Zucchini is considered an unpretentious vegetable crop that can grow in the garden almost like a weed. But experienced gardeners can confirm that this opinion is wrong - sometimes you get good harvest it can be quite difficult, since small fruits begin to disappear immediately after they appear, before they reach required size. It will be useful for beginner vegetable growers to find out why zucchini turn yellow and rot in the garden small and how to deal with the problem.
Why small zucchini turn yellow and rot in the garden: the main reasons
Rotting ovaries in zucchini is a common occurrence
There are several reasons that can cause rotting of young zucchini, these include:
- violation of crop rotation;
- excess moisture content in the soil;
- excessive content or deficiency of nutrients in the soil;
- lack of pollination;
- diseases and pests.
If not taken necessary measures, the impact of negative factors can destroy all the fruits.
How to save the crop, taking into account the identified problem
The correct actions of the summer resident will help save the crop and avoid mistakes when growing zucchini in the future.
Crop rotation disruption
Having received a good harvest of zucchini, many gardeners do not think about choosing a place for the next crop planting and simply plant it in the same place, thus violating the sowing order.
Crop rotation is a scientifically based alternation of crops in time and space, which should be observed by all those involved in the cultivation of vegetables. In the process of development, plants release substances into the soil that are toxic to representatives of the same family, but absolutely do not harm other crops. In addition, pathogenic microorganisms and harmful insects remain in the soil, creating certain problems for plantings.
The ideal place for planting seedlings of zucchini is considered to be the most sunlit piece of land where there are no other taller plantings.
For zucchini, unacceptable predecessors are all representatives of the pumpkin family - cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, watermelons, as well as zucchini themselves. Accordingly, in the next season, it is better to place plantings where nightshade ones used to grow - tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplants, and it is recommended to plant zucchini in the same place no earlier than 4–5 years later.
To slightly reduce the rotting of vegetables that were planted in violation of crop rotation, you must strictly follow the rules for caring for them, and also carefully monitor that there are no pests and signs of disease on the bushes.
Excess moisture in the soil
Zucchini is a southern heat-loving crop that loves the sun and high temperatures, but does not tolerate an excess of moisture in the soil. There can be two reasons for this problem - over watering or rainy weather. Summer in our latitudes does not always please with good weather, and prolonged rains are observed more often than warm days, but even during hot periods, some summer residents take care of zucchini too zealously and literally “flood” the bushes. As a result, it creates Greenhouse effect, because of which the fruits begin to rot even in the ovary.
If the reason for the rotting of young zucchini is rainy weather, it is unlikely that it will be possible to influence the situation - you will have to wait for sunny days. To protect the beds from too much moisture, they should be covered with a film or tarp, while the plants should be well ventilated. It is better to protect each bush individually, setting up a shelter over its center so that moisture does not get on the flowers and the resulting ovaries.
Zucchini is characterized by resistance to drought due to a powerful root system, so plants are able to develop even with a long absence of rain
On rainy days, watering zucchini should be abandoned, and in hot weather, plantings should be watered no more than once a month, and the amount of liquid should not be less than 20 liters for each bush. For irrigation of plantings, warm water is used, it should be poured exactly under the root with a not too strong stream so as not to wash the ground.
You can remove excess moisture from the soil using a number of simple steps:
- Carefully loosen the ground around the bushes 10–20 cm deep - this will dry the soil and make it breathable. Remove weeds around zucchini rainy weather not necessary, as they draw out excess moisture, preventing the development of rotting processes.
- It is good to inspect the planting, remove all rotten fruits and yellow leaves, especially those lying on the ground - this way you can prevent the spread of decay to the rest of the bushes.
- Straw, pieces of plywood or glass should be placed under all young fruits that touch the surface of the soil - the proximity of wet soil increases the likelihood of decay.
- Remove all flowers from young ovaries of zucchini, and lightly wipe the tips on which they grew with ash - it forms a small crust that prevents the accumulation of moisture and the development of putrefactive processes.
On rainy days, such events should be carried out regularly to prevent excessive moisture and soil compaction.
Excess Nutrients
Too fertile soil or frequent feeding leads to the fact that a large amount of lush greenery appears on the bushes, and fruit development slows down. This happens for two reasons - useful substances during the formation of ovaries are distributed incorrectly, and big leaves create a shadow that prevents the sun's rays from reaching the flowers and young zucchini, as a result of which they begin to rot.
Plant zucchini in moderation fertile soils and do not abuse the top dressing of the bushes. In addition, it is necessary to thin out the plantings a little - cut off some of the leaves that create a shadow and interfere with the normal development of the fruit:
When fertilizing zucchini with fertilizers, it should be remembered that before intensive flowering, plants need nitrogen, and later they need phosphorus, calcium and potassium.
Deficiency of nutrients
One of the reasons for a poor harvest and rotting of young fruits is the lack of boron and iodine trace elements in the soil. Zucchini are especially sensitive to this situation - serious problems may arise with the development of their ovaries or ripening.
Iodine prophylaxis affects the growth of fruits - they are formed 10-15% larger and ripen a few days earlier
To restore the optimal balance of trace elements, plantings can be sprayed with boric acid (1 g of product per 5 liters of water) and pharmacy tincture of iodine at the rate of 30 drops of the product per 10 liters of water. In addition, you can use complex fertilizers containing these substances, as well as manure, chicken manure and other organic matter.
Lack of pollination
In rainy weather, the cause of damage to young zucchini is not only excess moisture, but also the lack of pollination - unpollinated flowers accumulate moisture and begin to rot, after which the process of decay spreads to other fruits and leaves.
In planting zucchini, there must be at least a few bushes with yellow flowers, which attract bees and bumblebees, and next to the crop it is better to grow flowers, and arrange them so that insects can freely fly up to zucchini.
Hand pollination, which is difficult to do without in a rainy summer, is carried out as follows:
Diseases and pests
Rotting of zucchini can cause powdery mildew, peronosporosis, white and gray rot, as well as the main pests of the crop - slugs. Recognizing the defeat of plantings by fungal diseases is quite simple - a white coating appears on the leaves, and characteristic depressed areas appear on the fruits, after which they begin to disappear, and first of all, the pathological process affects young leaves and fruits.
Just before fruit ripening, apply chemicals protection is strictly prohibited
If the disease has already begun to develop, it is necessary to treat the plantings with chemicals - "Ridomil", "Topaz", "Thiovit", "Fundazol". Before using the drugs, it is important to read the instructions, be sure to use the funds personal protection and process plantings at least a month before fruit ripening.
Chemistry can be replaced folk remedies- a solution of potassium permanganate, strong infusions of onions and garlic.
Fungal diseases and pest damage are easier to prevent than to deal with the problem later - for this you need to plant mustard, lavender, garlic, sage and other plants with a strong smell next to the zucchini, as well as eliminate excessive soil moisture and monitor planting density.
Despite the fact that zucchini does not require too much care, to get a good harvest, you need to be careful about planting, following the rules for watering, feeding and caring for them. As a result, the bushes will reward their owner with beautiful, strong and large fruits.
Often, the ovaries themselves on zucchini begin to slowly rot. But, such a problem is solved with almost no losses for zucchini. You simply cut off these ovaries that have already begun to rot, and that's it. There are usually few such already affected ovaries, 3, 4 or a little more. If you remove this little ovary, then this will not affect the yield of zucchini at all, if everything goes well. After all, the number of ovaries on zucchini is usually quite large. It is much worse when the zucchini begins to rot, which is called "on the bush." Here everything will be more difficult.
- If this year you are faced with rotting zucchini, then perhaps you also placed beds with zucchini here last year. But, like many popular vegetables in our gardens, zucchini must be planted in different places. Of course, they can be returned to their original place, but they can only return there after 4 or 5 years. Basically, this is the main reason for their decay, because it is known that zucchini “does not strain” with special vagaries of gardeners. In addition to the zucchini themselves, it is better that cucumbers, as well as melons or watermelons, that is, all those cultures that are in a certain relationship with zucchini, are not their predecessors. So it is better to change the place for growing zucchini more often.
- Of course, the re-planting of zucchini in the same place for the 2nd year is not at all the only reason for the appearance of such decay on the fruits. The same excess moisture can also lead to this. And excess moisture appears naturally, that is, from frequent rains or from our excessive zeal when watering. And it will be enough to water them only once for whole month. True, in this case, approximately 20 liters of water should be poured, only on one plant. Everything, then you can again forget about zucchini for a month. In this case, it is necessary to water not from above, but always under the root. And do not pour from a bucket or from a watering can with strong pressure, so as not to wash out the roots, which can also affect the plant.
- If you water correctly, and the zucchini still rot, then there is much more moisture in the soil than the zucchini needs. Here comes the usual waterlogging. And where there is a lot of moisture, rot is a common phenomenon and not only for zucchini. It is unlikely that it will be possible to dry the soil here, it remains only to wait for good weather, which can solve this problem. Although, if you cannot stay idle and there is a desire to do at least something to save your crop, then you can loosen the soil around the zucchini. At the same time, it is better not to touch the weeds, because loosening and weeds will help to quickly draw moisture out of the soil. Rather, the weeds themselves also need moisture for growth, which means that the zucchini will get less of it. Also, do not forget to remove from the beds those fruits that have already deteriorated. You can remove some of the old leaves, then the entire zucchini bush will be better ventilated. And those fruits that are not yet affected by rot can also try to save. Just find small planks and put them under these healthy fruits. So they will not lie on the ground and perhaps rot will not hit them, and they will have time to ripen.
- It also happens that the soil on the site is excessively rich in nutrients. It is in such areas that everything grows very actively, and zucchini will grow on such soils even more so. In this case, growth is excessive. The bush grows, and the sun no longer penetrates into its depths, which is exactly what rot is needed for. Shade and moisture are ideal for its occurrence. Here, again, the zucchini bushes need to be thinned out, that is, remove excess leaves and it is also better to put suitable boards under the zucchini.
- Like all plants, zucchini can get sick, and these diseases often cause rotting. Of course, many cultures can envy the health of zucchini, because they do not get sick often. But still, the same powdery mildew or white rot sometimes appears on zucchini. If these diseases hit the bush, then a white coating will appear on the leaves and on the fruits themselves. The same plaque, then already leaves some “depression” (which appears in spots) on the fruits themselves. Here we already have to turn to chemistry, but this must be done carefully. It should be used only if there is at least a month before the full ripening of the fruits on the zucchini. You can use "Topaz" or "Ridomil" to spray zucchini. The drug "Thiovit" is also suitable. But, remember the processing time - at least a month before ripening!
- In addition, one more piece of advice, all the flowers that have already wilted on the zucchini after the ovary, it is better to remove them altogether. Otherwise, they begin to collect unnecessary moisture in themselves, and this can already lead to decay of the fetus itself. And so that the fruit itself does not begin to rot, after removing the wilted flower, it is better to rub its tip (which was in contact with the flower)
In almost every garden you can see beds with zucchini. These vegetables are considered unpretentious and usually give a good harvest, however, with care errors and adverse conditions, they can turn yellow, rot, and grow poorly. Therefore, you should arm yourself with knowledge - why small zucchini rot in the garden, and what to do if zucchini turn yellow, do not develop and rot.
If the fruits of zucchini do not grow, but turn yellow and rot, there may be several reasons:
- lack of pollination;
- increased humidity of air and soil;
- non-compliance with crop rotation;
- damage by pests and diseases;
- lack of nutrients in the soil;
- excess fertilizer.
What to do if the embryos of zucchini do not grow, but turn yellow and rot, we will figure it out in our article.
Lack of pollination
Zucchini grows in open field, therefore, bees always have access to them, which willingly pollinate their flowers. After such a procedure, the ovaries begin to grow and eventually turn into a full-fledged fetus. However, in rainy weather or in the absence of pollinating insects on the site, female non-pollinated flowers and ovaries will begin to turn yellow and rot.
What to do:
- Carry out pollination by hand, for which you pick a male flower (without an ovary) and hold it in the middle along the middle part female flowers. One male flower can pollinate several female ones.
- If there are few bees or other pollinating insects in the area, they need to be attracted. To do this, sweet syrup is made from 100 grams of sugar and 10 liters of water and plants that need pollination are sprayed with it.
But honey plants growing on the site will attract bees best of all: echinacea, geranium, stockrose, clover, dahlias and others.
Non-observance of crop rotation
Almost every gardener knows that vegetables and other crops cannot be grown in the same garden for several years in a row. It is necessary to observe crop rotation, in which plants can be planted on the same site only after at least 3 years.
You can plant zucchini after eggplant and tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. But in the garden where zucchini, watermelons, cucumbers and other members of the pumpkin family grew last year, it is not recommended.
What to do if the crop rotation was not observed and zucchini was planted on the same bed? In this case, during the season, the plants require a lot of attention, compliance with all the rules for care, and it is imperative to ensure that the bushes are not affected by diseases and pests.
How to save the zucchini crop
In rainy and cool weather
In regions with a short summer, the nights can be cool already in August, and if it rains all the time, then the vegetables in the beds stop growing. At high humidity not only small, but also large fruits of zucchini begin to rot.
What to do:
- If it rains incessantly, cover the beds with foil, leaving holes for ventilation.
- To remove excess moisture from the site, loosen the earth to a depth of about 15 cm.
- In rainy weather, pulling out weed grass is not recommended, as it will absorb most of the moisture.
- Place pieces of plywood, boards or straw under zucchini of any size so that the fruits do not come into contact with damp ground.
- All yellow leaves and the fruits that have begun to rot should be removed so that putrefactive processes do not spread throughout the bush.
- At high humidity it is recommended to cut off the flower from the grown fruits, and sprinkle the place where it grew with ashes. A crust of wood ash will prevent the development of rot.
With a lack of nutrients
A lack of microelements in the soil can lead to the fact that small zucchini do not develop, but turn yellow and rot.
What to do:
- Feed the plants with complex mineral fertilizers.
- You can use folk remedies and spend foliar top dressing zucchini with solutions of iodine and boric acid. An iodine solution is prepared from 10 liters of water, 30 drops of iodine, and a solution containing boron from 5 liters of water and 1 gram of boric acid.
With too much fertilizer
Both deficiency and excess of nutrients in the soil can adversely affect the development of plants. In bushes growing on too fertile land, the fruits develop poorly, and the foliage, on the contrary, grows well. As a result, the leaves shade the fruits of zucchini, which turn yellow and rot due to lack of lighting.
What to do:
- Cut off yellow and fruit-shading leaves. Recommended for cutting sharp knife or secateurs. The cut should be made approximately 3 cm from the whip.
- The next day after removing the foliage, spray the bushes with a solution of 10 liters warm water and 1 teaspoon of brilliant green.
- Affected plant parts and wilted flowers should be removed regularly.
When growing zucchini and any other crop, fertilizers should not be abused. At the beginning of growth, plants need nitrogen, and during flowering and fruiting - potassium, phosphorus and calcium. All fertilizers are diluted and applied strictly according to the instructions attached to them.
Pests and diseases
Zucchini are unpretentious plants, but even under adverse conditions they are affected by pests and diseases. As a result, yellow leaves and fruits appear on the bushes, which begin to rot, and the bush itself stops growing and may soon die. Therefore, at the first sign of the appearance of pests or any diseases, urgent measures should be taken.
Of pests zucchini can infect slugs, sprout fly, spider mite, whitefly, melon aphid. During fruiting, it is better to destroy them with folk remedies, and when in large numbers pests - special insecticides.
If the zucchini rots, you should pay attention to whether there are any on the leaves white plaque or any spots, and on the fruits - depressions, spots and rot. Perhaps the zucchini is infected gray or white rot, downy mildew or powdery mildew . In the process of the development of the disease, young fruits and leaves are the first to suffer, which begin to turn yellow and rot.
If the disease is at an early stage, treatment with an infusion of onion or garlic can help. Heavily affected plants will have to be treated with Fundazl, Thiovit, Ridomil or another fungicide. You can use them no later than a month before picking the fruit.
Loved by many, zucchini grows well in open ground. However, they also require attention during the season, otherwise mistakes in care and unfavourable conditions may result in crop loss.
Zucchini is the vegetable crop that is most often grown in most household plots. Ripe fruits are widely used in cooking and are valued for their high content of nutrients. But often summer residents are faced with such a problem as the rotting of this vegetable in the garden.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand in more detail why do zucchini rot in order to prevent the development of this unpleasant process in time.
Characteristic features of zucchini
Zucchini is considered a bushy variety of pumpkin and has oblong fruits without lashes. Such an annual crop may have green, yellow, white or even black fruits depending on the variety, which vary in length. The mass of fruits also varies, ranging from 0.3 kg to 0.8 kg.
This vegetable is not overly capricious, but its main feature lies in the fact that he does not tolerate his relatives. That is why it is imperative to change the place of planting zucchini every year so that they grow well and bear excellent fruit.
The ideal soil for growing this vegetable crop is light loamy or fertile sandy loam. It is on such soil that the greatest yield is achieved. But even moderately saline soils are quite suitable for planting. In this case, more attention should be paid to feeding young plantations.
Zucchini is considered a crop with a short growing season. They are quite undemanding to heat, which makes it possible to get a good harvest even in non-chernozem zones. Seedlings develop well even at moderate temperatures, but nevertheless, with a sharp onset of cold weather, seedlings may die. Therefore, the most suitable mode is considered to be 18 - 24 ° C.
Such vegetable crop is very photophilous and absolutely does not tolerate dimming. The ideal place for planting seedlings is considered to be the most sunlit piece of land where there are no other taller plantings.
Zucchini is characterized by resistance to drought due to a powerful root system, so plants are able to develop even with a long absence of rain. Although complete absence watering is undesirable for them, because in this case the yield and quality of the fruit will be noticeably lower.
However, with excellent drought tolerance, zucchini is highly prone to many diseases that affect both the leaves and the fruits directly.
Causes of rotting zucchini
Even if planted in optimal soil, plantings can sometimes dry out or turn yellow leaves, and the ovary and already formed fruits begin to rot. This process may not always indicate disease involvement, so it is necessary to consider all possible reasons why zucchini rot in order to find out which one catalyzed the process.
There are several most common causes that lead to a sharp rotting of the ovary and already formed fruits.
The negative influence of previous crops - zucchini cannot stand the presence of their relatives in appearance, which were planted on the same beds last year, because they take all valuable substances and new squash plantations from the soil, even if they grow, they tend to rot over time fruit and leaf discoloration.
High air humidity - in cool and rainy weather, plants are underpollinated and suffer greatly from adverse weather conditions, therefore, excess moisture causes the rapid spread of rot.
Sometimes the process of fruit decay occurs, on the contrary, due to the abundance of nutrients in the soil. Zucchini in such a plot are actively growing and reaching huge sizes. The bushes grow to such an extent that Sun rays cannot penetrate deep into the ground in order to warm the earth. As a result, ideal conditions are created for the development of the process of decay, because thanks to the shade, the moisture under the plantations cannot dry out.
But besides this, zucchini, like all plants, can suffer from diseases. There are those that cause rotting, and in such cases, dangerous white rot appears on the leaves, as well as directly on the fruits themselves.
Rotting control methods
The appearance of rot is a very dangerous process, as a result of which zucchini can completely die. Therefore, depending on the cause that caused the occurrence of this harmful process, it is necessary to immediately take appropriate measures to combat rot.
If the prerequisite for the appearance of rot was planting on initially unsuitable soil, then at the first signs of it, the plants should be sprayed on the leaves with a solution of boric acid at the rate of 2 g per 10 liters of water.
In the case when the zucchini began to rot due to excess moisture, it is necessary to feed the bushes with mullein infusion with the addition of ash. At the same time, the soil around the plantations must be loosened, and the rotted parts should be carefully removed immediately.
With an excess of nutrients in the soil, it is important to thin out the plants, remove excess leaves in a timely manner and place small wooden planks under the zucchini.
When the process of decay is caused by a disease, especially powdery mildew, you should use such chemicals like "Topaz" or "Thiovit", which you need to carefully spray the plants.