Courgette - what next

[mrscorpio]

Hi all
This is my first year growing courgettes, now one of my courgettes has its first flower.
It is living in a Morrisons Bucket in the greenhouse. I leave the door open in the day but will never know if I get any pollinating insects visiting. Do i need to give it a helping hand to pollinate ? If so how do I do this --- Remember I only have 1 flower at the moment.

[Capsid]

You need to wait for another flower of the opposite sex; courgettes have male and female flowers. However, I wouldn't worry, you will get fruits regardless of whether you pollinate or not, nature finds a way. Moreover, you probably won't know what to do with them all.

[mrscorpio]

You need to wait for another flower of the opposite sex; courgettes have male and female flowers. However, I wouldn't worry, you will get fruits regardless of whether you pollinate or not, nature finds a way. Moreover, you probably won't know what to do with them all.

Hi Mark
Cheers
Ian

[mrscorpio]

Just to show you all my very first courgette flower. Is that a courgette behind the flower and if so will that grow? How do I know if it has been pollinated.

[Pies]

Its been polinated and growing,they grow fast very fast,if you blink it could be a marrow by tomorrow

[Flummery]

You usually get loads of male flowers first - but when the females come along there are plenty of blokes to choose from!

[Jeanied]

Well done, MrS - that is a very fine new courgette you have growing.
On a slightly more contentious note, the male flowers are less significant than the female flowers - and you can see the tiny fruit on the female before pollination. I use the male flowers in cooking as they usually get there early and hang around uselessly!

[Balconygardener]

Gosh! I'm feeling inspired to have another go after my recent courgette-disaster! Well done!

[chris]

Don't forget you can eat the flower too ! - really nice deep fired, in a light batter. You'll need to remove the stamen first though.

I tend to pick our courgettes when their around 4-6" long, small and much better tasting I find.

From one plant 2 seasons ago, we probably had about 30 courgettes. Crazy. The more we cut them off, the more grew.

[bristol280zx]

don't tell me 30 courgettes from one plant!!!
My first year growing them as well and I hav 7 plants (only two of us!!!)

Have just transplanted them into buckets and moved them outdoors today - no flowers yet but 4/6 leaves

[mrscorpio]

I Have just 3 plants.
The one in the photo was sown the first week of march. I was told that was way too early so I dumped it in the cold GH and as you can see it actually survived. I also have a 2 more which I sowed mid April whcih dont have flowers yet. Im hoping this will give me a spread of courgettes.

[Two_Sheds]

If courgettes get a cold spell, the fruits often get end rot. Then if the weather is warm & dry for a while, they get powdery mildew. Even so, you usually get more courgettes than you can possibly eat

[hamsterqueen]

I'm a bit late with mine, just planted the seeds- where has the year gone?

[mrscorpio]

hi all
a courgette update
The courgette in the photo I posted earlier in this thread went soft and started growing mold from the flower end. I cut this one off and binned it just in case it affected anything else in the GH. I have spotted a second one doing the same. It seems to be the flower that is going moldy first. Does this mean these were never pollinated and destined to die.
HELP!!!!!