What is wrong with my Zuchinni?

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Permalink Reply by Ben Ruesga on July 13, 2008 at 8:07pm

Eat them when they are 4 inches long!! :) Do they shrivel up and turn completely yellow? If so, they are probably not getting pollinated. Pollinate them yourself with a q-tip. Look online there are sites that tell you how to do it. Honestly they look better than mine do. I just eat them when they are tiny since I also have bad luck with squash.

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Permalink Reply by diane on July 14, 2008 at 10:15am

That is exactly what i started to do! I have been picking them at about 4 inches!! :) I am just dying for a zuchinni caserole but 4 inch zuchinni's won't cut it! ;-D

The plant had been putting out huge zuchinni's then this happened. I will try the q-tip thing... I used to do that before I had so many bee's in my backyard. Any thing is worth a try.

I thought maybe its blossum end rot? But I don't know much about that or what to do about it. I also noticed the leaving are getting this white hue to them...

Thanks for the suggestion!

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Permalink Reply by Ben Ruesga on July 14, 2008 at 12:49pm

could be blossom rot if you have a healthy population of pollinators, not sure if it affects zuchini or not. I know with tomatoes blossom rot is usually caused by irregular watering. Heat stress maybe??

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on July 14, 2008 at 1:56pm

Also see:
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/squash.html
http://www.uwex.edu/CES/cty/marinette/hort/documents/Blossom_End_Ro...

It does sound like blossom end rot.

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Permalink Reply by diane on July 14, 2008 at 2:13pm

I have just googled blossom end rot and sure enough, I think that is what i have. At first I didn't think so because my zuch's were getting pretty big and I've seen Blossom end root in smaller sizes (like an inch).

So, blossom end rot happens when either 1) no bees - solution use qtip, or 2) calcium definciency due to heat stress or uneven watering.

Ok - I'm thinking they are stressed out! I would be too if it was 115degrees! Maybe they will recover now that the monsoons have brought the temps down.

Thanks for all the replies, I do appreciate you both taking the time to answer my concern.

Diane :)

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on July 14, 2008 at 2:24pm

I have it going on with my Zukes too - ARGH - the frustration of gardening in the desert! =)

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Permalink Reply by diane on July 15, 2008 at 8:06am

Yes. and if the bossom end rot is from heat stress, I don't think there is much that can be done...

I think I may have been lucky to get ANY zuchinni in July. Usually my garden is resting most of this hot month (except for melons).

:)

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Permalink Reply by Ericka Cero Wood on July 15, 2008 at 2:52pm

My zukes are doing the same thing. I have noticed after these rains that they have exploded with new growth and I can see more babies.

I think the weather is just really hot. And now-humid. If I had to hang around outside all day I would shrivel up too!

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