Pathetic courgettes

[Marb67]

Well for the life of me I don't understand why my courgette plants (2 varieties) are getting smaller and smaller, thin and wispy stems and fruit that either turns yellow and withers or drops off before ripe. They are in pots of high grade professional grow bag compost and also fed with potash once a week with the toms. Even the one planted in the soil is pathetic. No idea why (

[Atta]

I think you feed with potash once there are a fruits.

[muckdiva]

I sympathise...my first lot were useless - looked great initially but then I think something was hollowing out the stems cos leaves went crispy and they died. Had to sow another lot in July but not sure how much they’ll produce.

[veggiechicken]

Courgette fruits that turn yellow and drop off are not being pollinated.
Maybe try growing a parthenocarpic variety?

[roitelet]

Oooo big words VC !!!!

[veggiechicken]

.............and its not Welsh.

[roitelet]

......or French!

[Snadger]

Courgette fruits that turn yellow and drop off are not being pollinated.
Maybe try growing a parthenocarpic variety?

No need for that sort of language here, this is a family forum.

[Mr Bones]

Drop half a litre of chicken manure pellets into a watering can to use as a liquid feed and place the pots in a sunny location. Good luck with them Marb

[Penellype]

It looks like they have powdery mildew, which courgettes are very prone to especially if they get dry, but also in hot, windy conditions which we have had at times this year. The pots look rather small for courgettes, and will dry out very quickly as these plants have large leaves and need a lot of water. I have had very limited success growing courgettes in pots where they almost always get mildew fairly quickly. They do much better planted in the ground.

[Chippy Minton]

Not been a good year for summer squashes, at least hereabouts. Planted 7 in the garden, have 2 courgettes plants fruiting (but even they are only producing one or two fruits per week), the rest withered and died. One replacement Butternut has grown but no flowers even now. Up at the plot I planted 6 pumpkins, plants are no bigger then 30cm no flowers, no fruit

Looks like no pumpkin soup here.....

Variable weather has put paid to the courgette glut for 2019. Ho hum, found some Courgette and Brie soup from last year in the freezer earlier in the week

[Snoop Puss]

Agree with Penellype's suggestions.

Plus, did you get a good harvest of courgettes earlier, Marb? It may simply be that they've reached the end of their decent period. Another possible strategy for the future might be to start off one or two plants at your usual time and then another one or two six or eight weeks later.

[Trouvere]

Not been a good year for summer squashes, at least hereabouts.

Nor here. Last year I harvested 24 kg of courgettes (or 'far too much'); this year I've reached about 4.5 kg from a similar number of plants and it looks like they are about done.

My winter squash are not doing any better. They have mostly set one fruit apiece and then one by one they are succumbing to some swift collapse which leaves their stems dry and withered at the base, probably before the fruits are properly mature. Powdery mildew has also kicked in. When I compare to the ridiculously luxuriant vines of last year that gave me 40 fruits....

[Marb67]

no fruits off them yet but now planted in soil next to cucumbers. probably too late though.

[Marb67]

Well I now give up as they have been in the soil, well fed with plenty of bees and butterflies in the garden and zilch. Nothing. Zero