female courgette flowers

[chilli_grower]

I just checked, and the female flower appears to be slowly closing and dying off.

But the courgette is still growing nicely.

If it was unpollinated (and I suspect it was), will it definitely rot away? And if so how long will it take?

Also, are small unpollinated courgettes still worth eating?

Cheers

[bearded bloke]

Unpollinated fruit will drop off the plant after a few days,never tried eating one so cannot comment.If you get a male flower opening before the next female,using an artists soft paintbrush dust the pollen into a container then sprinkle/dust some onto the next female,AI for cucurbits

[chilli_grower]

got it! thanks for the tip

[bearded bloke]

As an aside if you have pumpkin,marrow or squash growing they will all happily cross pollinate with courgette

[chilli_grower]

I have marrow long green trailing, firenze courgette, and all green bush courgette. All from the VSP!!

[chilli_grower]

another female flower wide open this morning, but the male flowers are all still closed!!!!

[chilli_grower]

I now have a courgette that is around 7 inches long and around 1 1/2 inches in diameter!

But still no male flowers that have opened!!!

Assumingly it has been pollinated somehow? Any ideas?

As I know that none of my immediate neighbours are growing copurgettes!!!!

[veggiechicken]

What variety was it CG? Some are self fertile!!

[Farmer_Gyles]

I now have a courgette that is around 7 inches long and around 1 1/2 inches in diameter!

my courgette / squash plants are only about 7in tall .... nowhere near flowering .... very slow start here ....

[chilli_grower]

firenze variety VC

[chilli_grower]

well, here is my first courgette , that is the first one I have ever grown!!!!

[veggiechicken]

Looks cute CG!! Bet it will taste really good
Be warned, photos of courgettes alongside rulers tend to bring out the worst in me

[chilli_grower]

haha! I still dont understand how it pollinated!!!!

[Scarlet]

Be warned, photos of courgettes alongside rulers tend to bring out the worst in me

That doesn't surprise us!

[Scarlet]

haha! I still dont understand how it pollinated!!!!

They don't just do it with their own - they're very promiscuous!