My zucchini is rotting before it’s ready to pick!

Owl
Owl Posts: 346 ✭✭✭
edited November 2020 in Pest & Weed Problems/Solutions

The blossom ends start to turn yellowish and gets soft. I looked up blossom end rot and it said that the new growth on the plant would be stunted and these plants look absolutely wonderful. I do have some large ant creatures that laid their eggs (apparently) on the underside of the leaves and pyganic runs them off pretty well. Other than that, I cannot see what might be causing this.

Comments

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    I hope someone can help. I don't know anything about zucchini growing problems.

    On the upside, you won't have enough to scare your neighbors off with.

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @Owl I believe your on the right track re blossom end rot but you need to give the plants a top dressing of either lime or dolomite. Just a small handful mixed with some compost and topdress the root area and water in. The rot is due to a calcium deficiency. Alternatively when you prepare the soil in future, bury some eggshells about 6 crushed up and place at bottom of hole, cover with a couple inches of soil and then plant. A nice supply of calcium for the plant in the growing season. Good luck!

  • seeker.nancy - Central Texas
    seeker.nancy - Central Texas Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭

    The most common pest for squash that lays it's eggs on the underside of the leaves is the squash bug. They will kill the plant. With diligence you can pluck the mature bugs (if you are fast) and destroy the eggs under the leaves. If you Google squash bug you will see lots of pictures of them at various stages and what the eggs typically look like. Hope that helps, although the blossom end rot is a different thing the pests will take the whole plant.

  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin
    edited June 2020


    I don't really grow zucchini, but with my tomatoes, I've found that steady watering (not letting them dry out and then suddenly getting a lot of water) is very important to prevent blossom end rot when I know they have access to enough nutrients otherwise. @jodienancarrow do you have any idea whether that works with zucchini, too? Just curious....

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @Merin Porter I reckon you're spot on Merin. Since veggies like tomato and zucchini are " soft" I believe they need consistency re watering. Thats why mulch is so important in this process.

  • Megan Venturella
    Megan Venturella Posts: 678 ✭✭✭✭

    While it could be the watering, I’ve seen blossom end rot just like you’re describing. A beautiful plant with only the blossom end rotting. My friend just fixed it by putting Tums around her zucchini plants and watering it in. The new growth is perfect

  • Owl
    Owl Posts: 346 ✭✭✭

    I appreciate all the suggestions very much! I believe I have solved my problem! I watched a video last weekend that showed pruning away damaged leaves and piling more dirt on the exposed stem because (according to the video) zucchini will grow more roots up the stem like tomatoes. I found a marigold based repellent and I spray it around the planter itself. I picked all the ant looking things off and stepped on the ones I couldn’t catch in one monster, bug killing session. Now I just make sure to kill any extras I see when I’m watering and the numbers are DRASTICALLY reduced. I amended the soil with lime as well by dissolving it in water first. So far I have harvested some every other day and have many, many baby ones in the works. I don’t know what exactly worked but I don’t even care!

    My garden, like me, is a work in progress!

  • Shelba
    Shelba Posts: 13 ✭✭✭

    The things that contribute to zucchini blossom end rot in my garden are the ends getting wet, irregular watering, and poor pollination. So, I begin by removing any squash that looks yellow or odd in any way, the chickens love this. I keep the squash ends out of water, especially when we are watering our commercial orchard and the sprinklers also water the grow boxes. Not letting the soil dry completely. High winds keep the bees away, so while I have some beneficial flowers here and there, that will still be an issue.

  • MartiinCentral Oregon
    MartiinCentral Oregon Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    If the zucchinis are very tiny it could be because they were not fertilized. The female blossom always has a tiny fruit behind the flower. THey will grow a bit on their own but if they are not fertilized they will turn yellow and rot. At first you almost always get male flowers (No Little fruit behind flower) and then both. If you don't have a male open on the day the female opens or if you don't see any pollinators around you can always hand pollinate.

  • KimWilson
    KimWilson Posts: 197 ✭✭✭

    One of the presenters from the latest food summit said that tape can pick up the squash bug eggs. Just wrap it around your hand (sticky side out), touch the eggs with the tape that picks them up, and then dispose of the tape.

  • KimWilson
    KimWilson Posts: 197 ✭✭✭

    Follow-up -- I think that the presenter's name is "Dash"