At last looks like something is happening........

[yekim_4321]

Okay after what can only be described as a month of despair where nothing seemed to be doing what it said on the tin....i have finally got my first teeny tiny tomato starting to form with another flower ready to drop and show a fruit so excited as this could mean the start of something wonderful.....my courgettes to appear to be showing both male and female flowers..although on this one i'm not as sure, i know the females have a thicker stork but it looks only marginally thicker and they do appear to have a bulge at the base although it looks nothing like a baby courgette...will post some pics when i get back from work...or before i go if i get a minute.

I have taken what i believe to be a male flower stripped the petals and polinated what i think is the female .....OH called me a perve

[selfsufficient]

I have been growing courgettes for a few years now, I never pollinate them myself and I always get huge yields now I plant them direct in the garden. (tried in growbags first year and yields were poor and most got powdery mildew.) The stalks should look like baby courgettes, if they don't pollinate - which only really happens when the weather is particularly unfavourable they will turn yellow and shrivel up. As soon as the weather picks up so will the plant so I don't see the point of pollinating them yourself.

[Feral007]

Yeah, I try to encourage the bees and other friendlies to do the job for me. As a midwife I get enough of the whole male/female thing at work

My last season I had just one plant and it went like the clappers, once it got started you couldn't eat them fast enough!

[yekim_4321]

Couple of piccies....

I have labelled what i think is female and male and my ickle yellow tom






My courgettes are in the GH and there arent a lot of buzzy things around of late...

[Two_Sheds]

I have been growing courgettes for a few years now, I never pollinate them myself and I always get huge yields

Same here


message is too short

[otorongo]

I've got 2 courgettes in the ground - a store-bought one and one grown from seed. I sowed the latter after buying the former and it's already bigger and looks much healthier. The moral of the story: don't buy courgettes, grow them from seed (even though it costs the same, unless you want more than one of a variety)

My first tomato formed like 3 weeks ago

[selfsufficient]

Just looked at your pictures unless my eyes deceive me they are both male. The females have courgettes at the base not stalks.

[yekim_4321]

Thanks ss i wasnt sure hence the pictures .... so the little bulge is just errrrr nothing?

am i right in thinking that they start off producing mainly male flowers then start with females later?

Many thanks

Mick

[DGoulston]

you can tell from inside the flower as well.

The males have 1 long pointy thing, the women have multiple....

[veggiechicken]

Very delicately put, DG

[Jeanied]

Yes you are right Yekim - the male flowers get there early and all hang around telling each other tall tales until the females decide to show up late.

However this can be an advantage - I cook the males in tempura - yummy!

[DGoulston]

yes mine has about 4 males on it at the moment, but no females at the moment.

[Bigmallly]

I have 2 immaculate conceptions as there is not a male in sight........

[SlugLobber]

No flowers on either of my courgettes yet, but the tomatoes are going ruddy crazy in the greenhouse. No fruits as yet, but I've already had to trim back leaves and there are lots of flowers, even on the bunch of plants entwined together in a tub! Huzzahhh!

[Shadylane]

I only just put mine in the other day. Flowers? er Not yet. #woefullybehind