Yellow zucchini probs. Lots of pics!

[kylie77]

Ok there's something not right with my zucchini. I have 2 plants, and they just don't seem to be growing as fast as I thought they would. They have grown, but not amazing amounts. I look at pictures of zucchini plants and just can't believe mine will ever be that size. I started them indoors on march 20th, so AGES ago! I'm sure they were slowed down by not being moved to bigger pots when they needed it, but I thought they would've picked up by now. My neighbour used to work on a farm. He had a look and said they're just fine and it's normal for some of the blossoms to dry up on the ends like some of mine are. I'm not sure I believe him though! Here are the pics, maybe you guys can help.

ZUcchini no 1!






Zucchini no 2

[cynthia_h]

It's pretty normal for zuke leaves to have the "mottled" or "translucent in places" look. I couldn't quite tell about the blossom drying, but many of my zuke blossoms last year "hung on" to the fruit and I had to rub off the dried long-ago blossom when I cut the fruit off the plant.

Or have I missed the boat altogether?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[kylie77]

See the blossoms that are drying out haven't actually bloomed yet they're still tiny. It seems to be mostly male ones that are doing this. They've not actually died, just have a bit of brown on the tip of the unopened blossoms. I wonder if it has anything to do with all the rain and cool weather we had a couple weeks ago? It doesn't seem right though because they were doing fine, then suddenly they all had brown on the tips.

Strange thing though... today when I woke up and checked my plants I noticed that zucchini plant was standing up taller. The leaves on the bottom that had been almost touching the ground were higher up. Not sure what cause that but it was nice to see!

[rainbowgardener]

Looks pretty happy and healthy to me. I can't tell about the flowers. But many of us have had a slow spring, cooler, rainier, and with less sun than normal. So it's slowing some things down (like zucchini) that like a lot of sun (while a lot of the weeds are getting massive from all the water -- welcome to gardening! )

[kylie77]

Thanks! So I'll stop worrying so much and just wait and see! Thanks!

[annafaie]

I planted my zucchini plant in May sometime and it looks almost exactly the same. I'm not worrying yet

[kylie77]

Ah but see there's the thing, I started mine in march! Shouldn't it be doing more by now?

[annafaie]

How big were they when you put them in ground? Mine were not much bigger than yours appear now....bought them at local nursery. If yours were smaller I wouldn't worry. I think if they aren't dead you should be fine. I had to prune off about 5 leaves on mine that were yellowed or brown/dead in spots. Now plant appears even smaller. I'm not worrying yet....everything in my garden has taken longer than I thought/hoped it would but it's all turned out just fine in the end.

We visited our relative's farm last weekend and their zucchini plants are HUGE. Ours will get there too...I have hope

[Gary350]

The plants look pretty healty to me. Zucchini is one of those plants that do very well planted from seeds in the soil outside. New plants are usually poking their head out of the soil in about 5 days and plants are a foot tall in 2 weeks.

I have noticed a strange phenomena when having plants in small plant trays for a very long time. They get root bound and after a few months the plants become sick probably from lack of proper neutrience. It takes the plant a while to recover when planted in the soil outside.

[kylie77]

Hmm, they were in one gal pots when I put them in the ground. I'm not sure how big, but quite a bit smaller than they are now anyway. Now they're taking up a space bigger than a square foot but not sure exactly. Sorry!

[kylie77]

Thanks for your reply. I'm glad they seem to look ok. I've never grown them before so it's hard for me to know what's 'normal'! I started them from seeds along with a ton of other things this year for the first time. I was very excited to get started once I'd decided I was going to! I won't bother starting zucchini or cucumber inside again next year though. They took up too much space and I'm not sure it was worth it. My cucumbers all died when I transplanted since they were hit with a ton of bad weather shortly afterwards . I have more growing now though. I had been shocked at how fast the zucchini and cucumber grew! They were fun to watch though, and my kids LOVED it! lol

I had the zucchini in one gal pots before planting them outside, but some were 2 to a pot. They were a bit root bound by the time it was warm enough to put them out. I noticed that the plant I put out 2 weeks earlier than the other was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much smaller then the second plant. They were both the started at the same time etc... but there was a huge difference. Now though they are the same size so the smaller one has caught up and it's the better looking of the 2! Weird! I hope they'll both be ok and we'll get lots of zucchini. I'm very axiously awaiting my first one!

[Sybil_Vimes(4a)]

Your zukes are quite a bit farther along than mine are -- I planted 4 seeds directly in the garden and then bought what I thought was one plant from a large home improvement store -- turned out there were 2 plants in the pot!

Now I have 6 zucchini plants, all doing well, though since they were planted in mid-May and I'm in zone 4a, they still have a bit of growing to do before I see blossoms. The zukes from seed caught up to the potted plant quite quickly, and now they're all growing at about the same rate. They aren't growing 'up', they tend to sprawl along the ground for right now.

In doing research online, I read a few times that it's normal for the male blossoms to drop off first, even though it can make people worry.

Thanks for posting pics, I can use them as a gauge to see when *my* plants ought to be setting flowers!


Sybil Vimes

[kylie77]

Thanks for your reply. I have read about the male blossoms coming first and that has been true for my plants. I was concerned because I had one female, but doesn't seem like it's been pollinated . I have lots more and they don't all have the brown bit on the top so hopfully once they open we'll start getting zucchin! I am just impatient! But it concerned me that the tips of my blossoms to be suddenly were dried up on the end. Who knows what caused it. Maybe too much rain although that happened a good while ago now.

[tiny1]

I think that March is a bit early to plant zukes in B.C. I am in zone 7 in NC and I planted mine the first of May, and three nights ago, I enjoyed zuchini with my Rib-Eye. My plants are over 30 inches high and producing prolifically.
I use a planting chart for my area that I obtained online. Some things plant later in colder regions.

[Ana]

tiny1 where did you get that chart? i live in Western NC

[kylie77]

Thanks for your reply. Yes march was too early to be starting zucchini. But as this is my first year really gardening I didn't realize that until afterwards. It was started inside not out though. I planted them out in the middle of may. I suspect I slowed them down quite a bit by keeping them in pots longer than they should've, but it wasen't warm enough outside yet.

So your plants are already producing zucchini and you only planted in may? Hmm, that makes me wonder since I don't have zucchini yet. I do have lots of female stems growing, so hopfully I'll get some soon. I've had lots of male flowers bloom so far, but only one female and that one didn't pollinate despite my efforts to help it out! Both plants are definately growing. In the last few days they seem to be taking off. It's funny since one is growing differently from the other. One seems to be growing with stems very close together, and is growing up more than out. The other is more spread out. Interesting since they're exactly the same type of zucchini. One was planted out earlier than the other, that's the only difference.

Anyway hopfully they'll do ok and we'll get some zucchini.

[GardenerGirl]

The time you plant isn't the only factor: your plants need to get to the right climate conditions before they'll start making zucchinis. In New England, my squash just started flowering around 2 weeks ago, and still haven't come out with any female flowers, because the weather has been cold and wet and miserable.

In BC, I wouldn't stress about not having flowers yet: I never expect any yield before late June or July in zone 5, and it looks like you're in zone 4, which would be a little later.

[kylie77]

Thanks. I have had lots of flowers, but only one female so far. I have more on the way though.

I don't really know what zone I'm in. I looked it up somewhere and it said zone 5b. I'm just not sure if that's a canadian zone or us!

[GardenerGirl]

5b is my zone, too, and I have had no female zucchini flowers at all yet. I keep expecting ANY DAY NOW... but so far no luck. My tomatoes have finally started making fruits, though, which is some relief.

[kylie77]

Thanks, that's good to hear! Hope it won't be long for either of us now! I also have LOTS of tiny tomatoes growing nicely. My raspberries are growing nicely too, Can't wait for some ripe ones!

We've had peas, spinach, chives, basil, oregano, and strawberries so far!

[GardenerGirl]

That sounds a lot like my garden, actually! Some peas, a handful of green beans, all of my many herbs, leaf lettuce, and strawberries.

My raspberries and blueberries are teasing me with their gradually deepening color, but I know it's too early for expectations there, and then I have tomatoes, squash, peppers, carrots, pumpkins, and celery coming along slowly.

I'm still planting green beans for late crops, and have some green onions and fall greens that I'm putting into the ground as I clear out rows of other things.

I have to fight against the sense that my garden is going too slowly because of all the people from further south posting with these gorgeous harvests. They'll come for us in time!

[marusha23]

Thanks for posting pics

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