Why do zucchini rot in the garden: what to do, how to process

Zucchini is a vegetable crop of the pumpkin family, beloved by many gardeners. It does not require special care, frequent watering and bears fruit abundantly. However, it happens that vegetables in our gardens suffer from adverse weather conditions or errors in agricultural technology. Not only beginners, but also experienced summer residents have to think about why zucchini rot in the garden and what to do to save the crop.

It all starts with proper fit

You can prevent possible losses even when planting seedlings or seeds.Since zucchini are photophilous and heat-loving plants, 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 a strong, he althy bush to develop. It is useful to mulch the soil with hay or grass clippings (but not weeds from the garden).

Disease problems cannot be avoided if vegetables are planted annually in the same garden. It is better to change places for growing zucchini, since there are not enough nutrients in such areas, and the soil is restored for at least 3-4 years.

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 rot in zucchini, the ovaries are simply cut off, but when the disease spreads, it is better to remove wilted flowers and sprinkle the tips of the fruits with ashes.

Causes of decay

Common causes of rotting zucchini in the garden are high humidity, lack of sunlight or unsuitable soil when the land in the area is excessively rich in organic matter. The lack of essential trace elements (boron, iodine or calcium) reduces the resistance of the plant. The rotting process can be caused by fungal diseases - powdery mildew or top white rot.

Excess moisture and nutrients

When there are too many nutrients in the soil, a powerful shrub grows with an abundance of large leaves that do not let in sunlight and create a microclimate inside that is favorable for the development of putrefactive processes.

Small zucchini can start to rot, then all the fruits begin to rot, and the harvest from this bush will be lost if emergency measures are not taken. Plant nutrition is necessary, which means that it must be given to zucchini in a strict dosage.

With frequent watering or rainy weather, the entire bed is oversaturated and saturated with moisture, this creates a greenhouse effect, which also contributes to decay.

The problem lies in the flower

An unpollinated peduncle is more likely to rot. To attract bees, it is better to plant plants with white or yellow fruits. In cloudy and rainy weather, insects do not pollinate, so you can do it artificially (pluck the male flower and transfer the pollen to the female).

Zucchini can rot immediately after flowering. Normally, the flower fades, dries up and disappears on its own. If this does not happen, the rot first affects the flower, and then the fruit.

It is important whether you water the bush correctly. If you pour water from a hose or a watering can from above, the flower accumulates a lot of moisture, dries out for a long time and begins to rot, the embryos also rot; why grown zucchini turn yellow - most likely due to a lack of trace elements.Fertilizing with complex fertilizers can help the he alth of zucchini.

Powdery mildew infection

Zucchini is often affected by powdery mildew. Signs of a fungal infection are a whitish coating and depressed spots on fruits and leaves. First of all, young leaves and fruit ovaries are affected. The development of the disease is facilitated by sharp fluctuations in temperature (cool nights and heat during the day) and watering with cold water.

Fungal diseases often cause decay; of course, it is better to prevent infection or start fighting at an early stage of the disease.

You need to regularly inspect plants, zucchini can get sick with powdery mildew and with an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate or urea, which are used to increase yields. Potash and phosphate fertilizers increase disease resistance.

To prevent fungal diseases, you can spray the plants with garlic water (3-4 heads of finely chopped garlic per 10 liters).

Helping zucchini: your actions

In order not to rot zucchini, you need to deal with excessive moisture. Proper watering - rare, no more than 1 time per week, but plentiful (for each bush about 20 liters of water). The roots of zucchini are powerful, and water should penetrate to a depth of 30-40 cm. Do not pour water on the leaves and stems - only under the bush, without washing away the roots. Then the earth needs to be well loosened so that a dense crust does not form and the root part of the plant breathes.

If zucchini rot from excess moisture, it is recommended to water them along the grooves and feed them monthly with infusion of rotted manure with the addition of ash.

An important factor is the airing of landings. It is necessary to remove the lower old leaves that lie on the ground and suffer more than others from diseases, pests and dampness. It is better to cut them with a sharp knife 3-4 cm from the whip.The next day, it is good to spray the trunk and leaves with a solution of brilliant green (1 teaspoon per bucket of lukewarm water). You can regularly rejuvenate the bush as the lash lengthens, thinning it out and prolonging fruiting.

Experienced gardeners recommend covering young plants in rainy weather. A piece of polyethylene on pegs or an old umbrella will do for this (water does not fall on the bush from above, but air circulation is maintained).

Zucchini do not pollinate well and rot when the central leaves are tightly closed. In this case, you need to cut off several leaf plates, leaving the petioles - they are needed to feed the plant. In addition, the sun's rays, penetrating deep into the bush, dry out the powdery mildew mycelium.

Cut leaves and rotten fruit should be burned instead of composted to help preserve next year's harvest.

If planting zucchini needs to be processed, it is necessary to process "chemistry" strictly according to the instructions. The lack of iodine can be replenished by spraying with a 0.02% solution of potassium iodide or alcohol tincture (30-35 drops per bucket of water).

So that zucchini does not rot due to a lack of boron, use boric acid at a dilution of 1 g per 5 liters of water or complex fertilizers with trace elements.

Zucchini can also rot from damp earth, you can also try to save them by laying planks or straw. At the same time, do not forget that slugs will accumulate there - they need to be collected regularly.

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