My Garden

Multiple flowers on courgettes

Last post 03-07-2008 8:53 PM by Lloyd. 5 replies.

• 02/07/2008 07:43 PM
  Lloyd Location: Sandy Joined on: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 45	Reply | Contact I have two courgette plants that have produced multiple (2 and 3) male flowers on single stems, and now what looks like two female flowers that are fused together (looks like two courgettes fused together, with two flowers on the end).  Is this common, as I've never seen it before ?  With other problems going on in the garden, I'm a little paranoid at the moment!  Lloyd

• 02/07/2008 09:42 PM	In reply to
  digger Location: North East Lancashire Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 3,301	Reply | Contact Are you using the dodgy adulterated manure for growing the courgettes? digger

• 02/07/2008 10:22 PM	In reply to
  Lloyd Location: Sandy Joined on: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 45	Reply | Contact Yes, they were planted in the same muck. Up to now no one has reported any symptoms with courgettes, so I'm trying to determine if these symptoms are commonly seen during normal growing, or whether they are an indicator of the presence of the herbicide. Lloyd

• 03/07/2008 10:51 AM

  In reply to

  digger Location: North East Lancashire Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 3,301

  Reply | Contact I think it may depend on the particular cultivar that you are growing my friend, In truth I have not noticed male flowers on my courgettes before , but they must have some unless they are an all female variety like cucumbers can be. maybe two merging into one is just a one off not connected with the manure? maybe someone clever from the RHS will have to investigate this one for us, if you are a member you will find contact details in your 2008 handbook, and believe it or not you can actually ring up the RHS and a scientist will answer the call to talk to you. It's a useful service that has helped me before and it is so refreshing not to be put through an anonymous call centre in Mumbai digger

• 03/07/2008 07:48 PM	In reply to
  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 1,165	Reply | Contact  It is quite common, often leads to joined fruits and is unlikely to be related to weedkiller contamination.   Boggy     Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 03/07/2008 08:53 PM	In reply to
  Lloyd Location: Sandy Joined on: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 45	Reply | Contact Thanks Boggy.  Nice to know.  I still won't eat them as they are in the contaminated stuff, but at least if I see the same things next year I won't be alarmed.  Lloyd