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Courgettes
Tue 20-Jul-10
2:27 pm
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johnmcc
Norfolk UK

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We love fresh, small courgettes and have five plants from seed this year, two in the greenhouse and three in large pots outside.  I feed them when I remember!

 

Because we had a lot of female flowers that weren't getting fertilised, I've been darting about with a camel hair brush each morning transferring pollen from male to female (pref on a different plant).  But many of those I've fertilised have a very thin top half and a normally developed lower half - ie, only the lower half of the fruit is developing.  Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?  (the naturally fertilised ones are fine and tasty, BTW).

What's wrong with the politics of envy, anyway?

Tue 20-Jul-10
7:56 pm
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JoannaS
Latvia

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Must admit to having never bothered, we are always inundated enough by the time they get around to producingdoh

Tue 20-Jul-10
10:52 pm
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mike.
Coventry

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I've been leaving my courgettes to pollinate naturally and I'm finding that they're not always developing properly either. Very often the bit closest to the stalk is ok but the tip of the courgette is very thin or a bit spongy. This is in addition to the ones which don't get pollinated and start to rot before they develop.

Visit my blog for food, drink, photography and hamsters.

Tue 20-Jul-10
11:00 pm
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danast
Argyll, Scotland

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wave  Me too, Bob.  Exactly the same,  although I have lots that are OK.

Old teachers never die, they just lose their class

Wed 21-Jul-10
12:28 pm
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johnmcc
Norfolk UK

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I'm not the only one then.  Phew!

What's wrong with the politics of envy, anyway?

Wed 21-Jul-10
3:29 pm
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KateUK
uk

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If you remove the pollenny bit from the male flower and shove it into the female bit on the lady flowers surprised ( I'm sure you all know exactly what I mean) it usually works really well and gives perfect courgettes.

oooer, more tea vicar?eeek

Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/

Wed 21-Jul-10
3:37 pm
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Danny
Scarborough, England
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And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew,
That one small head could carry all she knew.

Proper birds and bees stuff, Kate.  welldone

Never knowingly underfed

Thu 22-Jul-10
12:49 pm
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johnmcc
Norfolk UK

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It's pulling off the male bit that makes my eyes water!  I prefer the camel-hair brush.

What's wrong with the politics of envy, anyway?

Thu 22-Jul-10
1:34 pm
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Danny
Scarborough, England
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It makes you want to cross your legs, doesn't it John? big_laugh  surprised

Never knowingly underfed

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