Unhappy courgette!
Last post 08-09-2009 10:31 PM by bogweevil. 16 replies.
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10/06/2009 01:15 PM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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I have a courgette plant (bought as a seedling) in a grow-bag on my balcony in a sunny, airy, sheltered position. But it is not growing very vigorously, with very few and feeble fruit and it seems to have slightly white powdery leaves. It shares the growbag with two tomato plants so I keep the compost fairly moist, perhaps too moist for the courgette?? I feed the bag weekly with tomato feed. Any suggestions please.
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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10/06/2009 03:04 PM
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- sue1002
- Ipswich, Suffolk
- 06 Sep 2005
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5,200
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Would it at all be possible to take the courgette plant out of the grow bag and plant it in a separate one? The growth on courgettes really spreads out and with it being in between two tomatoes, there won't be enough air getting about to circulate between the plants.
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11/06/2009 09:41 PM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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Yes. have now taken the courgette out of the tomato growbag and put it in its own bag of pure kitchen home-made compost (bit like growing a marrow on the compost heap in the time honoured way) and put a good mulch of moss all around it too. If I'm passing the nursery where I bought it I may mention to them that it's got grey powdery mould on it only three weeks after I bought it. Maybe I'll get given a new, healthier plant (I can only try!)
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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11/06/2009 10:17 PM
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Nitrogen rich kitchen compost should suit courgettes well, but I do hope you can use a pot at least 45cm in diameter. That powdery stuff is powdery mildew, a fungus disease best treated with dusting with sulphur - most garden centres should offer some but most garden centres being rubbish you may have to persist. However powdery mildew will be much less damaging now you have stopped torturing your plants.
Boggy
Beware the bat-eared bogweevil
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12/06/2009 01:42 AM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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Yes is in a whole bag to itself, 45cm yes and deep.
But what is the meaning of the word "torturing"?? I don't want to do that! Too little space, no air? what??
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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12/06/2009 12:43 PM
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- chriss
- iwuk
- 06 May 2009
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25
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I'm glad to hear you have now taken your courgette out of the tomato grow bag. Courgettes are not the easiest of plants to grow. They like the conditions just right or they sulk. The powdery mildew is a common problem with them. I usually cut some of the affected leaves off. The leaf growth is so prolific that this does not harm the plant, but keeps the mildew at bay without the need for chemicals. They are quite heavy feeders but don't like to be too wet. I use pelleted poultry manure and then give them a liquid feed once a week.
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15/06/2009 12:27 AM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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Thx Chriss. I'm sure I've been keeping mine too wet. I'll be a little/lot less liberal with the watering can!
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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21/07/2009 08:44 AM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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The courgette has been in open ground with lots of feed dug in under it (though shady position, all I've got!) for a fortnight now. It is looking much healthier, less powdery, putting on leaf and a good crop now of baby courgettes.
Many thanks for all the advice. Looks like I may get some crops after all, even if late in the season.
Btw the title of this thread (Unhappy Courgette) keeps sounding to me like some California surfing hit from the 1970s!
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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21/07/2009 10:08 PM
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give it more room
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22/07/2009 01:19 AM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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How do you mean "Give it more room"??
It does have quite a bit of space and bare earth around it. Seems happy at present and the variety is described as particularly "upright" and not so spreading as other varieties.
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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22/07/2009 09:33 AM
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- sue1002
- Ipswich, Suffolk
- 06 Sep 2005
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5,200
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I would ignore that phillip99a, the poster is clearly advertising/plugging their own website on all their posts which is against the rules of using this forum.
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22/07/2009 11:10 AM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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Aah. Cheers Sue :-)
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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15/08/2009 12:01 AM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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Hmmm. Two months on and this courgette (now in the ground) is still not productive. A good display of leaves but just no flowers or fruit on it at all yet. It's in the soil, well-fed (over-fed??) and watered and as yet not earning its keep. Patience??
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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15/08/2009 03:25 PM
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- sue1002
- Ipswich, Suffolk
- 06 Sep 2005
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5,200
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I see a few posts back that you have the plant in a shady position phillip99a, which could have something to do with it as they like a sunny position.
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17/08/2009 11:18 AM
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- philip99a
- Leicester (city centre)
- 10 Jun 2009
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36
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Hey ho! Another year. I guess this is why we all get hooked on gardening. Can always do better!
A garden is the Islamic vision of Paradise.
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