing fruits at the start of May. But
alas, I don't know its name or variety. Oh well, maybe blind chance
will do the same next year.

Hi Peter,

Could you phone the local garden centre and ask them what courgette seedling
they stocked in the spring? It's unlikely to be more than 2 or 3 varieties,
so this might at least reduce the 'blind chance' next year.

HTH

Cheers

Nick
http://www.ukgardening.co.uk