Causes of zucchini rotting and ways to preserve the harvest

Fungal diseases

Rotting of zucchini, fruits and other parts of the bush is usually caused by fungal diseases - downy mildew or downy mildew, bacteriosis, anthracnose, fusarium, mosaic. But most often, zucchini rot due to powdery mildew or blossom end rot.

Apical rot

This disease primarily affects the leaves and then the ovaries. The affected parts of the plants become deformed, wrinkle, rot and fall off. The main cause of blossom end rot is potassium deficiency.

How to fight:

• To compensate for the lack of potassium. The bushes are fed with potassium nitrate or other fertilizer containing this element;
• For prevention purposes. As well as increasing immunity against blossom end rot, add a weak solution of iodine to the plants - 3 drops per 10 liters of water is enough. The solution can not only be poured at the root, but also used for foliar feeding (spraying).

Powdery mildew

The main sign of powdery mildew is a dirty white coating on different parts of the plant - leaves, flowers, stems. First, small round spots appear, which, merging, cover the entire surface of the leaf plates with a coating.

Over time, the leaves become red, then turn black, dry out and die. If the damage is severe, the disease spreads to the ovaries and fruits. On the latter, depressed, softened areas appear.

Causes of powdery mildew:

• high humidity;
• prolonged rains;
• watering with cold water;
• temperature changes.

How to deal with powdery mildew:

• Garlic infusion. It is prepared from chopped garlic infused in water. For 10 l - 4 medium heads. The resulting infusion is sprayed onto the plantings.
• Elimination of nitrogen. Instead of ammonium nitrate, phosphorus and potassium are added to the zucchini, since nitrogen promotes the development of fungal diseases. It is recommended to apply it in autumn and early spring in moderate quantities.
• Resistant varieties. This is the simplest and most reliable way to prevent fungal diseases in general and powdery mildew in particular.
• Destruction. Severely affected bushes are pulled out and destroyed. It is advisable to burn them to kill the fungus and its spores.
• Spraying. Plants with minor lesions can be saved. The sooner treatment begins, the greater the chance of saving the bushes. Spray the plant with preparations containing copper - Bordeaux mixture and copper sulfate solution.

Before spraying, the affected parts of the plants are removed. Treatment should be carried out at least a month before harvesting the fruits. If the lesions are severe, the bushes are treated with powerful fungicides - Topaz, Ridomil or their analogues.

Downy mildew

The second name for this fungal disease is downy mildew. Downy mildew begins with the appearance of oily greenish-yellow spots. Over time, they become gray-brown, often with an off-white coating. Affected leaves appear scorched and dry out over time.

How to fight:

• the plantings are treated once with sulfur- and copper-containing preparations - Tiovit Jet and Bordeaux mixture, respectively;
• the second time, other drugs are used, since the fungus quickly gets used to sulfur and copper, you can spray the zucchini with HOM, Trichoderma Veride or analogues;
• zucchini can be sprayed with a simple folk remedy - soda ash, diluted in water - 2 tbsp. l. for 10 l.

Excessive watering

Despite the fact that zucchini is a moisture-loving crop, frequent watering is contraindicated. Vegetables react to excess moisture by rotting all organs and mass shedding of inflorescences. The same reaction can be expected when watering bushes with cold water. To eliminate the problem, you should adjust watering in the garden bed and carry it out only when the soil dries out. In rainy summers, watering is kept to a minimum.

Plants are watered using the sprinkling method, because... strong pressure can lead to washing out the roots and death of the entire bush. Water is poured under the root, avoiding moisture on the leaves and ovaries.

To prevent rotting of the root system, which causes the above-ground part to rot, it is important to regularly loosen the soil. This will increase its aeration and prevent stagnation of moisture in the soil.

Why do small zucchini rot on a bush in a greenhouse?

In a greenhouse, zucchini rot for the same reasons as in open ground. But here it is much more difficult to maintain favorable conditions for zucchini.

Causes of rotting zucchini in closed ground:

• Untimely ventilation. Greenhouses and greenhouses often lack fresh air and become too humid and lack fresh air.
• Lack of nutrients. Rotting of small fruits in a greenhouse often occurs due to nutritional deficiency. Potassium-phosphorus fertilizing is especially important at the stage of ovary formation - if you do not feed the plants on time, the zucchini is prone to rotting.
• Sun deficiency. This situation can arise if the greenhouse is located incorrectly or if the plantings are too dense.
• Excess of organic matter in the soil. If a gardener overdoes it with the addition of manure or humus, the plants intensively grow green mass and rot.
• Diseases. Indoor soil often creates a favorable environment for the development of fungal diseases. Zucchini in greenhouses and greenhouses can be affected by powdery and downy mildew, white blossom end rot and other diseases.
• Incorrect watering. Overmoistening of the soil, leading to stagnation of water.
• Lack of pollination. There are always problems with pollen transfer in greenhouses. If insects do not fly here, the flowers rot and contribute to the spread of rot. Planting self-pollinating varieties or artificial pollination helps to avoid the problem.

If the flaws in agricultural technology are not corrected in time, the bushes risk dying. If the fruit begins to rot, the chances of saving the plants and harvest are catastrophically reduced.

It all starts with following planting rules

You can prevent possible losses even when planting seedlings or seeds. Since zucchini is a light-loving and heat-loving plant, it is better to plant them in an open, unshaded place. It is important not to thicken the plantings; a distance of 1-1.5 m will allow the development of a strong, healthy bush. It is useful to mulch the soil with hay or grass clippings (but not weeds from the garden).

Disease problems cannot be avoided if you plant vegetables in the same bed every year. It is better to change the place for growing zucchini, since there are not enough nutrients in such areas, and the soil takes at least 3-4 years to recover.

You should not plant where melons, watermelons, pumpkins, cucumbers or squash grew. Close relatives impoverish the land, and planting zucchini in the same place will not bring a good harvest.

If a month after planting the first 2-3 embryos of zucchini rot, the ovaries are simply torn off, but when the disease spreads, it is better to remove the wilted flowers and sprinkle the tips of the fruits with ash.

Rotting of the ovaries

There are situations when rotting begins even before the fruits appear - the ovaries do not grow, but simply turn yellow and rot immediately after the flowers die. The ovaries rot mainly due to the same reasons as the fruits - violations of the watering and nutritional regime.

But there are several other factors that cause ovary rotting:

• The flowers did not have time to pollinate. This situation is often observed during inclement weather - it interferes with the arrival of bees to the beds. If the gardener does not pollinate the flowers artificially, the ovaries die and fall off.
• Yellowing and dying of leaves. They rot, and a fungal infection moves quite quickly on the ovary, causing them to rot. Weekly removal of the lower leaves in contact with the ground helps prevent the problem. Cut them off with pruning shears or a sharp knife.
• Rotting flowers. Buds that have finished flowering often remain on the “spouts” of young fruits. If it starts to rain, the limp petals, like a sponge, absorb water, rot and infect the small zucchini. Buds that have finished flowering must be torn off in time, sprinkling the places where they are torn off with ash - it contributes to the formation of a protective film that prevents excess moisture from entering the fruit. When removing buds, it is important not to tear off living inflorescences - maybe the ovary has not yet been pollinated, so there is no need to rush.

Preventive measures

Rotting processes always lead to crop losses. Sometimes a gardener only loses some part of it, but sometimes 100%. If pathological processes are running, it will not be possible to avoid losses. That is why it is recommended not to fight the consequences of incorrect agricultural practices and other negative factors, but to take preventive measures.

Prevention measures:

• Ventilate the plantings. Trim off the lower leaves in contact with the ground in a timely manner. Before rotting, cut them off with a knife. Leave petioles 4 cm long.
• Spray the bushes. 24 hours after trimming the leaves, treat the beds with greenery diluted in water - 1 tsp. for 10 l.
• Rejuvenate your bushes. Throughout the growing season, thin out the plants by removing old leaves - this will not only prevent rotting, but will also prolong fruiting.
• Protect. In rainy and cool weather, cover the beds. You can stretch the film over stakes or use any other method. The canopy will protect the plantings from moisture and at the same time maintain air circulation.

Poor pollination

Zucchini flowers are large, but the leaves are even larger, so pollinating insects often cannot get to the treasured nectar and fly around dense bushes in search of easier prey. As a result, the flowers are not pollinated, and the plant gets rid of such ovaries; they rot. Therefore, it is periodically necessary to remove not only the lower old leaves, but also the young ones that grow in the center and cover the flowers. The advantage of such an event is that the ovaries begin to be well ventilated, bask in the sun, and receive more light.

Remove leaves that cover flowers

Useful tips

Experienced gardeners know all the “weak points” of zucchini, so they can avoid rotting of bushes, ovaries, and fruits without any problems. By listening to their advice, beginners can also protect the crop from rotting and get a good harvest.

Tips from experienced gardeners:

• Zucchini pollinate poorly if the central leaves of the bush are closed. The problem can be solved simply - tear off the leaves that interfere with pollination and sun penetration.
• When using fungicides, strictly follow the instructions. And also the dosage, otherwise you can harm the leaves - they will get chemical burns.
• Don’t be lazy to loosen the rows after watering. This simple agrotechnical measure allows you to ensure a flow of oxygen to the roots of plants and even reduce the frequency of watering. At the same time, weeds are also destroyed - they are not only a source of diseases and pests, but also take away some of the nutrients.
• Fight insects. Their activity can also cause rotting. In particular, a similar problem arises when there is an invasion of slugs that crawl on the leaves and fruits of zucchini at night. To scare away voracious pests, plant fragrant plants next to the squash beds: mustard;
• lavender;
• sage;
• garlic;
• hot pepper.

The main reason for rotting zucchini is high humidity. It is this that most often causes fungal diseases and initiates putrefactive processes. If prevention is carried out in time and the causes of rotting are eliminated, in most cases it is possible to preserve the harvest.

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Low temperature at night

Zucchini grows actively at night. However, cold nights most often lead to rot. Also, low temperatures can lead to a lack of new ovaries.

Proper care is the key to a large harvest. In order for zucchini to grow evenly, without signs of rot, it is necessary to water the plant with warm water and regularly fertilize it. Maintaining the distance between bushes is also of great importance. Thickened plantings can negatively affect the condition of vegetables and reduce the speed of their ripening.