Cross-pollinating courgettes?

[hvrlon]

Hi all,

I think that the yellow courgettes (Jemmer) we are growing have been cross-pollinating with the two other varieties (Defender and Tondo di Piacenza, round ones). A while ago I noticed a funny-looking round yellow courgette that had gone rotten and fallen off the plant. Today there seemed to be quite a number of odd-looking little yellow courgettes on both of the green courgette plants. None of the plants are looking very healthy in general either.

I'm still a novice so anything seems possible! Have anyone else's courgettes cross-pollinated like this, or am I imagining things?

[Alison]

Whilst your courgettes may very well of cross polinated it won't affect this years crop, only if you saved seeds for another year so no worries there. Sometimes courgettes do go rotten and then fall off. Don't know about the Jemmer and Tondo di Piacenza ones but Defender is usually very reliable. I think part of your problem may be the weather we've had this year. Suggest you pick off any courgettest that look unhealthy, give the plants a good feed and then cross your fingers for an improvement! Good luck.

[hvrlon]

Thanks, Alison - I'll give them a feed today and see what happens!

H

[scarey55]

A while ago I noticed a funny-looking round yellow courgette that had gone rotten and fallen off the plant.

Just to give you hope hvrlon, some of my courgettes have gone soft and I just took them off the plant and threw them away (didn't compost, just in case) The rest of the plant looks OK and other courgettes on the same plant are growing fine - so much so that, at the moment I am feeding them to my overweight Labradoor as treats, just to use them up!

[leona]

the yellow shriveled ones that dont grow so far as i know are ones that havent been pollinated

[hvrlon]

Ah, that makes sense - thanks. I gave the plants a haircut (removing shrivelled leaves), took off any funny-looking courgettes and fed them. With any luck they'll be producing again in no time in this weather.

[hvrlon]

I had a look on the RHS gardening advice website and Leona is right:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...ollination.asp

The courgette plants all have new growth after I fed them the other day and I can see some normal-looking courgettes beginning to form. I'll try some hand pollination just to be sure.

Thanks to everyone for the advice!