I need to learn how to grow good Zuchinni

Question

This is my 1st year trying this veggie. Have gotten 3 big good ones but the rest have all been bad. Yellow and shriveling on ends as in picture. Is planted in full sun, dirt has added compost, have watered with epsom salt and tried pulling flowers off as soon as fruit appears. Can anyone tell me what I can do to make plant happier. Is zuchinni hard to grow? Don't have a clue to what the problem is!

Jessica C · Answer

It looks like you have blossom rot, my zucchini have it too. We had a lot of rain early in the season and I think that's what it is from. Remove the effected blossoms, the next ones should be normal. Also, be sure to water only in the morning and not in the evening. That way the plant doesn't stay wet all night. Zucchini generally easy to grow, you seem to be doing all the right things.

Cynthia · Answer

Thanks Jessica. My plants are so small and only blooms from all the rain.

360 Sod (Donna Dixson) · Answer

I agree with @Jessica Cramer, it does look like blossom end rot and great advise on what to do:)

Judy Fazio · Answer

Thank You Girls ... I'll cut off the bad ones and watch the water!

Caley's Culinaries · Answer

You definitely have blossom end rot. You will need to add calcium right away to save the rest. Go to a garden center and tell them you need an calcium fertilizer that will absorb immediately. They will probably have organic options. In the future, add eggshells when you plant, but if you have a lot of rain you will need to do it often.

Sandra Cook · Answer

You can boil eggs/egg shells and use the water so you are adding quick absorb calcium. Works pretty good.

Caley's Culinaries · Answer

Wait, are you sure they are getting pollinated?

Donna Shipley · Answer

I added a lot of crushed egg shells to the soil this year and mine, which looked just like this last year, are better.

Robin Roderick · Answer

I use diatomaceous earth to provide calcium (it also helps keep critters away, and kills fleas in the yard.  Be sure to use food-grade.  It is made up of tiny diatom skeletons, hence the calcium.

Judy · Answer

Mine did the same thing. Try the calcium (dissolve some Tums in water & water the plant) but also try hand pollinating. Mine weren't getting pollinated. A shot of Miracle Grow wouldn't hurt either.

Catherine Smith · Answer

Pick off the bad stuff and discard. Tums dissolved in water will work well. Skip the fertilizer until you see more blossoms developing, you want the plants to produce more fruit, if you add additional nitrogen at this stage, you'll only get more leaves. You can also use egg shells, or Human calcium tablets for the necessary needed calcium. Blossom end rot is not a big deal,and is fixable. Zucchini is very forgiving and this problem is an easy fix. Once you start getting new blossoms, you can add additional side dressing of compost or an organic fertilizer to give the plants access to additional nutrients to keep producing. As an organic gardener I would never suggest using miracle grow. Because it is a chemically created fertilizer, it kills the microbes necessary for plant health and growth, which is why you must use more and more of it to get production. Natural is better for both your plants and you. I use compost and worm poo, but then I am inti vermicomposting,and loved my worms.

Heather Scott · Answer

I can send you some if you like - seems to be the only thing growing in abundance in my garden - egg shells work wonders and are FREE

Marilyn · Answer

I don't have blossom rot but half the zuks set on and then fall off. I assume this is because they didn't get pollinated. How do I do that myself?

Vickie Saunders · Answer

You get a small paintbrush and pop it in the male flower (the one without the baby zucchini), and then paint inside the female flower. you can also pull off the male flower, strip it of its petals and use it to paint the inside of the female flower.

Catherine Smith · Answer

Vickie is correct. Once you start getting fruit, spray your plant with Epsom Salts water for an extra Boston of magnesium. That will help the plant to set fruit. ( 1 teaspoon Epsom salts to 1 quart of warm water, mix well) soak the plant and the surrounding soil. It also works well for tomatoes and peppers. Next year try interplanting with some flowers and/or herbs to draw in the pollinators. I read in the news, your area is having some major problem with bee kill. Evidently idiots using some heavy duty pesticides, sheesh! Consider putting in a couple of Mason bee houses around you property. They have no stingers, are not aggressive and are wonderful little pollinators.

Judy Fazio · Answer

Can you pollinate more than one female flower with the one male?

Yvonne Mrad Terry · Answer

I always water my plants from the bottom only, I don't water the leaves, that why when water in the day, the sun doesn't burn them... Best of Luck!!!

Judy Fazio · Answer

We're having a rain day today again so I'll get right on the calcium, have been doing some eggshells but I didn't know about the tums or the epsom salt spray. Very grateful for all you're information!

Caley's Culinaries · Answer

Eggshells take a while to degrade into a form the plant can use. If it is blossom end rot, you will need some immediate calcium. One male flower can pollinate all the females. But they should never talk to him again.

Catherine Smith · Answer

Hmmm, you know how those male flowers are, gotta watch em. LOL You can crush the egg shells, but human calcium tablets would give you the quickest action. Just buy the cheapest bottle you can find. And poke 2 or 3 down into the soil on the outer edge of the plant. That will also help push the plant to develop and longer and stronger root system and help it stay healthier.

Judy Fazio · Answer

I'd rather give my supplements to my plants than take them myself! Finally stopped raining last night so today is calcium supplement day for my zucchini and I'm going to check out those male & female flowers while I'm at it. Thanks again!

Lyn Therese · Answer

For many years I have been using calcium tablets. The same ones that I take for myself. I take a tablet and about an inch away from the base of the plant, I push it into the ground about 2 inches. I do this each month and I do this with my tomatoes, squash, peppers. It works great. When you water, the tablet slowly breaks down. Good luck.

Josephine · Answer

I keep planting zucchini plants & already the blight is taking over, same last year, planted them twice last year, the same both time, ready to give up,  is there any way to prevent this, its now cheaper to just buy them.

Judy Fazio · Answer

Josephine, I tried everything the comments suggested including using a fungicide.  After that things improved.   Am thinking they may not like too much water.   Don't give up. Good Luck to you!

Judy Fazio · Answer

Gosh, now I can't figure out how to mark this post as being resolved!  FAQ weren't helpful.  Can someone tell me how to do this?

Josephine · Answer

Well, better luck this year, bought plants at same nursery; but got about eight or nine zucs, leaves started getting white blight  early on but did not kill the plants,  my son  kept cutting  off some  stems  to make more room & sun to get in, it worked  this time, we'll see next year. we had 3 plants in  about  a  6x4 area  & made a chicken wire cover to keep out squirrels etc. also made 6 zuc breads  already.

Agnes Chrzanowska · Answer

<p>following </p>

I need to learn how to grow good Zuchinni

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I need to learn how to grow good Zuchinni

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