Hand pollinated courgettes still not setting fruit

yogi_brrr

Hi all, 
Is there a reason why my courgette wont set fruit? Yesterday morning, I picked up some pollen from a male flower with an artist's paintbrush and put it on the female flower really carefully, making sure I got it into all the little grooves. Checked this morning. Nothing! I am assuming that courgettes grow quite quickly once pollination has been successful. The baby fruit is still the same size and the flower is still slightly open. This has happened several times.
Any ideas?

-taff

Give it a few days. They grow quickly, but not  so quickly you'll see it overnight Are they outside? The weather has not been particularly sunny [with us] so a few more days are probably needed.

Davesnave

yogi_brrr said:

Hi all, 
Yesterday morning, I picked up some pollen from a male flower with an artist's paintbrush and put it on the female flower really carefully, making sure I got it into all the little grooves.

Oo-er missus! I didn't expect to find this level of explicit detail on a family orientated forum.

However, as taff says, the results of your efforts are not likely to be immediately apparent, although if nothing's  happened several times now, maybe there's a genetic problem with this particular plant. It's not a problem mine show, although one's growing peculiarly with too many immature fruit and it will be culled if it doesn't settle.

greyteam1959

Patience is required !!
Around a week probably.

yogi_brrr

Just pollinated the same flower again this morning. I measure the ovary constantly (yes, this is becoming an unhealthy obsession) but it shows no signs of growing into a courgette :O( The plant itself is still quite small. Could this be a reason? Maybe it needs to get bigger before it will put its energy into fruiting? How quickly do all your courgettes grow after pollination?

Davesnave

I always pull the first mini courgettes off my plants until the rosette of leaves looks substantial enough. These early courgettes tend to be tasteless and seedy, as if the plant hasn't had sufficient energy to make them any better.

-taff

I mentally write off the first few courgettes aslo because when the plant is still a bit weedy it won't support proper fruiting. So I don't worry about loads of male flowers in it's early growth or courgettes that don't make it to adulthood. If it's still the same in a couple of weeks, then I will worry.