Courgettes

[Lotus flower]

Hello folks...
Apart from being very new at vege growing, I'm very new here and I've just joined up this morning as it looks like the best place to get some advice.
I have a problem, I think, with my courgettes.
I'm putting before and after pictures up and this is an over night time frame. Are courgettes supposed to do this or do I have a problem? Thanks for any help.

[Snoop Puss]

Perfectly normal.

The flowers are only open briefly and then they close up and eventually drop off. You'll be able to identify the males from the females by the shape inside, plus more obviously the females have a tiny fruit behind the flower. Some good pictures here: https://www.scienceofcooking.com/dif...%20germination.

To ensure pollination, you can dust pollen from a male into a female or if you have lots of males, just break a male off and stick it inside, making sure there's contact between the pollen bearing parts.

Your plants are still quite small, so it'll be a little while before you get any female flowers. But once they get going, each plant is quite productive, so you will need to keep well watered and fed.

[Lotus flower]

Oooh... thank you for your reply Snoop Puss!
I have found there have been several male flowers and so far one female on each plant (only have two plants); actually there was another on one plant but it dropped off before it got to any sort of size.
Many of these male flowers aren't even opening, so when I tried the self pollination it wasn't very successful. So... as all is well, I'll let nature do its job.
I was just concerned also about a storm we had here a couple of nights ago. The following day there was a very weird film (which won't wash off) over my windows and doors which immediately made me think it might have affected my veges. Hope not.
Anyway... thanks again for your reply.

[ameno]

Yeah, as said above, that's completely normal. Courgette and squash flowers are only open for about 16 hours or so, before they start to die (opening at dawn and then already starting to die by dusk).

If you have flowers which are not even opening before dropping off, however, that is a sign the plant is under stress, usually due to insufficient water, and is aborting flowers as a result.
Courgettes in pots need quite a bit of water. Unless it rains, they'll want watering daily (even twice daily once the plants get bigger and actually have fruit forming). I assume your pots have drainage holes in the bottom?

[quanglewangle]

... just break a male off and stick it inside

Ouch!

Postings like that need a warning.

[Mr Bones]

Hi Lotus Flower and welcome to the Vine. Nice looking courgette plants you have there