Home grown Courgettes and marrows rotting at end

skelly01

Hi,

Looking for a bit of help. My courgettes and marrows are doing very well, but I have a problem. Most of the fruit are rotting at the end and going mouldy.
I tend to leave the flowers on until they drop. is this the cause? Should I take them off?
Everything in the greenhouse has no problems, such as my cucumbers, toms, peppers etc.
Any help appreciated as always.

Rummer

Ooooh that is happening to me too! I thought maybe I wasn't watering them enough??

Lotus-eater

I've had this before, sometimes I wonder if the flowers rotting on the end doesn't help the situation, especially if it's wet weather.
But I wonder how big your fruit are? If they are still tiny then it maybe a pollination problem.

skelly01

it seems to happen at any size from approx 2 inch to full size. What I have done with the full size is cut of the bad bit at the end and the rest is fine for eating.
I didn't think you could really over water courgettes as they are hungry blighters, and mine are huge anyway.
Strange one, oh and it doesn't happen to my cucumbers so could this rule out disease, I also forgot to say that they are in the greenhouse.

skelly01

Think I am going to remove them from the greenhouse and leave outside. Will be the last time I grow them!! Was proud of them to start with too, as i grew from seed.

foreign_correspondent

I have never had this happen - it sounds a little like blossom end rot in tomatoes - maybe you should remove the affected courgettes and see what the next ones turn out like?

ETA - a quick google and it appears that it may well be called blossom end rot in courgettes too -

http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/zucchini_blossom_end_rot

some uk websites avoid removing the flower - I never do, and have not had problems, so I am not certain this is a factor.

Farway

I have had this in outdoor courgettes last year. I put it down to too much dampness in atmosphere as I never had it in drier & sunnier years

Are the windows etc in greenhouse wide open all day? Could help

Lotus-eater

skelly01 wrote: »

Think I am going to remove them from the greenhouse and leave outside. Will be the last time I grow them!! Was proud of them to start with too, as i grew from seed.

Oh, if they are in pots, take them outside definitely. It could well be something to do with being in the greenhouse, maybe lack of pollination as I said earlier, on some of them anyway. Or as Farway says it could be down to excess moisture in the greenhouse, maybe you are over watering them?

Anyway, don't give up and grow them again, they are one of the best things to grow!

skelly01

Seems the problem was them being in the greenhouse. Removed them outside and they are doing better than they ever were, loving the Scottish weather.