Courgette leaves dying

[Yorky]

I've grown courgettes in containers this year but the yield wasn't as good as last.

The leaves started to turn yellow so I top dressed the containers with well-rotted manure but this didn't really help.

Does anyone know what would have caused this?

I've cut all the yellow stems and leaves off today - will that help?

[rustylady]

Courgette leaves do tend to turn yellow as they get older, but were yours just the older leaves or most of the leaves? If most of them, then they probably did need feeding, but manure isn't the ideal feed. Better to use something like liquid tomato feed. What size containers are they in?

[Yorky]

Courgette leaves do tend to turn yellow as they get older, but were yours just the older leaves or most of the leaves? If most of them, then they probably did need feeding, but manure isn't the ideal feed. Better to use something like liquid tomato feed. What size containers are they in?

They are older now but this first happened a couple of months ago. The containers vary in size - from an old dog basket ( 2ft x 1.5ft x 8" deep) to a 1' diameter pot

[Bigmallly]

I've had the same problem with the ones in smaller pots. I put it down to not holding enough water as the one I have in a dustbin is like a triffid, the leaves are approx 2 foot long & am getting lots of fruit off it. I transplanted the ones that were in the small pots into the garden today & hope they will pick up.

[rustylady]

I really don't think your containers are big enough. I've found that courgettes do better in open ground. They can turn into big plants and it is very difficult to keep them evenly watered and fed in pots.