Shrivelling Courgettes!

[vikkib]

My courgette plants are going like the clappers and despite only being in builder's buckets have got plenty of fruit on the go, one of them has got 5 courgettes between 6" and 9" long!

The thing is a couple of the fruits are shrivelling and going yellow at the end (not end attached to plant).

I'm planning to just pick them and cut off the shrivelled bits but was wondering why this might be happening?

At work at the mo so can't do a pic until this evening.

[singleseeder]

6-9"? Pick em! Then the plant will produce more.

Shrivelling? This does happen sometimes, I'm afraid I don't know why, but I just take them off so the plant isn't wasting energy on them.

Someone more knowledgeable will be along soon .....

[vikkib]

6-9"? Pick em! Then the plant will produce more.

I AM picking them!!!

They just seem to be going from 3" to 6" overnight at the moment! I need to dig out the chocolate courgette cake recipe and start offering them to friends and family I think!

[FionaH]

I AM picking them!!!

They just seem to be going from 3" to 6" overnight at the moment! I need to dig out the chocolate courgette cake recipe and start offering them to friends and family I think!

Theres a choccy cake recipe?? yum

[vikkib]

Courtesy of Slug on another thread:

Chocolate Courgette Cake - Desserts - Recipes - Riverford Organic Vegetables

http://www.foodiesite.com/recipes/2002-07/zuchcake.jsp

[singleseeder]

I AM picking them!!!

Oh the joys of the 'courgette glut'!

[djhs196]

Not sure of others experience here, but I always seem to find that the first few courgettes off the plant seem to do that when at a small size - I've always put it down to the plant needing to "get into it's stride" as it were, before it'll churn out courgette after full grown courgette.

I'm sure there's some science to the observation above, but couldn't tell you what it is. As it is I make a bit of a habit now of picking the first ones off when very small - at least you get to eat them before they shrivel!

[dominic10]

I found with some plants last year that leaving the flower on caused problems sometimes so I take them off now. And no I don't eat them! I've just picked off my 'first' courgette as it wasn't going to grow more than a couple of inches and found its big sister hiding under a leaf. It must have grown blooming quickly is all I can say which is the joy of growing courgettes. Have just followed the link to the courgette chocolate cake - looks definitely interesting!