Courgette Growing?

Question

I have a big tup of 3 courgette plants. They have flowered really well (and still flowering). When the flowers have died, there is just a sort of stem left, which I assuming is the early courgette, but it is only small, really like a small string bean. Is this normal and will the courgettes start to grow? I am keeping them in my concervatory at the moment because the weather here in the UK at the moment is horrendous. First time growing these so any advice would be useful. Thank you in anticipation

Answer 1

Absence of fruits when male and female flowers are being produced suggests pollination may be at fault. Try hand pollinating. Early in the day, take one of the male flowers (the ones without the little zucchini at the base) and peel off the petals. Use this flower like a paint brush to brush pollen into the female flowers. If you do this every couple of days on the newly opened female flowers, you should start getting squash. (1)

Fruits swelling only at the top, often with shrivelling and rotting, indicates incomplete pollination, usually due to cold temperatures. The problem should decrease as the season progresses. Also too many fruits on the plant can also cause rotting of small 'fruitlets'. This is the plant's way of balancing its resources. (2)

Answer 2

Zuchini produce male and female flowers. The female flowers produce the squash. Males just a stem and flower.

They are heavy drinkers and feeders.