No fruit courgettes
Although no expert, I have been successfully gardening produce of a normal
nature - beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes etc for a few years. This year I thought I'd have a go at courgettes. No greenhouse; but that never bothered the tomatoes (south facing garden in Derbyshire). I planted five seeds and lo and behold like topsy they just grew and grew and grew. I gave one re-potted plant to a new to gardening neighbour with greenhouse; then sat in my garden and watched as his plant thrived and produced its first flowers. Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; obviously somewhat later than my neighbour's. He gave me the first two courgettes from his plant and they were yummy! My flowers open, delight us with their beauty and then close up and fall off :-( anyone tell me why? can it be possible that all mine are the wrong sex? this is happening to each of the four remaining plants even though as plants they look wonderfully healthy - my neighbour is not giving his anything other than water and the occasional tomato feed, as I am. Near to tears now!! |
No fruit courgettes
On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 11:36:48 +0000 (UTC), "kathleen syson"
wrote: Although no expert, I have been successfully gardening produce of a normal nature - beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes etc for a few years. This year I thought I'd have a go at courgettes. No greenhouse; but that never bothered the tomatoes (south facing garden in Derbyshire). I planted five seeds and lo and behold like topsy they just grew and grew and grew. I gave one re-potted plant to a new to gardening neighbour with greenhouse; then sat in my garden and watched as his plant thrived and produced its first flowers. Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; obviously somewhat later than my neighbour's. He gave me the first two courgettes from his plant and they were yummy! My flowers open, delight us with their beauty and then close up and fall off :-( anyone tell me why? can it be possible that all mine are the wrong sex? this is happening to each of the four remaining plants even though as plants they look wonderfully healthy - my neighbour is not giving his anything other than water and the occasional tomato feed, as I am. Near to tears now!! I think your putting them in a shed hasn't helped - I sow mine direct into the soil in early May..they just don't need any protection ( save from a late frost ). If they're still in the shed, take them out and place them in a sunny spot - ensure they're kept well watered, and as they're in pots ( presumably ) you'll have to feed them..and feed them well, as they're rather big eaters. Courgettes tend to throw out lots of male flowers initially - closely followed by the female ( fruiting ) flowers..and it's not uncommon for the first couple of fruits to fail. Once they get going they chuck fruits out at a rate of knots. If you have four plants all fruiting at once you're going to have to like courgettes! Pick 'em small! Regards, -- Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations www.shwoodwind.co.uk Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk |
No fruit courgettes
In article , kathleen syson
writes My flowers open, delight us with their beauty and then close up and fall off :-( anyone tell me why? can it be possible that all mine are the wrong sex? Courgettes have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. The female flowers are identifiable by the embryo courgette behind the flower. Flowers are the plant's was of getting variability into the offspring, and this is best done by getting your flowers pollinated by another plant. there are many mechanisms for this, and the courgette's mechanism is to produce its male flowers early and its female flowers later. So your first flowers will all be male, and will drop off. Gradually you will start to get female flowers too, and if you want to increase the chance of pollination, you can break off a fully open male flower and stuff it nose to nose into a female flower. But usually you don't need to do this. -- Kay "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river" |
No fruit courgettes
In article , kathleen syson
writes Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; In a shed? All mine have always been more than happy outside (not greenhouse). If in a shed, its probably that the flowers aren't being fertilised by visiting insects? -- regards andyw |
No fruit courgettes
Andy W wrote after... kathleen syson writes Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; In a shed? All mine have always been more than happy outside (not greenhouse). If in a shed, its probably that the flowers aren't being fertilised by visiting insects? Quite! We plant ours out after the last frost, first week of June, on top of a large bucket sized hole filled with well rotten compost. Use the soil dug out to make a circular dam around the plant to ensure any water goes down into the compost. Water daily, half a watering can each min, add feed each week, and let nature take it's course with the pollination. Even our cucumbers grow outside. Greenhouses are for things that like heat and a long growing season like Toms and Chillies although we grow them outside too. :-) -- Regards Bob in Runnymede, 17miles west of London, UK |
No fruit courgettes
Andy W wrote after... kathleen syson writes Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; In a shed? All mine have always been more than happy outside (not greenhouse). If in a shed, its probably that the flowers aren't being fertilised by visiting insects? Quite! We plant ours out after the last frost, first week of June, on top of a large bucket sized hole filled with well rotten compost. Use the soil dug out to make a circular dam around the plant to ensure any water goes down into the compost. Water daily, half a watering can each min, add feed each week, and let nature take it's course with the pollination. Even our cucumbers grow outside. Greenhouses are for things that like heat and a long growing season like Toms and Chillies although we grow them outside too. :-) -- Regards Bob in Runnymede, 17miles west of London, UK |
No fruit courgettes
Wow! what a veritable mass of info in such a short time. Many thanks to
all. Currently scuttling out to shed to put the little fellows outside. As the leaves seemed so large and tender looking, I thought the wind might smash them. I've got mountains of insects, bees, hoverflies, ladybirds etc. they should have a field day. Incidentally, we adore courgettes, being a great fan of ratatouille (if that's right spelling) Again much appreciated thanks Kathie S newsb wrote in message ... In article , kathleen syson writes Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; In a shed? All mine have always been more than happy outside (not greenhouse). If in a shed, its probably that the flowers aren't being fertilised by visiting insects? -- regards andyw |
No fruit courgettes
I have to add my thoughts to this: I successfully grew my first courgette
last year and had a bumper crop - but this year the high winds a while back completely devastated my only plant. I managed to aquire a 'spare' one from my neighbour, which although is a little late, due to being transplanted is doing well and I have had one fruit and more on the way. But when we had some further high winds just after transplanting this little fellow, we protected it with an upturned bucket with the bottom removed, until the winds had subsided. It would appear that they are a bit succeptible to being uprooted by severe wind damage, so beware!. Ros Wow! what a veritable mass of info in such a short time. Many thanks to all. Currently scuttling out to shed to put the little fellows outside. As the leaves seemed so large and tender looking, I thought the wind might smash them. I've got mountains of insects, bees, hoverflies, ladybirds etc. they should have a field day. Incidentally, we adore courgettes, being a great fan of ratatouille (if that's right spelling) Again much appreciated thanks Kathie S newsb wrote in message ... In article , kathleen syson writes Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; In a shed? All mine have always been more than happy outside (not greenhouse). If in a shed, its probably that the flowers aren't being fertilised by visiting insects? -- regards andyw Chichester West Sussex, UK. |
No fruit courgettes
"kathleen syson" wrote in message ... Although no expert, I have been successfully gardening produce of a normal nature - beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes etc for a few years. This year I thought I'd have a go at courgettes. No greenhouse; but that never bothered the tomatoes (south facing garden in Derbyshire). I planted five seeds and lo and behold like topsy they just grew and grew and grew. I gave one re-potted plant to a new to gardening neighbour with greenhouse; then sat in my garden and watched as his plant thrived and produced its first flowers. Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; obviously somewhat later than my neighbour's. He gave me the first two courgettes from his plant and they were yummy! My flowers open, delight us with their beauty and then close up and fall off :-( anyone tell me why? can it be possible that all mine are the wrong sex? this is happening to each of the four remaining plants even though as plants they look wonderfully healthy - my neighbour is not giving his anything other than water and the occasional tomato feed, as I am. Near to tears now!! Why are the plants in a shed? Who is going to pollinate the flowers there? Franz |
No fruit courgettes
Hi Franz!
They 'were' in a shed cos I have no greenhouse - said shed has its doors open around 16 hours a day; so I thought erroneously, that plenty of the old pollinators would trip in and out willy nilly. some kind respondent suggested the idea of covering with a bucket. However, as they are currently around two feel tall (including pot) I would need some size bucket to protect. My main concern is that the garden is subject to some pretty wild wizzy winds and I woz worried that they may get trashed; as pointed out by Ros Butt this is a distinct possibility. Incidentally, surely it should by what and not who will pollinate! zoom Franz Heymann wrote in message ... "kathleen syson" wrote in message ... Although no expert, I have been successfully gardening produce of a normal nature - beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes etc for a few years. This year I thought I'd have a go at courgettes. No greenhouse; but that never bothered the tomatoes (south facing garden in Derbyshire). I planted five seeds and lo and behold like topsy they just grew and grew and grew. I gave one re-potted plant to a new to gardening neighbour with greenhouse; then sat in my garden and watched as his plant thrived and produced its first flowers. Kept mine in a shed nice and warm by a huge window plenty of fresh air, light, love and care etc - they also started to flower; obviously somewhat later than my neighbour's. He gave me the first two courgettes from his plant and they were yummy! My flowers open, delight us with their beauty and then close up and fall off :-( anyone tell me why? can it be possible that all mine are the wrong sex? this is happening to each of the four remaining plants even though as plants they look wonderfully healthy - my neighbour is not giving his anything other than water and the occasional tomato feed, as I am. Near to tears now!! Why are the plants in a shed? Who is going to pollinate the flowers there? Franz |
No fruit courgettes
Ros Butt wrote:
I have to add my thoughts to this: I successfully grew my first courgette last year and had a bumper crop - but this year the high winds a while back completely devastated my only plant. I managed to aquire a 'spare' one from my neighbour, which although is a little late, due to being transplanted is doing well and I have had one fruit and more on the way. But when we had some further high winds just after transplanting this little fellow, we protected it with an upturned bucket with the bottom removed, until the winds had subsided. It would appear that they are a bit succeptible to being uprooted by severe wind damage, so beware!. Ros I've avoided wind damage by planting my courgettes amongt my sweetcorn like the Native Americans did. Of course, they did it to keep the racoons off the corn cobs, but I can safely report that as well as no racoon attacks, I've had no wind damage and they've been outside since May. -- "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." -- Albert Einstein |
No fruit courgettes
"kathleen syson" wrote They 'were' in a shed cos I have no greenhouse - said shed has its doors open around 16 hours a day; so I thought erroneously, that plenty of the old pollinators would trip in and out willy nilly. some kind respondent suggested the idea of covering with a bucket. However, as they are currently around two feel tall (including pot) I would need some size bucket to protect. My main concern is that the garden is subject to some pretty wild wizzy winds and I woz worried that they may get trashed; as pointed out by Ros Butt this is a distinct possibility. Incidentally, surely it should by what and not who will pollinate! zoom As I said, ours are planted out the first week of June on our allotments which are totally open. Now I realise we aren't in an exposed part of the UK but, perhaps because of the dams around the plants, we get very little damage even when very windy. -- Regards Bob in Runnymede, 17miles west of London, UK |
No fruit courgettes
No help, but mine are also fruitless. They are growing outside, next to
successful raspberries and rhubarb. The flowers appear, but fall off. I did spot a couple of tiny courgettes (little-finger) but they fell off instead of growing. I did have lots of pollen beetles in the plants. Dunno if they've nicked all my pollen instead of passing it around. Same happened last year - I harvested ONE courgette from all my plants. I strongly suspect that there's something funny in my soil. The tomato plants that grow so well on the sunny windowsill went into slow-motion when they got transplanted outside. Same for the courgettes - after two months outside, they're hardly bigger than houseplants. I'm in the south-west, where the climate is mild. The bigger plants (raspberries) are acting as windbreaks for the smaller ones. Everything looks right (to me) but no courgettes. Stumped Edwin Bath. |
No fruit courgettes
"Edwin Spector" wrote ... No help, but mine are also fruitless. They are growing outside, next to successful raspberries and rhubarb. The flowers appear, but fall off. I did spot a couple of tiny courgettes (little-finger) but they fell off instead of growing. I did have lots of pollen beetles in the plants. Dunno if they've nicked all my pollen instead of passing it around. Same happened last year - I harvested ONE courgette from all my plants. I strongly suspect that there's something funny in my soil. The tomato plants that grow so well on the sunny windowsill went into slow-motion when they got transplanted outside. Same for the courgettes - after two months outside, they're hardly bigger than houseplants. I'm in the south-west, where the climate is mild. The bigger plants (raspberries) are acting as windbreaks for the smaller ones. Everything looks right (to me) but no courgettes. Stumped As I've said, what we do is dig a big bucket sized hole, fill it with well rotted compost, mix a little soil in the top couple of inches and plant the cucurbit in/on that. The soil taken out is used to make a water dam around the hole so no water is wasted and it all goes into the compost, it also gives the plant some wind protection when small. They get about 0.75 gal of water per day unless it rains heavily and are given a general purpose feed (seaweed extract) once a week. Also, try hand pollinating to see if it is those pollen beetles. The Toms; well ours outside on the allotment are now at a max of 4ft tall max with some fruit just ripening. Do you water and feed them well? Perhaps you need your soil tested. -- Regards Bob in Runnymede, 17miles west of London, UK |
Flowers are the plant is to mutate into future generations, this is the best pollination by your access to the other plants. There are many mechanisms for this, then the mechanism of courgette, producing male flowers early, after the female flowers.
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