Zucchini are firmly established in our cottages. The vegetable is unpretentious, grows large, has a pleasant taste, develops quickly and always bears fruit abundantly to the cold. Or not always?
Yes, it also happens that a flowering and healthy-looking plant loses its ovaries: they begin to rot. Let’s look at what could be causing this problem.
Reason one: weather
Zucchini-southern, thermophilic plant that does not tolerate cold weather and excessive humidity. So the main reason for the collapse of the ovaries is the cold and rain. The summer of last year will surely be remembered by many such people.
In unsuitable conditions, zucchini are oppressed, their immunity decreases. The weakening plant is not able to “feed” a large number of fruits and therefore gets rid of a certain number of ovaries.
Another consequence of overcast cold weather may be the absence of pollinating insects. Unpainted flowers can also rot, the plant gets rid of them.
We can’t change the weather, but we can still make a small difference. To protect plants from excess moisture, you can use an old umbrella or other shelter from the rain. Setting it over the center of the bush, we cover the flowers and ovaries formed from the rain, not allowing them to get wet.
Reason two: lack of trace elements
Another possible cause of rotting zucchini ovaries is the lack of trace elements such as boron and iodine.
Many plants are sensitive to boron deficiency, but all pumpkins are especially sensitive. It is easier to deal with this problem than to influence the weather. It is enough to spray the plants with a solution of boric acid: 2 g (0.07 oz) of H₃BO₃ per 10 liters of water. You can also use liquid complex fertilizers containing this important element.
The lack of iodine in the soil also affects the fruiting of zucchini. To make up for its lack, you can spray the plants with a solution of potassium iodide.
Reason three: thickening of landings
If the plants look good, the weather is favorable, there is no lack of trace elements, and the ovaries are still rotting, then perhaps the zucchini are planted very close to each other. In this case, they cover each other with leaves, ventilation and insolation become insufficient.
If you have zucchini on your site and this happens, then you need to remove some of the leaves, especially those that cover the center of the bush. In general, as a preventive measure, it is recommended to remove old leaves, weeds, opening the sun and wind access to the ovaries.
These are the tips you can use if your zucchini suddenly started losing their ovaries.
And how do your zucchini bear fruit this year? Share it with us in the comments.
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