June Update: What are you growing in 2006? Tips here for Fruit, Veggies and Flowers!

vivaladiva

Joscar wrote:

Does anyone know why the flowers on my courgettes would fall off?

They are open for about a day, then kind of twist up before dropping off a few days later. This happens to the flowers on both the courgettes and stems.

Does this mean they are fruiting (or whatever it is that courgettes do)? We're growing courgettes for the first time in a couple of years and I seem to remember that the flowers are quite delicate looking although they are so big - but I can't remember how long they lasted. My courgettes went in very late this year and consequently are currently only about 1 1/2" high.

annie-c

troll35 wrote:

What sort of tomatoes are they? Have you still got the packet as it should tell you whether they are cordon type (pinch out side shoots) or bush type (don't pinch out side shoots).

I've chopped the tops off my tomatoes (moneymaker variety) at the 4 truss level as they have just about reached the ceiling in my front porch (aka jungle)

They are Moneymaker and Gardener's Delight - but I have never heard of 'cordon' or 'bush' in relation to tomatoes before!! Will really appreciate your help!

Annie

annie-c

Whoops - can see now that Morph3us asked a similar question earlier and already had a helpful reply!!!

Sorry - am guilty of not reading my own thread properly....!!

Annie

pickledtink

Joscar wrote:

Does anyone know why the flowers on my courgettes would fall off?

They are open for about a day, then kind of twist up before dropping off a few days later. This happens to the flowers on both the courgettes and stems.

It sounds like these are male flowers. If you look carefully some are on straight stems behind the flower others should have a little swelling behind the flower ( these are female and the swelling grows into the courgette).
If no bees have ben in to fertilise them the flowers and fruit will keep falling off and shriveling. Hand polinate by taking a male flower, fold back the petals and shove the stamen into the female flowers to get the pollen into it. Do it to a good few of the female flowers and you'll soon see little courgettes start to grow and swell. Water well daily at this stage.

Chumana

I need some advice for my sister please as I spotted this thread here yesterday so said I would ask for help. She has some corgette plants growing but the seem to be spreading outwards instead of upwards if you get what I mean. Does she need to remove the bottom leaves to encourage the centre to grow upwrds quicker? Thanks.

vivaladiva

Hi Chumana
Sounds like your sister has a spreading variety of courgette plant. We grew these a couple of years back and they took over half the garden - and they were only planted growbags We've planted a bush variety this time for obvious reasons.

herbal

Quick Question - I have Female Cucumbers do these need bees to make them grow?

troll35

herbal, I believe cucumbers shouldn't be pollinated as it can make the fruits (cucumbers) taste bitter. I was told to pick off any male flowers as soon as you could tell that they weren't female. Though with an all female variety you shouldn't get any male flowers to remove.

rubytuesday

Tomatoes, perpetual spinach, runner beans, chives blackcurrants, apples and pears and rhubarb which has been decimated!

mum2many

to all you gardening experts.

i really need to save money and have been looking at doing some square foot gardening but am having trouble finding cheap coarse vermiculite.

can anyone help?