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 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, 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)

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 great content useful substances. 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 a vegetable crop is very photophilous and does not tolerate dimming at all. 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 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 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 as 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 do not have enough 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 result may be heavy rains or our increased soil moisture. There are certain rules for watering this crop:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. The root system of zucchini is easily damaged when close to the surface.

Why do zucchini fruits rot if the soil is rich in nutrients. Most 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 one possible problem associated with the soil 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:

• they pluck a male flower, cutting 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;
• the appearance of white plaque on the 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, chemical treatment of zucchini is indispensable. 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 personal protective equipment. 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 intense 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:

1. Remove old, lower leaves. The less stagnant air, the better.
2. Avoid dense plantings, keep the distance between the zucchini when planting.
3. 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.