Small zucchini rot on a bush: what to do. What to do if zucchini rot in the garden, why it happens and how to treat What to do if zucchini rot in the garden

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 needs to 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 a 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 place 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, zucchini bushes need to be thinned out, that is, removed extra leaves and it is also better to place 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)

Zucchini is the vegetable crop that is most often grown on most personal 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 should without fail change the planting site of 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, you need more attention to give top dressing to young plantings.

Zucchini is considered a crop with a short growing season. They are quite undemanding to heat, which makes it possible to receive 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 when prolonged absence rain. Although the complete absence of 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

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 sign of it, the plants should be sprayed on the leaves with a solution 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 in the soil nutrients 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.

Experienced summer residents know what to do when zucchini rot on small bushes. But novice lovers are lost when, instead of beautiful fruits, they see half-rotten remnants. Then the search for the causes and questions of what happened to the plant begins.

Such an unpretentious culture as zucchini usually does not cause many problems for the gardener. Planted and forgotten. It rarely needs to be watered, it does not need fertilizers. Weeds are also not much of a concern, because. under large leaves they lack light. We remember the pumpkin culture when we need to harvest.

It all starts with respect for landing rules

When the ovary rots, the problem is solved quite easily, since usually there are few affected ovaries: 3-4 pieces. You can simply cut them off and the problem will be solved. This will not affect the overall yield in any way, because a lot of ovaries are formed.

Why do zucchini rot in the garden

This problem is already much more difficult, but it is also solvable. One of the reasons may be that pumpkin crops were planted in one area for several years in a row. Knowing that zucchini are quite unpretentious plants, they were assigned the former site.

Rot on zucchini occurs if the cultures that grew before them are relatives - representatives of the Pumpkin family. They have the same diseases, therefore, placement in the same territory can adversely affect.

During the crop rotation, the zucchini is returned to the old place after 4-5 years. But gardeners usually do not think about it until the plant gets sick and the yield starts to fall.

Causes of decay

Advice: Regularly inspect the ovaries on the bushes and small fruits. If part of the zucchini is rotting, then it is worth determining the cause and taking health measures.

Excess moisture and nutrients

Zucchini rot from excess moisture. The consequence may be heavy rains or our enhanced soil moisture. There are certain rules for watering this crop:

20 l. water should be poured under one crop. It is enough to carry out such abundant watering once a month, and then the bushes can be left alone, because the zucchini's need for moisture is low.
Watering should be carried out not from above, touching the leaves and stem, but under the root. Otherwise, the base of the stem will begin to rot, which will lead to the death of the entire bush.
You do not need to water under strong pressure (from a hose or bucket), as this will wash out the roots that lie close to the surface of zucchini.
Pumpkin culture does not need spraying of fruits and leaves.

Advice: If the year is rainy, then you need to remove the old leaves. In this case, the bush will be better ventilated. Remove the ovaries captured by rot, and put straw or a plank under the fruits. In contact with cold ground, the process of decay will proceed faster.

With heavy rains or watering, waterlogging of the soil occurs. With an excess of moisture, rotting is a common phenomenon for plants. The bush does not need such an amount of moisture, but you cannot dry the earth. So here are two simple tricks:

loosening, which will dry the soil and make it breathable,
weeds, which do not need to be removed during this period, because they also draw moisture from the soil.

Loosening should be carried out carefully and moderately, because. root system courgettes are easily damaged by being close to the surface.

Why do zucchini fruits rot if the soil is rich in nutrients. Majority cultivated plants prefer loose, fertile substrates. How is a zucchini bush different from them?

Pumpkin culture feels good on such soils too. There is only one problem: the unlimited growth of green mass. A small bush grows and turns into a large, heavily thickened plant. The sun does not penetrate inside and dew accumulates, which contributes to the decay of small zucchini.

Initially, small, translucent spots form on the zucchini, which, when combined, form rot. Therefore, excessively poor or highly fertile soil is not suitable for zucchini.

Advice: If only the tip of the fruit is rotten, then it can be cut to a healthy pulp and burned. The cut point becomes corky, dense, and the zucchini will continue to grow.

Another possible soil problem is a lack of boron. Zucchini are sensitive to its deficiency. Therefore, if you notice that the fruits are rotting, spray the leaves with a solution of boric acid (1g / 10l of water).

The problem lies in the flower

After the fruit has set, the flower must be removed. In damp climates, the tips of the fruits rot because the flower is left on the plant. It accumulates unnecessary moisture, which leads to sad consequences.

We remove the flower, and wipe the tip of the zucchini with ashes or sprinkle it with it until a thin crust forms on the surface. After this procedure, the zucchini is perfectly tied and does not rot. The ash acts as a disinfectant, preventing fruit from rotting.

If the flower is not pollinated, then rot can also form and zucchini will not grow. Hand pollination is recommended here:

tear down male flower, breaking off the petals on it;
check the maturity of the pollen: it should be fluffy;
pollinate the female ovary.

Advice: It is desirable to carry out pollination in the morning or in cool weather so that the pollen is mature. It is advisable to plant flowers near the zucchini, so that pollinators (bees, bumblebees) can freely fly up to the bush. If the summer is rainy, then it will be difficult to do without manual pollination. This means that getting zucchini will become problematic.

Powdery mildew infection

Why else can rot form on fruits? Zucchini can get sick. They are rarely affected by diseases, but powdery mildew sometimes develops on plants:

a sign of appearance - a white coating, stains on the upper part of the leaf blade, later the coating resembles a layer of flour;
appearance white plaque on stems and fruits;
gradual death of leaves and stems;
a characteristic depression appears on the fruits, these are already decaying specimens.

When the disease has already begun to develop, without chemical processing zucchini is out of the question. But this must be done carefully and a month before the fruit ripens. The preparations Topaz, Ridomil, Thiovit, Fundazol will help to “cure” the plant.

Advice: When using the drug, carefully read the instructions. Do not spray before rain or in windy conditions. Use funds personal protection. And remember that harmless inhabitants of your site may also die.

Powdery mildew becomes a real disaster and the fruits of zucchini begin to rot intensely in conditions of extreme heat and high humidity. Temperature fluctuations also lead to the spread of the fungus. To prevent anything from happening to your zucchini, use preventive measures:

Take away the old lower leaves. The less stagnant air, the better.
Avoid dense plantings, keep the distance between the zucchini when planting.
Get rid of weeds. Spores and mycelium of the fungus can overwinter on unharvested plant debris or weeds, and then move to zucchini.

If this is not done, then the result is the same: the zucchini get sick and begin to rot. As folk wisdom says: the disease is easier to prevent than to cure.

Zucchini during the summer gives us much less trouble than other crops. Why, then, when we lift a large leaf of a cucurbit and see a rotting fruit, does it instill panic in us? You just need to analyze the situation and try to understand what caused this state of the plant. In order to prevent a similar situation next time and get a good harvest of firm and leveled fruits.

Zucchini is one of the most unpretentious crops to grow, but despite this, there are still cases of their decay. Quite often, the ovaries begin to rot. This is not a problem, since the zucchini has more than enough of them. But some summer residents are faced with damage to the fruits themselves and even lose the entire crop from one plant or the entire garden. Why do zucchini rot in the garden, what to do to save vegetables for the table - the answers to these questions are in our article.

Causes of decay

There are a lot of factors predisposing to rotting zucchini. You should think about the reasons for the defeat of zucchini in the garden and what to do so that the vegetables do not rot as soon as possible, otherwise you can not wait for the harvest.

Non-observance of crop rotation

Proper crop rotation is one of the main conditions that is required to obtain a healthy crop of zucchini. An annual seat change is required. A vegetable can be sown on the old garden bed no earlier than after 4 years. Also important is what crop grew in that soil last season. Watermelons, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins are categorically not suitable.

Wrong watering

Some summer residents, especially those who recently began to grow plants, make a number of mistakes when watering:

Usage cold water. Zucchini do not respond well to such watering. cold water and they can rot.
Watering during the day on sunny days. On a hot day, zucchini should be watered early in the morning or in the evening so as not to burn the plants.
Erosion of roots. This vegetable has roots close to the surface of the earth, and watering with a jet from a hose leads to their erosion and destruction.
The ingress of water on the leaves during watering. It is necessary to water only the ground under the plant, trying so that the spray does not fall on it.

During the period of prolonged rains, the soil gets wet about 1 meter deep, and this contributes to the development of rot. It is not always possible to save a plant. The main task of the gardener in this case is to ensure that the plantings are not too dense.

Excess or lack of nutrients

Despite its unpretentiousness, zucchini still needs a certain amount nutrients. Basically it is iodine and boron. Their deficiency or excess leads to damage to the plant. With an excess of fertilizers, the zucchini grows with large leaves, which leads to shading of the fruit and deterioration of air exchange. To prevent rotting, excess leaves are removed, and the cut is treated with ash. With a lack of iodine, the plant is sprayed with a weak solution of pharmacy iodine (30 drops per 10 liters of water). If there is not enough boron, the bushes are treated with a solution of boric acid (2 g in 10 liters of water). With excessive use of urea or ammonium nitrate to increase the yield, the plant is oversaturated with nitrogen, which can also provoke the development of diseases leading to decay.

Diseases

Zucchini is a crop that rarely suffers from diseases, but still there is a risk of losing the entire crop due to the development of diseases leading to rotting of the fruit. Powdery mildew is a fungus that appears as a white coating on the leaves and subsequently on the fruits. The causes of the development of the disease are changes in air temperature, excess nitrogen, cold water. Anthracnose (copperwort) affects the entire plant and is characterized by the appearance brown spots with a pinkish tinge.

If these signs are ignored, the fruits shrivel and rot. The disease often develops if a thorough cleaning of plant residues was not carried out in the fall, due to excess moisture or watering under the scorching sun. White and gray rot. These fungal diseases are determined by white and gray plaque, respectively, on different parts plants. After some time, you can clearly see the mycelium of the fungus. Develop due to dense planting, high soil moisture, high content nitrogen and irrigation with cold water.

Is it possible to save

If you ignore the signs of disease or high soil moisture, you can lose not only a bed with zucchini, but also spread rot to the entire garden and garden. In almost all cases, you can save the plant if you start acting at the very beginning of its defeat.

How to prevent rotting

In order to prevent rot or stop its spread, the following recommendations should be followed: Watering should be done with warm water under the bush, preventing the roots from being exposed. At favorable conditions(dry weather and a temperature of about 20 ° C), it is recommended to water vegetables abundantly (a bucket of water per 1 m²) 1 time in 5-7 days. When the air temperature rises, the soil should be moistened more often, and on rainy days, watering should be reduced.

AT temperate climate adult plants are allowed to be watered once a month in the amount of 20 liters per bush. Cut off large lower leaves (they form a shadow and retain moisture), especially those that lie on the ground. The cut is made with a sharp knife, leaving 3-4 cm of the petiole of the leaf on the stem. As an antiseptic, you need to prepare a solution of 1 teaspoon of greenery and 10 liters of water and spray the bush with it. On rainy days, to preserve the vegetable, you can make a shelter from planks, plywood or polyethylene film by placing them on pegs. Thus, air circulation is maintained, and excess moisture does not fall on the ridge.

You can also use bedding under the fruits so that they do not come into contact with wet ground. Slugs can settle under dense materials, so it is better to use straw. It often happens that after the ovary of the fetus, flowers remain on the bushes. They contain a lot of moisture, which contributes to the decay of the young fruit. Excess flowers need to be pinched off, and the “wound” should be treated with ashes. The thickening of plantings also negatively affects the condition of the plant. In the case of sowing zucchini seeds in open ground, after the emergence of sprouts, only the strongest plant should be left. When planting seedlings, the distance between the bushes should be observed. Leaves with spots that appear, yellowed or withered, should be removed immediately. In addition to ash, the cut points can be treated with charcoal or a brilliant green solution.

In the early stages of a plant disease, it needs treatment, which involves treatment with various drugs.

Powdery mildew. If signs of the disease are found, it is allowed to use "Ridomil Gold", "Topaz" or a suspension of colloidal sulfur (100 g per 10 l of water). Can be used folk remedies widely used by experienced gardeners.

The most common method is spraying a diseased bush with a solution of whey and water in a ratio of 1:10. Treatment is carried out in dry weather several times with an interval of 3 days.
No less popular is a soap solution made from 50 g of grated laundry soap, 50 g baking soda and 10 liters of water. Process 2-3 times with an interval of 7 days.
It is possible to process zucchini with dry mustard (2 tablespoons), diluted in 10 liters of water. Repeat the procedure until the plant heals.

White and gray rot. Treatment is effective only at the very beginning of the disease. First of all, you need to eliminate provoking factors. From chemical methods use a Bordeaux mixture (10 l of water, 100 g of copper sulfate and lime), phytosporin, dusting with a mixture of chalk and pounded copper sulfate (2: 1) or chalk and copper sulfate (1: 1).

Following these simple advice, every novice summer resident will know how to save zucchini from rot in the garden. But we should not forget that the prevention of rotting vegetables is an important component of obtaining a strong and healthy harvest.

A lot of gardeners grow crops such as zucchini on their plots. The plant is unpretentious and does not require any special conditions, gives abundant, large crops.

In addition, zucchini is very useful and suitable for both fresh consumption and for preparing delicious preservation. However, the fact that zucchini rots in the garden, unfortunately, gardeners often notice: what is the problem and how to deal with it, we learn from the article.

How do planting rules affect the health of zucchini?

Often the rotting of a vegetable occurs due to the fact that when planting were not observed important requirements. The fact is that zucchini is a very thermophilic and light-loving culture. And by planting it in the shade, you can achieve a negative result in the form of mold and rot on the fruits. To avoid this, you should initially choose an open bed, abundantly flooded with sunlight.

In addition, squash plantings should not be thickened. And you need to follow this from the very beginning. If, nevertheless, shoots have risen thick, thin them out.

You can not plant a vegetable in the same place every year. The principles of crop rotation should be applied so that the bed has time to “rest”: the zucchini, during its growth, “sucks” most of the nutrients it contains from the soil.

Also, this will avoid infection of zucchini with fungal microorganisms and pest larvae preserved in the soil.

You should not plant a zucchini on the beds where its related crops grew last year: melons, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers: they may have the same diseases and pests.

How are weather conditions affected?

Since zucchini is a southern and thermophilic culture, the best weather conditions for it will be summer heat. high humidity, dampness, especially in combination with a cool temperature, the culture does not tolerate well.

If there are constant rains, and the thermometer does not rise high, the zucchini may well respond to such conditions by rotting on the vine.

Under unsuitable conditions, immunity is greatly reduced in zucchini, health is depressed. Of course, this cannot but affect the state of the fruit, often the plant gets rid of the excess fruit "load" even at the stage of ovaries.

What to do?

If the weather is damp and cool, stop watering the plant. And the best way out would be the initial cultivation of crops in a greenhouse.

Lack of nutrition

Zucchini needs a lot of nutrients for normal life and development. And a vegetable can respond to a lack of certain microelements, including by rotting directly on the bush. Especially important minerals for this crop are boron and iodine.

What to do?

Spray the zucchini with a solution of boric acid, diluting the substance in a proportion of 2 grams per bucket of water. Potassium iodide should be considered as a suitable source of iodine for zucchini. Do not forget about complex mineral supplements.

excess nutrition

Overfeeding can also negatively affect the health of zucchini. It is especially important to control and limit nitrogen supplements: from an excess of nitrogen, a bush becomes huge, it grows wide leaves.

This overgrown foliage obscures the fruits, thereby creating ideal conditions for the propagation of rot and fungus. It is not surprising that in such conditions the fruits rot.

What to do?

The amount and frequency of fertilizing should be carefully controlled. And Special attention should turn to nitrogen, trying to add it less.

Too much moisture

If zucchini is grown in conditions of excessive moisture, it is not surprising that the fruits begin to rot. Particularly affected in this case are young squash, just started and those that lie directly on the ground. Waterlogging occurs due to frequent rains and excessive watering.

What to do?

In rainy weather, watering zucchini is not necessary, and in general, you should not be zealous with watering. Feed the plants with infusion of mullein diluted with ash. It will also help to get rid of rotting timely loosening of the beds and the removal of all parts of plants that begin to rot.

Slugs

If the zucchini is attacked by slugs, it can cause various problems, including rotting, especially the tips of the fruits.

What to do?

Mulch the bed only with loose materials like straw. If you mulch with something dense, slugs will most likely start up under cover.

To scare away pests, plant the following plants next to the squash bed:

lavender;
hot pepper;
mustard;
garlic;
sage.

Diseases

The cause of rotting zucchini can be various diseases- let's get acquainted with the most common of them.

This is a fungus that manifests itself as a characteristic whitish coating that resembles fluffy mold. Plaque occurs on leaves, fruits, gradually darkening and causing putrefactive processes.

First of all, young leaves are infected, then the turn comes to the ovaries, fruits. The problem usually appears due to growing zucchini in conditions of coolness and excess humidity, shade.

What to do?

It is necessary to initially observe agricultural technology, and plant a crop in a suitable place for it. In addition, it is important to water the zucchini with warm water, as cold water often leads to unpleasant putrefactive consequences.

Pay attention to top dressing: too much or just too much nitrogen can also cause disease.

Powdery mildew is treated with drugs such as Ridomil Gold, Topaz, and sulfuric suspension can also be used.

If the disease did not have time to strongly affect the culture, home remedies are also used:

milk serum;
soapy soda solution;
mustard solution.

Serum diluted in a ratio of 1/10 is sprayed on zucchini only in dry weather at intervals of every three days until the scourge is completely eliminated.

The soap-soda solution is diluted in the proportion of 50 g / 50 g / bucket of water and the zucchini is sprayed once a week: there are three treatments in total. Mustard is dissolved in water (2 tablespoons per bucket) and the bush is sprayed until there is a result.

Attention: Spraying must be stopped at least one month before harvest. Otherwise, a lot of harmful substances will remain in the fruits.

The disease is popularly called copperhead, and pathology is expressed in the form of brown-reddish spots on the fruits and leaves of zucchini. The disease leads to wrinkling of the fruit, rotting them.

What to do?

So that the copperfish does not hit the zucchini, it is important to follow the rules for cultivating the crop. Water the plants only in the evening or in the morning, as watering under the scorching rays of the sun leads first to burns, and then to infection.

In addition, it is important not to allow an excess of moisture, as well as to remove weed residues from the garden in time after the next weeding.

Rot - gray and white

Both of these diseases fungal origin and appear as a grayish-whitish coating on the leaves and fruits of zucchini. Diseases are dangerous and can lead to the complete death of the crop.

What to do?

Violations of the rules of agricultural technology cause rot: thickening of plantings, watering with excessively cold water, excess nitrogen. To prevent disease, follow all the rules of cultivation. And if the rot has already struck the fruits, you will have to use biofungicides.

However, it should be noted that treatment will help only if it is carried out at the initial stage of the lesion. In the future, the fruits that have begun to rot should only be disposed of. Fitosporin, Bordeaux mixture, lime are usually used: all these components are dissolved in an amount of 100 g per bucket of water.

Decay of ovaries and flowers

Zucchini is a delicate culture, and not only already formed fruits, but also flowers and ovaries can rot in it. Why this happens and what to do with the problem, we will learn further.

Lack of pollination

If the flower is not pollinated, it is likely to rot. If many flowers are left without pollination, the crop of zucchini this year will be low, since even the embryos of future fruits will not be able to appear.

To avoid problems, it is recommended to plant varieties with white and yellow flowers as they are the best at attracting pollinating insects. If the weather is rainy and cloudy, insects can not wait at all: in this case, manual pollination is recommended.

Artificial pollination of zucchini is a simple procedure, it can be easily done with a simple watercolor brush. In the process of pollination, pollen is simply gently transferred from flower to flower.

lack of moisture

If the zucchini has powerful large foliage, the latter evaporates too much moisture. To ensure the normal functioning of the plant, moisture may not be enough because of this: the flowers wither, die and rot. It is recommended to water the plants more, as well as to get rid of overgrown greens in a timely manner.

Water intrusion on buds

It is necessary to water the zucchini, aiming directly at the root: water should not fall on the leaves, stems, flowers and fruits. Wet buds often begin to rot.

Prevention measures

We will find out what measures a gardener can take in order to prevent rotting of zucchini.

Planting thinning

To create for zucchini suitable conditions and make them available sun rays and fresh air, it is recommended to cut the thickening plantings of the huge lower leaves.

Leave only small leaves and medium sizes. Overgrown greenery creates a shadow, leads to the accumulation of moisture below, does not allow the soil to dry out normally.

Cuts are made at an angle: the tool must be sharp and must be disinfected. A stem about 4 cm high is left from the leaf. To avoid infection, after cutting, it is recommended to spray the entire bush with a complete solution of brilliant green (1 teaspoon per bucket).

The fight against thickening

Excessively dense squash thickets are one of common causes fruit rot. Avoid planting shrubs too close together. Well, if this still happened, we recommend getting rid of the weakest plants in order to provide the rest with better conditions.

Fight weeds as well, as growing, they can also be the cause of thickening. In addition, weeds suck food from the ground and are a haven for harmful insects.

Shelter from the rain

If the climate in the region is damp or simply charged with prolonged rains, it is recommended to build a shelter over the squash bed. They build such a shelter from plywood, boards or a simple film and thereby provide protection from moisture.

Mulching

The use of mulch in agricultural technology helps to avoid contact of fruits with wet soil. Namely, such contact often causes rotting of zucchini. We recommend using dry straw as mulch, under which slugs cannot breed.

Compliance with the irrigation regime

It is necessary to moisten the squash bed only with water warmed up in the sun. Cold watering is impossible, since in this case rotting can occur with a much greater probability.

When watering, make sure that water falls only on the ground, and not on leaves, stems, fruits. As for the regime, in dry, hot weather, zucchini is watered once a week, while dampness does not need to be additionally moistened.

For one bush, when watering, two buckets of water are consumed. After watering, loosen the bed to prevent the appearance of a dry, airtight crust on the surface.

Removing rotten parts

If it was not possible to prevent the rotting of zucchini, then at least immediately cut and remove those parts of the plants that have already undergone rot. Thus, the further spread of the infection can be stopped. All removed parts must be taken out of the site and burned there: it is unacceptable to leave them in the garden.

So, we learned why zucchini rot, how to prevent and get rid of this misfortune. As you can see, there are many reasons, but the main one is violations of agricultural technology.

We recommend initially planting zucchini in suitable place and follow the rules of care: then the decay of the culture can be avoided. Well, if there is a problem, helpful tips from the article will help you deal with it.

Even such an unpretentious culture as zucchini requires attention. Often due to improper care the plant is affected by rot - the tips from today's article will help to cope with the problem.

Zucchini is one of the most unpretentious country crops. They usually only need watering once a week. But it happens that after planting this plant does not please the harvest. In young zucchini, the fruits, ovaries and leaves turn yellow, rot or dry. In addition, zucchini often begin to deteriorate right on the vine. Of course, you should know how to deal with this problem. It is important to know why the zucchini on the bush begin to rot.

Excess moisture and nutrients

Sometimes zucchini in the garden rot due to an excess of moisture. If the crop is grown in open ground, it may be damaged by heavy rainfall. In order to protect the fruits from rotting, install a canopy over the zucchini or close them with old umbrellas. After a rainstorm, you will need to loosen the soil for it to dry out as soon as possible. And the lower leaves from the zucchini must certainly be removed. After all, they do not allow the sun to warm the soil.

Of course, zucchini will feel most comfortable in a greenhouse. There you can easily control the humidity at which the plants will grow well and bear fruit without problems. Some hard and dry material (non-woven fabric, wood, wood chips) is placed under the zucchini so that they do not touch the wet soil.

Important! Never water zucchini with cold water. This will negatively affect the growth of the plant. It needs to be watered rarely, once a week. But watering should be very plentiful. In order not to rot the roots of zucchini, do not flood them. Let the water fall only on the soil.

Flower

Sometimes the cause of rotting zucchini is that flowers remain on them. If an embryo has already formed on the plant, and at the same time a flower remains, this may be the cause of rotting of the fetus itself. The flowers contain moisture, due to which the fruit begins to rot.

Note! In order to prevent the problem, you just need to cut off the flowers from the embryos, and then sprinkle a little ash on the place of the ovary. This will act as a disinfectant and rot will not form.

powdery mildew

Another reason for rotting zucchini is powdery mildew. This is the appearance of a white coating on the leaves of the plant and its fruits. This dangerous disease can manifest itself in the fact that the leaves of zucchini begin to dry out, and the fruits become twisted and rot. Why does it appear? There may be several reasons:

increased air humidity;
too high a concentration of nitrogen in the soil;
frequent and abundant watering of the plant;
zucchini planted too often;
during a severe drought, spores of the fungus appear on the plants. So a white coating appears on the leaves.

In order to prevent infection of the plant, certain measures must be taken in advance: regularly remove dry leaves, do not water the soil excessively, add phosphorus and potassium, and do not abuse fertilizers containing nitrogen.

Micronutrient deficiency

Zucchini can also rot due to the fact that they lack such important trace elements like boron and iodine. Plants of the gourd family are particularly sensitive to boron deficiency. A lack of iodine is also harmful to plants. In order to make up for the lack of trace elements, you need to spray the plants with special compounds. With a lack of boron, 10 liters of water and 2 g of boric acid are taken to prepare the solution. And with a lack of iodine, zucchini is treated with potassium iodide.

Planting density

It happens that way - it would seem that everything is fine. Plants look great weather wonderful, you regularly feed your zucchini with valuable trace elements. And they still rot. Most likely, this is due to the fact that plants on suburban area are too close to each other. For this reason, the fruits are obtained too covered with leaves. As a result, they are not sufficiently ventilated and receive little air.

Most often, zucchini does not cause problems for gardeners. But sometimes zucchini rots. In most cases, this can be prevented, even if the first signs of the disease appear.

Zucchini - annual plant gourd family. Despite the short growing season, it manages to produce a large number of large fruits. Due to its undemanding care, it is quite easy to grow.

Zucchini is a photophilous plant. Its pollination is cross-pollination, and violations in this process can also cause rotting of zucchini.

Zucchini feel best at + 18–24 ° С, but are not afraid of moderate temperatures and short-term drought. However, under adverse conditions, the vegetable becomes susceptible to diseases, which causes rotting of the fruit and their embryos.

You can deal with this, but before you treat the plant, you need to understand what caused the rot.

Why do zucchini start to rot on a bush - reasons

Zucchini can rot in any way of growing: in a greenhouse, in a greenhouse, in the open field. Most often, rot affects young fruits or ovaries.

There are several reasons that lead to decay.

First of all, this is facilitated by excessive moisture both in the air and in the soil. For example, in a rainy summer or with excessive watering. The situation is aggravated by the use of cold water or daytime watering in hot weather.

And also excessive dampness negatively affects the growth of zucchini roots, since under such conditions the level of oxygen in the soil decreases.

High humidity creates a greenhouse effect under the densely growing leaves, which creates favorable conditions for rot.

Zucchini flowers under adverse conditions lose their ability to pollinate. The viability of pollen is reduced if the air temperature is below +12°C or above 25°C, and the humidity is above 95% or below 51%. In this case, full-fledged fertilization does not occur, the ovaries rot in the bud and fall off.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that in rainy weather there are few pollinating insects.

Close fit

Excessive humidity also echoes such a reason for rotting zucchini as crowded plantings. If the requirements for placing this vegetable in the garden are not taken into account, it becomes uncomfortable for zucchini to grow.

The roots begin to take food from each other. The leaves overlap each other, and ventilation becomes impossible.

Sunlight does not penetrate through the tent of leaves. As a result, the bushes weaken, and the fruits of the zucchini begin to rot.

Inappropriate air temperature

It is especially bad for zucchini if dampness is combined with cold weather. When the temperature drops to + 10 ° C, the roots begin to poorly supply water to the ground part of the plant.

At the same time, metabolism is disturbed in the leaves. In this case, zucchini rot on the vine. The plant weakens and drops the ovaries.

Furthermore, female flowers in such a situation, they often appear earlier than male ones, and, without being pollinated, fall off.

But zucchini also do not like strong heat above + 30 ° C.

Nutrients in the soil

For zucchini, both a lack and an excess of macro- and microelements in the soil are undesirable.

If there is an excess of nutrition, especially nitrogen, the leaves grow huge and in in large numbers. In some cases, there are so many of them that the soil under the bushes does not dry out and does not warm up. And this provokes massive rotting of the fruit.

Zucchini on the bush also begin to rot with a lack of nutrition. This is due to the fact that a weakened plant is not able to feed all the ovaries. The main trace elements, from the lack of which zucchini rot during fruiting, are iodine and boron.

With a lack of boron, the leaves turn yellow, and the apical bud dies. Cork-like areas appear on the fruits. Flowering is weak, fruits are ugly.

With a lack of iodine, zucchini bloom, but do not tie or rot while still small.

Flower decay

The reason for the decay of zucchini may be its flowers. This is especially true for wet weather, when there is a lot of moisture in the flowers. When they die, they do not dry out, but begin to rot. Then the rot spreads to the tips of the fruit.

A similar situation occurs if you water directly on the flowers and leaves. In such cases, both ovaries and young fruits may suffer.

Landing at the old place

Zucchini can rot if the plant is planted in the same place from year to year.

Firstly, there may be a lack of nutrients that were taken by plants from the soil last summer.

Secondly, pathogens that have overwintered in the soil attack young seedlings in the spring. Therefore, even in the place where other vegetables of the pumpkin family grew, zucchini cannot be planted either.

Diseases of zucchini

The fruits also rot with diseases of the vegetable. The most common diseases in which zucchini rot:

		signs
powdery mildew	Temperature fluctuations, dampness, watering with cold water, excess nitrogen in the soil	White powdery coating on all parts of the plant. Foliage dying. Depressed spots on fruit
Anthracnose	Excess moisture, watering during the heat, unharvested plant debris	Pinkish-brown spots on the leaves. shriveled fruits
white rot	density of landings, excess moisture, excess nitrogen in the soil, use of cold water for irrigation	White-gray plaque on the plant
Ascochitosis	Cold weather, damp	Dark wet spots on the leaves, tissues in this place gradually fall out. Ulcers on stems. Spots on fruits that gradually grow
Vertex bacteriosis	Temperature fluctuations, high humidity	The nose of zucchini rots, the rest grows for some time

The disease must be treated as soon as it is detected. Sometimes it is easier to destroy the affected shoot before the fungi and viruses go to all plantings.

What to do and how to handle when rot appears

It is important to take timely measures to eliminate the causes of decay. In most cases, zucchini can be cured and subsequently get a full crop from it.

First you need to remove the rotten parts of the vegetable. Make it with a sharp clean tool. The cut point is treated with brilliant green, coal or ash. After that, it is advisable to spray the entire bush with a solution of brilliant green - 2 teaspoons per 10 liters of water.

Even the affected fetus can be saved if the remaining part is burned on the cut. The wound will heal, and the zucchini will continue to grow.

If the flower is rotten, it is cut off, and the place of its attachment to the fruit is sprinkled with ashes.

All rotten parts are burned after removal.

Compensation for the lack of elements

It is advisable to determine which element is missing and introduce it into the soil. In this case, it is best to use a simple fertilizer - something that consists of the desired element.

With a lack of boron, feed:

With a lack of iodine contribute:

Can be used complex fertilizers containing these elements.

Excess moisture

If zucchini rotted due to excess moisture, in addition to temporarily stopping watering, they need to be fed. This will help them gain strength. You can use mullein mixed with ash.

The soil is carefully loosened so that excess water leaves its surface, and oxygen can penetrate to the roots.

It is undesirable that the fruits lie directly on wet ground. Therefore, something is placed under them: planks, straw, agrofibre.

Treatment of zucchini diseases

If the disease has just begun or chemicals it is too late to apply, zucchini is treated with folk remedies:

Milk whey - 100 grams per bucket of water. Bushes are sprayed until complete healing every 3 days.
Soda - 50 grams per bucket of water. To the mixture add 50 g of grated soap. Spray zucchini three times with a break of a week.
Mustard - 2 tbsp. l. powder in a bucket of water. Plantings are treated several times until the signs of the disease disappear completely.
Garlic - 4 finely cut heads insist day in a bucket of water. Used for spraying.

Fungal and viral diseases are treated special preparations. They should be used strictly according to the instructions, using protective equipment: special clothing, mask, gloves.

Powdery mildew can be cured with Fitoflavin, Gamair, Fitosporin.

With ascochitosis, plantings are dusted with chalk mixed with copper sulfate 1: 1 or blue vitriol 2:1.

Effective treatment of anthracnose with colloidal sulfur. It is diluted in water - 60 grams per bucket and used for spraying. For the same purpose, you can use Bordeaux mixture- 200 grams per bucket of water.

Chemical preparations should not be used during the collection, because at least a month must pass from the moment of processing to eating zucchini.

What to do for prevention - ways to prevent rotting

The best prevention of the appearance of rot on zucchini is sowing treated seeds that are protected from diseases. First of all, these are hybrids that are bred by breeders with the ability to resist infections.

The next step is the right agricultural technology.

Requirements for planting zucchini:

soil preparation - fertilized sandy or loamy soil is best suited;
planting in the old place no earlier than after 4 years, the placement of pumpkin crops in place is also excluded: cucumbers, melons, squash;
the bed should be in a sunny place that is well ventilated;
seedlings are planted at a distance of 1–1.5 m from each other;
the ground is mulched, best of all with hay;
plants are planted in the neighborhood that attract bees.

Culture requirements:

the lower leaves are cut off, leaving 3-4 on the stem, you can also remove part of the central leaves;
the apical bud is removed after the appearance of the fourth leaf;
weeds are pulled out;
plantings are not sprayed;
during prolonged rains for zucchini, a shelter is constructed from a film.

To prevent rotting zucchini, it is extremely important to water them correctly.

Watering is carried out warm water about 22 ° C only under the root. Do this in a dim sun to avoid leaf burns. The soil is shed 1 m deep. The rate of watering in hot dry weather - 1 time per week, at normal times - 1 time per month.

Do not water the bushes under the root with a strong jet to prevent erosion of the earth. Irrigation rate - 1-2 buckets under a bush, depending on the condition of the soil.

If the flowers are poorly pollinated due to weather or lack of insects, pollination is done by hand. To do this, take a male flower, remove the petals on it and apply pollen to the female ovaries. Do this in the morning or evening in cool weather.