Time to consult Dr DG Hessayon via his most excellent publication, The New Vegetable and Herb Expert -a somewhat reassuring title don't you think? Dr Hessayon has a 3-page spread devoted to 'Cucurbit troubles' - a list of 23 separate things to concern you. I must say that these lists of things that can go wrong used to put me right off growing vegetables. It all seemed too hard , even 'dangerous'. Now I just ignore most things and let things get on with growing. I now only consult Dr Hessayon when I think something really is an issue and when I really don't know what it was. This is one of those occasions.
Of the list of 23 'problems', number 14 - the 'withering of young fruit' seems to be the best description. From here I directly quote Dr Hessayon page 55.
Cucumbers and marrows stop growing when they are only a few inches long and withering spreads back from the tip. Unfortunately there are many possible causes such as draughts, heavy pruning and the use of fresh farmyard manure. The most likely reason is faulty root action due to poor drainage, overwatering or poor soil preparation. The secret is to maintain steady growth by careful watering. If withering of young fruit does take place, remove damaged fruit and spray with foliar feed. So, fruit removed as instructed I consider the causes:
- Draught - possibly, I have no fence line to protect my crops.
- Heavy pruning - possibly, I did tidy up the plant by removing their wind burnt leaves.
- Fresh farmyard manure - I don't think this is the cause. The sheep pooh from under the shearing shed is 'aged' and unlikely to have burnt the plant.
- Faulty root action due to poor drainage, overwatering or poor soil preparation - A probable cause - not the overwatering aspect - I suspect that my hastily built garden beds would be classified as 'poor soil preparation'. I suspect that you couldn't call it soil at all at present - just layers of cardboard, grass clippings and sheep manure.
I've had the exact same problem. I'm just having to pick them really tiny before they rot (yellow zucchini). Thanks for the possible problem list - excellent. I think mine is probably soil prep and drainage - having planted them in a newly built no dig garden bed. And here I was feeling all smug that the plant itself looks so healthy and enormous.
ReplyDeleteBummer! Actually, it is a handy book as long as you don't let it intimidate you! Glad it has been helpful for you too! Looks like we have the same problem - new no-dig gardens.
ReplyDeleteIt took me at least three years to get decent soil in my Sydney garden, I guess I am going to have to be patient. No dig works but it does take time!
I have had that happen to a few of my fruits but I am getting many which it hasn't happened to. Perhaps I should give mine a bit of seaweed fertiliser to help it along... I have to say I just presumed that the bees hadn't been doing what they should be...
ReplyDeleteYes, I had initially thought no bees too. I have other fruit which I am hoping on.
DeleteI have heard that they will fall off if you don't fertilise. In fact I have been known to give them a helping hand an introduced some very nice boys to some very nice girls and then got fruit. Some which I have to say I forgot about and they became marrows, something I am not so sure what to do with as they are usually enormous
ReplyDeleteBoy, I guess that is also very very possible. Why didnt Dr Hessayon mention failure in fertilisation?
DeleteI had similar problems last year and after googling, thought it might help to add some dolomite/lime as blossom end rot can be due to a lack of calcium. Hard to say if it actually did help as I was a bit late adding it and there probably wasn't time for the plants to take it up. Might be worth a try, though!
ReplyDeleteSo many possibilities! My soil is poor at the moment, it wouldnt surprise me if it were some sort of deficiency.
DeleteI would add an additional option to the list: lack of pollination.
ReplyDelete