Courgette & squash dying again!!! :(

[wadsleyparkowl]

Six weeks or so ago I started them off as normal in pots in the greenhouse. They've grown well as they normally do, but last week I planted them out into a bath filled with new compost. I gave them a good water & tonight I've just had a look & yet again they have wilted, with the leaves going "crusty".

It's been warm the last couple of days (Sheffield based) but I don't know where I've gone wrong. I did harden them off as well which makes it even more frustrating.

Could it be the compost in the bath?

Perhaps should have added a bit of soil too to the mix? I've set another 4 going in pots in the greenhouse so there's still time but it's really frustrating.

Any tips of how to be successful with them would be appreciated.

[batman]

You say it's been warm - but the night time temps were around 4 degrees in Sheffield! That's plenty cold for squashes, sadly.

[sparrow100]

The other thing that will get them is the wind. It can be darned windy in Sheffield if I remember rightly! Can you put some fleece over the next lot to protect them for a bit?

[wadsleyparkowl]

Thanks folks, all things I'd not thought of to be fair, although the wife did say it was cold the other night What's odd is that my neighbour on the next plot planted his at the same time, albeit in the ground & his appear to be doing well.

[rustylady]

What's the drainage like - maybe too wet round the roots

[muddled]

Wind on allotments can be rather selective!

I have three garlic in a row of fifteen knocked flat by wind....the other twelve are completely fine.
The wind might be lessened at ground level by other things in its way, only to come roaring up the side of your bath and flatten your plants.

There's still time though and if you sow your seeds direct in the bath (assuming you have slug defences) you can do away with the whole hardening off process.

For what it's worth..some of my hardened off cucumbers that have been outside for three weeks now suddenly took a beating in the wind last night...not sure yet if they will recover either.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Reckon it must be the wind, its not only been strong, its been going on for what seems like forever.

For my courgettes I like to keep potting them on right up to Morrison bucket size leave them there for 2 to 3 weeks before I put them in their final large pots.