RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Lee H (Guest Post)
(09/13/2008)
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Why does my zucchini rot?
Blossom End Rot is a disease common to zucchini, which causes the blossom end of the fruit to rot. Per Clemson University, "The main symptom is a dark-colored dry rot of the blossom end of the fruit. Blossom-end rot is caused by a lack of calcium in the developing fruit." So either the plant is not absorbing enough calcium from the soil or the soil doesn't have enough calcium in it to start with. The solution is to get a PH soil test kit and test your soil. If it is lacking calcium, the solution would be to add calcium to your soil. Dolomite lime supplies calcium (Ca) as well as Magnesium (Mg) to your soil. It also increases the microbial activity necessary to break down nitrogen into ammonium for absorption by your plant's roots.
If the test shows the soil is okay, then you can increase nutrient uptake to the roots of the plant by mulching and adding compost/organic matter to your soil (sheep, poultry, cattle or pork manure has the best carbon to nitrogen ratio), and by watering well.
What causes yellowing in zucchini?
Yellowing is usually caused by a lack of Nitrogen, which can be helped by adding nitrogen-rich compost, or by adding lime, or by adding manure. Many agriculture experts have advised amending soil with lime for nitrogen deficiency. There is an issue with organic fertilizers needing to be broken down by microorganisms in the soil before the plant can absorb the nutrients properly. The nitrogen gets "tied up" in this process and does not get absorbed by your plant quickly enough, so it's often recommended to use an inorganic nitrogen application along with your organic fertilizer. Again, the best solution is to do a soil test so you'll be able to eliminate what it is NOT.
If the carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio of the organic fertilizer is less than about 20:1, "then microorganisms will obtain adequate nitrogen for their needs and will convert the excess organic nitrogen to ammonium (NH4+). This conversion is called mineralization." (See Colorado State link above) Ammonium is a form of nitrogen plants CAN absorb. Carbon acts like a furnace or energy source to speed this conversion process. Sheep, beef, swine or poultry manure supplies the necessary ratios; speeds up the microbial process; and gets the nutrients to your plants.
A common practice in vegetable gardening is to broadcast lime and other amendments onto the garden soil and mix it well into the dirt and let it rain on it a number of times before planting your plants. In the old days, people didn't test the soil - they always just added the lime as a rule of thumb (right along with the 10-10-10) and they usually had a gorgeous garden. But you can achieve the same proper soil balance without the chemical fertilizer by using organic fertilizers, such as liquid fish fertilizer, complemented by rich compost and organic matter to speed mineralization.
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re: curling browning leaves
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Post By Richard (Guest Post)
(08/12/2008)
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I have found in the past when leaves are curling and dying often stem borers are ruining the plant. Look for a sawdust like exudation at the base of the plant stems. That is an indictation you are infested.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Scott (Guest Post)
(07/14/2008)
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We picked fresh from our garden young 8 to 10 inch croked neck and zucchini cooked in olive oil today and thinly sliced . They were so bitter they were not edible :-( Anyone have any ideas ? Please email me if you can help
sales AT mach1pc.com
Thanks Scott
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By BJ Weisberg (Guest Post)
(07/03/2008)
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I am getting flowers but no start of the vegetable. Are these flowers males and if so do I cut them off so the females can start producing.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Mar Lynn (Guest Post)
(04/27/2008)
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Forgot to mention: The male blossoms are good eatin'! Put them to some use. Lots of recipes online.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Mar Lynn (Guest Post)
(04/27/2008)
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Thank you for the tip on cutting the end of the vine to encourage female flower production. I was getting frustrated! I also saw on another site (Wikipedia?) that rotting/mushy zucchini can be from overuse of pesticides and mosquito spraying. I'm trying organic, but it has its own quirks, too.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Heather, Bitter in Ca. (Guest Post)
(02/18/2008)
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Can you tell me what I can do to keep my zucchini from getting bitter. I've tried picking it early, but it's still tastes bitter. I'm thinking it must be my soil or when I'm watering it.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Linda Holland (Guest Post)
(09/24/2007)
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Our Zucks start growing, when they are 8" to 9" the end gets soft. They are in whiskey barrel planters with miracle grow potting soil for growing medium.They get watered by a sprinkler twice a week.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Robbin Jacobsen (Guest Post)
(09/15/2007)
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My zucchini are plentiful but only a few make it to full size, most of them get a couple inches long then turn yellow and mold on the ends and rot. I have them in containers in a very sunny spot but we get alot of rain and clouds here in Anchorage, Alaska
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Bela (Guest Post)
(08/13/2007)
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I have 8 zucchini plants that have produced about 5 zucchini so far. How many hours of direct sunlight do they need each day? The zucchini I do get are very thick skinned -- and darkest green. I am wondering how they picked up the characteristics of other kinds of tough skinned squash.
Help?
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Linda from San Rafae, CA (Guest Post)
(08/04/2007)
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I planted zucchini and I get great flowers but the zucchini grow to about 2 inches and turn yellow and they are mushy so I clip them off. I got one good one and the inside was filled with seeds and no meat. Planted in direct sun most of the day, some moisture in the evening from the bay.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Shirley (Guest Post)
(07/30/2007)
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My problem is I am getting zucchini and it is very large but it does not turn dark green like it should. I also have cucumber plants kind of close by, can that be the problem? The color is like the color of a honeydew melon.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Ed (Guest Post)
(07/29/2007)
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I have found that too much water and poor drainage due to heavy clay-like soil can be a real problem for zucchini plants. I always have good luck growing them except for last summer when we had a torrential rainfall that ruined my Zucchini garden. After the heavy rain, the stems and blossoms were rotting before any decent fruits could be produced. Squash plants in general like fluffy, sandy, moist, but well drained soil. They should be planted in a mound or raised bed so they wont be sitting in water after a heavy rain or watering. If the soil is heavy clay, (like ours is), try soil ammendments that help loosten and promote drainage. I throw a bag of sand and a big cube of peat moss over my garden every year and till it right into the soil. This fluffs up the soil and also adds volume to it so adding additional soil for a raised bed is not neccesary. Surround this with a wood frame to keep the soil from washing away and you have the perfect bed for zucchini plants. I used to plant 2-3 Zucchini seeds into each mound and thin the sweedlings to 1 plant per mound, but recently, I've found that buying a partial flat of Zucchini plants from the local garden center is well worth the extra 2 or 3 bucks. You'll have a much earlier harvest, healthier plants, and longer growing season. Sprinkle a ring of slow release vegetable food around each plant when planting. Don't water everyday unless temps get above 90F. The large funnel shaped leaves of the Zucchini plant will channel any water that hits them directly to the base of the plant, and they also shield the soil from the sun, keeping it from drying out too quickly. Do this and you'll have more zucchini than you'll know what to do with. Good Luck!
Ed
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Marlene (Guest Post)
(07/27/2007)
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Why are my zucchini rotting? I have the same problem as Jeff and David. I am in Duluth MN.
I have to harvest the zucchini at about 4" or I lose them to rot. What can I do?
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Jillsy (Guest Post)
(07/08/2007)
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We live in central NY state. Zucchini problems usually range from "I can't keep up the picking" to baseball bat sizes from the ones that got away. This year, however, the flowers are falling off before fruiting, and it seems we have baby zucchini bugs... very early. Anyone have any organic advice on how to bag the buggers? Do you think lack of pollination may also contribute?
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By Mark B (Guest Post)
(06/25/2007)
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In Indianapolis last year vine borers killed all my squash type plants. This year I used Nematodes to prevent this again. So far I have harvested more than I did last year and I see no signs of any problems. Moles have also been digging for Japanese beetle grubs so I'm using a trap to catch the beetles. I haven't done anything to the soil about the grubs, yet. I do water every day and they seem to love me for it.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By andrea colonna (Guest Post)
(06/18/2007)
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My problem growing zucchini is that the stems seem to have something boring into them. Can not find anything when I investigate but how can I prevent this from happeni ng becasue once the stems are compromised the plant dies.
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By (Guest Post)
(06/14/2007)
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I'm having the same problems as far as the flowers were there then just drop off?? I'm going to try the hand pollination as like everyone else, we don't seem to have any bees around here.
Annette Yaeger in Westerville Ohio
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By greatpumpkin (Guest Post)
(06/02/2007)
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I sometimes get that "rotten zucchini" problem too. My brother-in-law thinks it's "blossom end rot"??? My sister lives in Sac, CA, and is having serious probs. w/her zucchini (see pic). They are growing, but all new growth is yellowish-green, and then eventually, the leaves start curling, then turn brown. Does anyone know what this could be? Any solutions to either or both of these problems??? Thx!
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RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
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Post By jeff (Guest Post)
(05/30/2007)
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i live in sacramento california and i have this guys same problem ............ have a different problem in Sterling Heights, MI (just North of Detroit). The Zucchini grow to about 3-4 inches long and about an inch thick. At that point the tips start turning yellow and then the fruit rapidly rots back all the way to the stem. It's been hot this summer so I've been watering every other day. The soil is a bed and is well drained. I only harvested about 12 fruit from 4 plants this year. (09/12/2005)
this happened last year to me and is starting all over again this year ..help
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Request: Problems Growing Zucchini
Q: Am I the only gardener in the US who doesn't have enough zucchini squash? I planted four zucchini plants in my raised-bed garden, thinking that they would produce plenty for my small family. The plants have grown well and are quite large, but have so far only produced about 10 squashes this whole summer (this is a total count, not 10 from each plant).
Most of the flowers seem to fall off before they get pollinated. Any suggestions? I live in Albuquerque, NM, so plants get plenty of sun, and I water them regularly.
Lynn
A: Lynn,
If flowers appear but you don't get much fruit, it's probably due to a lack of pollination. This sometimes happens if bee activity is low in your area or you've had a stretch of cooler weather. My suggestion would be to consider pollinating them by hand. The first flowers to bloom are usually the males and they do not form any fruit. The female flowers are identifiable by a swelling at the base of the flower. To pollinate by hand, you can cut off the male flowers, remove the petals, and rub the stamen of the male flowers against the stigmas (the sticky part at the ends of each pistil) on the female flowers. If you prefer, simply transfer the pollen from male flower to female flower with a small artists paint brush or Q-Tip. Keep track of which stems you have pollinated by tying a twist tie of piece of string around the stem. Also, make sure to harvest the squash when they are small (about 3-4 inches across and 4-6 inches long) to increase the plant's productivity.
Ellen Brown
More Answers:
RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
Zucchini often produces far more male flowers than female ones. The males are those on the long stems and the females are on short stems with a small bulb (the ovary) right under the flower. If you don't see many female blossoms, cut off the tip end of the vine. This reminds the plant of its main job - to make seeds to reproduce itself. (08/08/2005)
By Beth
RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
We live in Southern NV. We've not had a garden in several years, due to health problems, but when we did, we never had any problems growing zucchini. Actually we had so much and couldn't give it away. We'd water it in the early morn and at sundown. This was only with 6 plants! Hope this helps. Maybe someone is taking your blossoms to fry & eat? I hear fried squash blossums are quite tasty. (08/10/2005)
By badwater
RE: Problems Growing Zucchini
I have a different problem in Sterling Heights, MI (just North of Detroit). The Zucchini grow to about 3-4 inches long and about an inch thick. At that point the tips start turning yellow and then the fruit rapidly rots back all the way to the stem. It's been hot this summer so I've been watering every other day. The soil is a bed and is well drained. I only harvested about 12 fruit from 4 plants this year. (09/12/2005)
By David Osinski
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