Courgette leaves wilting - newbie

[Wilko411]

Hi All

Thanks for reading! I'm a bit of a newbie, my 3rd year but getting more experimental with seeds rather than buying plugs.

Anyway, don't have a massive garden, got a couple of raised beds & use pots too.

So my issue is with my courgettes, last 2yrs I've grown them later in the year in their final spot. This year tho I thought I'd get in a bit earlier. On my windowsill started off under cover until grown, but lost 1 already & now another the cotyledons are wilting. Am I doing something wrong?

[Baldy]

Welcome along...

Too much / too little watering? Its a bit hard to judge without a picture. How much sun are they getting. Could be many things.
The good news is that you've got plenty of time to re-sow (guess you know that already)
I find that with courgettes, if I have bad germination with my first attempt then I will sow more than I need on my second attempt - and will get 120% germination... ho hum... such is life/gardening

[Baldy]

Welcome along...

Too much / too little watering? Its a bit hard to judge without a picture. How much sun are they getting. Could be many things.
The good news is that you've got plenty of time to re-sow (guess you know that already)
I find that with courgettes, if I have bad germination rate with my first attempt then I will sow more than I need on my second attempt - and will get 120% germination... ho hum... such is life/gardening

[Wilko411]

Thanks Baldy

I'll see if I can upload a pic!

I'm wondering if it was too little water...when I reported them I didn't add more water as thought the compost was damp enough!! As it's been tipping it down the past week there's not been much light either

[nickdub]

As long as they don't cave in altogether, they'll pick up when the weather warms up. They are better with too little water than too much when the weather is as cold as its been, that said they won't stand for being dried right out either. If you're unsure how damp the roots are, best take it out of its pot gently and just touch the bottom of the compost with your fingers. Sometimes if it has dried out through under-watering you have to stand it in a bowl of water for 30 minutes or so to get it wet again.

[Baldy]

Wilko - I can't advise about uploading pictures here - whenever I try I get it wrong Give it a go and then moan if it doesn;t work is my new advice Might be Brilleaux

[Selymbria]

Image upload

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- copy the BBCODE code by pressing copy button
- paste it to your post

Done!

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[Kirk]

I tend to keep my courgettes "damp", in that they never dry out. The surface is always "not dry".
I work on the idea that they are green fleshy plants, at least at seedling stage, and as the majority of that will be water then it makes a little sense that they need water.

They do not sit in a puddle, and it is not hydroponics, neither is it growing in arid or desert conditions.

Not sure on the pot size, started mine in the usual 7.6cm pots (3"), will get upgraded to 11cm ones. Or the garden, this year will be large pots owing to the variety.

When repotting they do get a soaking, then left/allowed to dry/drain for a day or two before "normal" watering starts (just damp).

What compost did they go into? I always use one that has a good supply of nutrients. Usually by sitting outside and mixing compost and some manure together.

My approach would be to water them a bit more, they were hauled screaming out of one pot and rehoused in another and that disturbance alone would give them a shock. The thing is that when moved if any roots are damaged it will be the fine ones that absorb the water.

Not sure about any feed, depends I suppose on the compost.
What direction does the window face? South and West likely good, North and East not so good.
Maybe relevant: Is the heating on in the house? Cenral heating and plants do not mix well. It is not natural to them. All my plants do best in a relatively unheated area - away from anything resembling a radiator.

[Snoop Puss]

Hello and welcome.

Depending on when you sowed the seeds, it could be the right time for the cotyledons to die.

How big is the plant now and what size pot is it in? They don't like being pot-bound. Plus, if you sowed them a while back, they might even be starting to get a bit hungry for more nutrients.

Has it been very cold recently where you are? If you leave them on the windowsill at night, especially if they're behind curtains, they could get quite chilly.