I'm new to growing courgettes, and for a while, everything seemed to be going well. The plants looked strong and were producing plenty of small courgettes. However, I've noticed that most of them now have yellow, squishy ends, and they're not developing further; some are even rotting and falling off. The few that grew almost to full size decided to go bad before I could harvest them. I'm using a big pot with peat-free compost and a bit of bonemeal, and they're in a sunny spot. I think I've been watering them properly, but they did droop a bit during a really hot day. Now, I also see that the lower leaves are yellowing with some black spots. Is there a chance this could spread to my nearby pumpkin and butternut squash plants? What could I be doing wrong? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
It sounds like your courgettes might not be getting properly pollinated. A tip is to use a small paintbrush to transfer pollen from male flowers to female ones. This can help ensure your fruits develop properly instead of going bad like you're seeing now.
But why would the courgettes even start to fruit if they weren't pollinated? My apple tree had tons of flowers, but only two apples made it. So even if the fruits are ruined, it seems like they were at least trying to develop?