Courgettes and mildew

[Jimmy]

I often get mildew on my courgettes but normally it's only after they have produced plenty of courgettes.
I have a well watered grow bag outside with three in it.
They gave me an initial crop but then gave up succumbing to mildew.
Is it the hot weather that has exasperated the problem ?
Anyone else had similar problems ?

I always have a succession of courgette sowings, so will see how the new ones go.

Jimmy

[petep]

I'll watch this thread for help as although my courgettes don't seem particularly bothered with mildew, they are showing a problem that I can't identify that is leading to some, but not all, fruits growing to a few inches long and then yellowing from the tip back along the body. Some of the others are growing to massive sizes. Hopefully an expert will wander in here and tell us we have the same problem - or the same solution.


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[bario1]

Petep, if you allow some fruits to grow massive, the plant will abort new fruits in order to concentrate on the big ones. You are better off picking them all when they are small as you will get more and they will be tastier!

[Jimmy]

I have notice that the first courgettes a plant produces often exhibit the problem of not developing properly, i.e. yellow tip etc. Normally subsequent ones are OK.
Also watch the flowers don't die and rot on the end.
A gental tug on the flower and it will come away if ready.
Jimmy

[Penellype]

Powdery mildew on courgettes is strange. Normally you would associate mildew with something being too wet, but courgettes tend to show the opposite feature and get it when they are too dry. Plants in pots or bags are particularly susceptible. The leaves are very big, allowing a lot of evaporation so water can be used up quite quickly, especally if it is in any way windy. I have never had any success at all with courgettes in grow bags. They are extremely hard to water and tend to die fairly quickly. Others may have a different experience, but I now always use deep pots or open soil.

Once the plants start to show signs of mildew it is hard to save them. You can try cutting off the affected leaves, which will be brown and crispy with a whitish powder on. However, unless you can change the conditions you are likely to find that the problem reappears.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Like Penellype I stop using grow bags in fact now I don't use them at all. My courgettes are in 20" pots and it is still a task to keep them properly watered.

I seem to get PM every year but it doesn't stop the plant producing.

[ButternutSquash]

My Zucchini has signs of mildew on the leaves. Some courgettes rot from the end, so I harvest them as soon as the end yellows. Having grown in pots and ground, I'd only ever grow in the ground, this one plant is a monster 1.5m across.