Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have grown zucchini for the last couple years, but this time, the fruit doesn't look great. It's not evenly straight, but instead I'm getting a pointy tip at the blossom end and most of fruit when it gets to 2 to 3 inches long, the blossom end gets soft, but not rotten, so I don't what is causing this?
I grow mine on trellises or on Tomato cages. You want to get it off the ground so it doesnt rot.
Hmm. I haven't grown zukes in a while because we had too many issues with rot. When I had something similar it was one of the first years that there were bee issues, that bee collapse of hives. A couple years later I read that when there are bee shortages all friuts and veggies that require multiple pollination suffer and it causes issues like you are describing.
Let me know what they say about the issue! Curious what is happening else where!
You did not say what state you live in BUT it sounds like it is getting to much water, either by rain or that you are over watering it. And whether you have it touching the ground. I would try putting the fruit up on a tomato cage or a trellis and let it dry out for a bit, especially if the ground is wet.
We have had a very wet growing season and my zucchini plant stem is soft as if it is rotting. What can I do to save my plant?
If the ground is very wet and soggy this will cause the zucchini plants to rot. The only thing you can try to do now to save the plant is to get some good top soil and mulch and pack it around the plant to try and dry it out some.
You can try growing the zucchini on stakes or on large tomato cages. It lifts up the plant and prevents rot.
Will zucchini stay as a bush or vine out?
By Ellen
It will stay as a bush but a mighty big bush, I allow a 6 ft circle for mine. I have planted them in tubs like trees are planted in that way I can set them where ever I want them.
It may depend on the kind you planted. Mostly they sell "bush variety" zucchini; but they do sometimes sell vining types. If you still have the seed packet, check it. If you don't have it, you probably will have a bush variety. But like tatr said, leave lots of room around it! I use raised beds in my garden, and one or two bushes will usually do OK in a four by four foot bed. (I have wide aisles.)
My Zucchini is growing too fast, it is covering my pepper. I wonder if I cut some leaves to uncover the pepper will this affect the Zucchini or not?
By hanan
I have found that trimming a few leaves on a zucchini isn't a bad idea at all. Most of them actually have more leaves than needed for the photosynthesis process and by taking a few off it helps send the extra vital nutrients directly to the fruit instead of the leafy matter. I have to trim off some of the leaves anyway, makes it easier to find the fruits~
I am growing the zucchini too make relish out of them and the bigger the better helps so I have let them get very big. I noticed few turning orange what does this mean?
My zucchini plant female flowers are blooming great, but my male flowers haven't bloomed yet. I know the males need to bloom so the females can be pollinated.
Any reasons why the males might not be blooming yet?If you don't have enough bees, you may need to hand pollinate. Take a Q-tip and put it in one flower to get the pollen and then transfer it to another flower
The leaves have a grey straining on them. Same as last year. Why?
By Sue L
The stain your seeing is mold. I have a lot on mine right now due to, to much rain not enough sunshine. I have been breaking off the really bad one and new ones are growing in there place. I'm hoping for sunshine soon here in GA.
My zucchini got to about 3 to 4 inches, but the flower is still on the zucchini. Does that mean it is rotten? And if not when should flowers fall off fruit.
By carol c.
Leave it alone. It will fall off in due time. You can bread and fry the flowers too
My zucchini plants die just as they start to blossom. Later in the season they are covered with a gray beetle. What can be done without using pesticides?
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By James Baker from Wayland, MI
www.insectimages.org
Destroy crop residues after harvest and reduce overwintering sites by tilling.
Control of Curcurbit Insects
Cucumber beetles or squash beetles can be controlled effectively using carbaryl (Sevin), but wait one day after spraying before harvest. For aphids or spider mites use an insecticidal soap such as Concern Insect Killing Soap or Safer Brand Soap. Control heavy populations of aphids or spider mites with neem oil extract (such as Green Light Neem Concentrate or Bonide Bon-Neem).
For vine borers and pickleworms control after mid-June, apply carbaryl (Sevin) or neem oil extract weekly, and spray or dust in the evening to not kill pollinating insects. Wait one day after spraying carbaryl before harvest. Rotenone (such as Hi-Yield Rotenone Dust) is effective against younger squash bugs, but not against the adults. Esfenvalerate (such as Ortho Bug-B-Gon MAX Garden & Landscape Insect Killer RTU) or permethrin (such as Bonide Eight Insect Control Vegetable, Fruit & Flower Concentrate) or bifenthrin (such as Ortho Bug-B-Gon MAX Lawn & Garden Insect Killer Concentrate) will control cucumber beetles, squash bugs, squash vine borers and pickleworms, call your county agent for more info,good luck.
Hardiness Zone: 5a
Susan from Leon, Iowa
It sounds like you're dealing with Squash vine borers. Signs include vines that suddenly wilt and die, and you can usually see signs of girdling and yellowish castings from borer holes at the base of stems. Adult moths have narrow, olive-brown forewings, clear hindwings and a red abdomen with black rings. There are also long, reddish fringes on the hind legs. The larvae (borers) look like white grubs with a brown head and are about 1 inch long. They bore into the vines of squash-family plants and eat the inner tissue, filling up the stems with castings and causing the vines to collapse. The larvae or pupae overwinter in the soil, emerging as adults around the time the vines start to lengthen. The adults then lay eggs on the stems or leaf stalks near the base of the plants, and when the eggs hatch the larvae bore into the vines to feed. There is usually only one generation of borers per year (two in the south), which lasts about 4-6 weeks until the larvae return to the soil for winter.
Here are some suggestions for controlling them organically:
Ellen
check out this link and you may find your answer there!
Good luck!
I have planted long zucchinis in my garden and as soon as they start to grow they die.
By Franca V. from M Q
I have a similar problem to the zucchini flowers post, and you are suggesting that animals or pests could be responsible. I have 1 courgette (think this is the same thing) which is healthy and keeps flowering huge orange blossoms. They open, stay like that for a couple of days, then when I go back to look, they have been snapped off where the flowers joins the stems. It can't be pests or animals, as its growing in a very small greenhouse/lean to and the other stuff in there is fine.
By Mary N.
Why do my marrow give plenty of male and female flowers, but then the fruits die off? I have tried getting rid of the excess foilage, but then I only get the foliage growing again and nothing seems to happen.
By Jennifer from Stonehouse
Check out these photos.
Weird zucchini from the great beyond! I have found strange vegetables in my garden before: heart shaped tomatoes and potatoes, tomatoes that look like they have a nose, carrots that look like they have 2 legs and cucumbers that look more like bowling pins.
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I bought some Zucchini plants this year and put them in a sunny place in the garden and they get plenty of water. The problem is, every time they get a yellow flower on them, it lasts a few days and then drops off.
