Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the fruits
are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only very
slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and after
a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

I'm trying to work out if this is lack of pollination or just adverse
growing conditions.

They are grown in pots in a rich mix which started out with plenty of
nutrients, but I am about to start feeding.

I can't find out if lack of pollination lets the fruit grow long. Most
references suggest that the fruit will either be discarded or will rot
from the flower end.

Cheers



Dave R

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Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

I have a similar situation with my green ones. They are about 6 inches
long with the flower closed but still attached - one of them the flower
is now turning brown and shriveling. Grown in pots with a mixture of
garden soil and a bit of potting compost. Two pots, close to each other,
both with male and female flowers open, so hopefully the bees should do
their work.

Not sure what to feed them with though.

Roger T

On 03/07/2020 12:16, David wrote:
The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the fruits
are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only very
slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and after
a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

I'm trying to work out if this is lack of pollination or just adverse
growing conditions.

They are grown in pots in a rich mix which started out with plenty of
nutrients, but I am about to start feeding.

I can't find out if lack of pollination lets the fruit grow long. Most
references suggest that the fruit will either be discarded or will rot
from the flower end.

Cheers



Dave R

Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

On Fri, 03 Jul 2020 12:25:51 +0100, Pwllgloyw wrote:

I have a similar situation with my green ones. They are about 6 inches
long with the flower closed but still attached - one of them the flower
is now turning brown and shriveling. Grown in pots with a mixture of
garden soil and a bit of potting compost. Two pots, close to each other,
both with male and female flowers open, so hopefully the bees should do
their work.

Not sure what to feed them with though.

Roger T

On 03/07/2020 12:16, David wrote:
The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the fruits
are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only very
slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and
after a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

I'm trying to work out if this is lack of pollination or just adverse
growing conditions.

They are grown in pots in a rich mix which started out with plenty of
nutrients, but I am about to start feeding.

I can't find out if lack of pollination lets the fruit grow long. Most
references suggest that the fruit will either be discarded or will rot
from the flower end.


Tomato food is supposedly a good thing.

Allegedly liquid lawn feed (NOT weed and feed!) can be a cheaper
alternative for most things.


Cheers



Dave R


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Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

On Fri, 03 Jul 2020 11:16:10 +0000, David wrote:

The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the fruits
are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only very
slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and
after a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

I'm trying to work out if this is lack of pollination or just adverse
growing conditions.

They are grown in pots in a rich mix which started out with plenty of
nutrients, but I am about to start feeding.

I can't find out if lack of pollination lets the fruit grow long. Most
references suggest that the fruit will either be discarded or will rot
from the flower end.

One thing I have just noticed.

I can't see any male flowers on any of the plants!

Loads of female flowers and thin fruit, but not a male in sight.

This may explain the lack of swelling, but what explains the lack of males?

Cheers


Dave R

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Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

In article ,
David wrote:
The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the fruits
are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only very
slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and after
a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

Regrettably not. It indicates that they have died (fruits are living
things, even off the plant), and you may as well cut them off and
compost them. They often do that at the start of the season, and
when the plants get virus (but you should see that on the leaves,
if so). I can't explain further than that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

On Fri, 03 Jul 2020 18:34:38 +0000, Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
David wrote:
The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the fruits
are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only very
slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and
after a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

Regrettably not. It indicates that they have died (fruits are living
things, even off the plant), and you may as well cut them off and
compost them. They often do that at the start of the season, and when
the plants get virus (but you should see that on the leaves,
if so). I can't explain further than that.

Respectfully disagree that these ones are dead.

Early failures shrivel up from the flower end and lose their bright green
or yellow colour and as you say need chucking.

These are firm and show no signs of shrivelling or losing colour. Just no
signs of further swelling to indicate that there are fertilised seeds
within.

I tentatively put this down to a lack of male flowers to fertilise them.

Anyway, we are about to eat them.
Will report back if they are inedible. :-)


Cheers


Dave R




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Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

On 04/07/2020 16:43, David wrote:
On Fri, 03 Jul 2020 18:34:38 +0000, Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
David wrote:
The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the fruits
are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only very
slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and
after a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

Regrettably not. It indicates that they have died (fruits are living
things, even off the plant), and you may as well cut them off and
compost them. They often do that at the start of the season, and when
the plants get virus (but you should see that on the leaves,
if so). I can't explain further than that.

Respectfully disagree that these ones are dead.

Early failures shrivel up from the flower end and lose their bright green
or yellow colour and as you say need chucking.

These are firm and show no signs of shrivelling or losing colour. Just no
signs of further swelling to indicate that there are fertilised seeds
within.

I tentatively put this down to a lack of male flowers to fertilise them.

Anyway, we are about to eat them.
Will report back if they are inedible. :-)


Cheers


Dave R




In my youth whencourgets were a new thing tothe UK they were either
picked with the flower still on or finger size when the flower had just
come off.
Over the years they have grown in size to mini marrows.
Last week in Lidl they had a box of courgets and they were finger size,
a step back in time?

Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

On 03/07/2020 18:51, David wrote:
On Fri, 03 Jul 2020 11:16:10 +0000, David wrote:

The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the fruits
are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only very
slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and
after a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

I'm trying to work out if this is lack of pollination or just adverse
growing conditions.

I suspect a lack of male flowers. Seems to be a problem this year
possibly because it was so warm and dry last month.

They are grown in pots in a rich mix which started out with plenty of
nutrients, but I am about to start feeding.

I can't find out if lack of pollination lets the fruit grow long. Most
references suggest that the fruit will either be discarded or will rot
from the flower end.

One thing I have just noticed.

I can't see any male flowers on any of the plants!

Loads of female flowers and thin fruit, but not a male in sight.

This may explain the lack of swelling, but what explains the lack of males?

It seems to be a funny year. I have the same problem with only female
flowers on mine at present from the first flower. I'm hoping there are
some male flowers within range of the local bees or they may not set.

In normal years you get three or four male flowers before any females.
The plant needing to build up its reserves for making fruit.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Courgette fruit staying small - long but slim
 

On Sat, 04 Jul 2020 18:21:48 +0100, David Hill wrote:

On 04/07/2020 16:43, David wrote:
On Fri, 03 Jul 2020 18:34:38 +0000, Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
David wrote:
The courgettes (three different varieties) are fruiting, but the
fruits are not swelling fully.

The yellow one, for example, grows fruit to about 5" long but only
very slim.
They don't swell (an early one did part way along near the base) and
after a while go a deeper yellow which suggests that they are ripe.

Regrettably not. It indicates that they have died (fruits are living
things, even off the plant), and you may as well cut them off and
compost them. They often do that at the start of the season, and when
the plants get virus (but you should see that on the leaves,
if so). I can't explain further than that.

Respectfully disagree that these ones are dead.

Early failures shrivel up from the flower end and lose their bright
green or yellow colour and as you say need chucking.

These are firm and show no signs of shrivelling or losing colour. Just
no signs of further swelling to indicate that there are fertilised
seeds within.

I tentatively put this down to a lack of male flowers to fertilise
them.

Anyway, we are about to eat them.
Will report back if they are inedible. :-)


In my youth when courgettes were a new thing to the UK they were either
picked with the flower still on or finger size when the flower had just
come off.
Over the years they have grown in size to mini marrows.
Last week in Lidl they had a box of courgettes and they were finger size,
a step back in time?

They were OK to eat, but there were very few seeds inside, and those only
at one end.

You would also need quite a few plants to feed a family of 4 on these, as
opposed to the usual problem of trying to find recipients of the surplus.

I keep checking for male flowers, but none so far.
However I have a late courgette just coming up so perhaps that will be the
Daddy when it flowers. :-)

Cheers


Dave R




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