Your comments and tips

18 Nov 09, adam synnott (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Hi. With Zucchini, you have to pollinate the females with the males. I usually have 2 or 3 plants, enouhg for one person, and I use the males of one plant to pollinate the females of another. It's just a ritual I have every morning. And, they do just seem to grow on top of the soil, and have a spindly stem getting all the goodness for the plant. This is normal, and okay. A zucchini will let you know if it's not happy. It will wilt really quickly, and die really fast, if anything is wrong. They also cross pollinate very easily.

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22 Nov 09, Claire (Australia - temperate climate)

I have recently heard that you should pull the flower off the end of the zucchini once the zucchini has started to grow. The reson I was given is that if the flower is left on, it can cause the zucchini to rot due the amount of moisture it attracts??? I am going to try it as my zucchinis are begining to grow and then going yellow and rotting from the flower end? Has anyone else heard this???

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02 Dec 09, Adam (Australia - temperate climate)

Claire, I would really like to know the answer to the rotting issue, mine start growing well and then some grow fully then some rot on the top, I want to know how to stop the rotting.

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14 Dec 09, Catherine (Australia - tropical climate)

Hi Judy, I have the same red/orange bugs eating my zucchini leaves I think. Any info from anyone on this would be appreciated. My onion, garlic, chili spray didn't seem to deter them.

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22 Dec 09, Tui (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

my plants are looking quite pale and stunted (light green to yellow) and I am getting male flowers that twist up and die before they open. What is going wrong?

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28 Dec 09, leonie (Australia - temperate climate)

Can I cut off some of the big zucchini leaves to stop them smothering tomatoes etc.? Heaps of zuccs. and growing 10cms. a day.Best ever this year!

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04 Jan 10, jack (Australia - temperate climate)

also have problem of zucchini rotting from flower end.. i read cross polination is the answer.. which is male and female flowers??? or do i cross polinate all the flowers??

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06 Jan 10, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi Jack, The female flower has a little baby zucchini attached, while the male flower is just on a stalk and has a single stamen within the flower. I find it's best to use a little paint brush to gather the yellow pollen from the stamen in the male flower and gently deposit onto the stamen in the female flower. Keeping the plant well fertilised with seaweed and fish emulsion will also help the plant stay healthy enough to help the fruit to form properly.

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09 Jan 10, jack (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Barb.. thanks for the information. very much appreciated.. when growing in Denman I had no problem,, plenty of bees I suppose,,, but here in Newcastle had no luck with zucchinis or apple cucumbers.. now I know what to do I might get luckier.. thanks again.

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19 Jan 10, Jo (Australia - temperate climate)

i have just read about blossom end rot, which is the rot some of you have described. this is caused by lack of calcium which can be inproved by adding lime to the soil. I'm wondering if this can be done when the plant is fruiting and if it will help at all on the current crop. i know it can sometimes help with current crop of tomatoes.

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