Flowering courgette plants

[CarolineW]

This is my very first year of having a vegetable garden, begun with 2 small beds. It's been very exciting, with veg for our meals almost every day! Even my husband and daughter are interested now. I have, however, had one VERY frustrating failure. I have 6 courgette plants, which I was told would produce enough fruit to feed a small army, and were far too many for me. Because I tried with them once in the past and got the glorious total of 3-4 fruit per plant, I went ahead and got 6 anyway. Now, here's the problem. They are flowering - no problem there. But the flowers don't seem to be being fertilised somehow, because there is no fruit. Only one plant has produced one courgette so far, and the slugs ate it when it was 1.5 inches long! Two of the plants are in containers, and the other 4 are in the vegetable bed.

What am I doing wrong, and is there anything I can do to rectify the situation - hopefully to still get a few courgette this year, and failing that, to at least do better next year?

Come to think of it, my aubergine plants are also flowering but showing no fruit as yet. Is that normal, or should they be showing fruit by now?

Thanks for any and all help.
Caroline

[Cutecumber]

Howdy - I'm in south London too!

The autumn is coming along, so it is quite optimistic to expect aubergines to develop fruit now. Mine have come and gone. Keep your fingers crossed, and keep them as warm and sheltered as possible. Plenty of tomato-type feed, too.

As for the courgettes, I don't get huge gluts either. I don't know why - we have plenty of insects in our garden.

There are two things that you can do to help yourself:

1) assist pollination by taking a male flower, carefully stripping off the outer petals, and pushing it into any female flowers which are open. This basically does what the insects are not doing for you.

2) grow a hybrid "self fertile" courgette such as Parthenon. They are more expensive as seed, but work well for me. This is my solution to the problem in recent years.

I hope that helps.

[CarolineW]

Thanks Cutecumber! Hmm, sounds like a bit of a no hoper with the aubergines. I got them as plants in containers in May - I've never grown them before. So I didn't know when to expect them to fruit.

Regarding the courgettes, I'll follow your advice and get some Parthenon seeds for next year. Meanwhile, sorry to be thick but ... how do I tell which are male and female flowers? (blush - I'm sure this is a very silly question)

I moved to Bromley from Forest Hill a few months ago. Where are you?

[deezyb]

Hi Caroline - my first year too...but my courgettes have actually been one of the only successful crops this year and are still coming along strong...can't remember the variety though! Male flowers are on long stems, female flowers have a bulging stem behind them...this being the courgette, eventually! I'm sure you've learned loads this year...things to do/not to do! happy growing!

[Cutecumber]

Caroline - I work in Bromley and live in Petts Wood!

Anytime you fancy sharing an allotment, get in touch!

[CarolineW]

Hi Deezyb, thanks for the information :-) You're right, I've learned loads - and have a small inkling of just what a tiny proportion that is of what I still need to learn! I'm having fun, though. I'm going to check out the flowers tonight to see if I can do some hand pollination. I've noticed that the flowers seem to be falling off before they've opened up, though. Is this normal, or does it mean I've got some disease attacking, and that's the real problem?

[CarolineW]

Wow, you really are close! Sharing an allotment sounds like a great idea, Cutecumber! Do you already have one, or would we be going on the waiting list?

[Cutecumber]

Caroline,

I don't have a plot, nor am I on any waiting list as yet. Whilst I am enthusiastic, I realise it is a big challenge - I am all talk at the moment!

I'll send you a PM.

[CarolineW]

I've just taken a male flower (have lots of them) and fertilised the only female flower there was. Maybe I'll at least get one courgette! I'll keep my eyes open to see if any more female flowers emerge, too.

[CarolineW]

It worked! I'm so excited. I have a little baby courgette which I'm guarding with my life from squirrel and slug attacks! I have another female flower getting ready to open, so I'll hand fertilise that one too. Thanks again for the advice, cutecumber.

[jojo]

great work caroline!

[CarolineW]

Delicious!

my husband and I just ate the first of my courgettes - delicious! We had it grated over a home grown salad. There are 3 more on the way.

It isn't a fantastic crop, but it's 4 times better than I had before getting advice here!

Thanks everyone
Caroline