Zucchini/Courgettes

[atpocailleagh.livejournal.com]

Hey. I know this isn't exactly cookery-related, but it is kinda foody. I'm growing courgettes (zucchini) for the first time and I'm having a problem. The plants have started flowering, both male and female flowers, but when the flower has opened etc, it just falls off. At first I thought that something may be munching them, but its a very clean break-almost as if they've been cut off using scissors-and the flowers themselves are uneaten so I've ruled that out. Can anyone please help? I'll be your best friend!

Comments

[arethusa2.livejournal.com]

That's perfectly natural--at least it was when I grew squash. The plants flower, then presumably cross pollinate with the help of insects, and then the flower falls off. Look where the flower used to be--a tiny courgette should be growing there. Some people cross-pollinate by hand if necessary, but there are so many bugs here that it wasn't necessary for us.

Good luck!

[atpocailleagh.livejournal.com]

Nope. No ickle babies. That's the problem. I think they're falling off before they start to fruit. At least, some of the fallen flowers have a bit of a swollen base-what I assume to be a baby. The end of the stems that they fall from are starting to wither.
I've been leaving them to pollinate themselves...or let the bugs do it. Should I try hand-pollinating do you think?

[ann1962]

I am not sure about the bugs, but sometimes changes in temp levels can do this too if I remember right.

But you can take the freshly fallen flowers and stuff them like you would mushrooms and fry. http://www.cooking.com/recipes/static/recipe1366.htm Very good.

[atpocailleagh.livejournal.com]

mmmm....sounds nice. I've been tempted to try something similar with nasturtium flowers.
I hadn't considered the temperature as a possibility. They are under cover, but it isn't full cover. And the weather has been very changeable lately.