Your comments and tips

26 Apr 17, Maree (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Can you sucessfully grow zuchini plants in containers, and if so, how deep + wide should the container be for one plant please?

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26 Apr 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)

Yes you can. I have done it but the biggest challenge is to keep them moist enough so you don't get any setbacks. I used 400 mm (16") diameter plastic tubs.

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05 Apr 17, Aloese Lefono (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Can they still grow and produce from April on?

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07 Apr 17, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

By April, zucchinis and other members of the Cucurbit family (pumpkins, cucumbers, etc will be starting to die off. You may get a few more days that will ripen some of them but you are probably better to remove them and plant cabbage, cauliflower, etc or prepare the soil for broad beans. Check the page for your climate zone for other things to plant.

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09 May 22, Katherine (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I am in Tauranga and still have zeeks growing. Yellow variety. This is the plant that really keeps on giving.

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21 Dec 16, Dianne Lovell (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Any benefit in removing the lower grown leaves. The thing is a triphid

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02 Feb 17, Karen (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

I agree with John. For powdery mildew prevention and control I use a brew of 3tablespoons of baking (bicarb) soda, 1/2 teaspoon non detergent dish soap to 6litre of water. The soda changes the ph and destroys the spores, soap acts as sticking agent. MUST test spay, leave 24-48hrs observe for chemical damage. May need less soda. Do not add anything to brew like fertiliser or neem oil, as this will change the ph and the brew will either become ineffective or cause damage. When ok with mix, spray everything (plant, container, soil, stakes etc) all over. Give sprayer a good shake prior and during application. Don't pour leftover brew into soil - ph change can cause growth problems of young plants. I do this weekly from planting out regardless of need; this minimises powdery mildew starting up. My cucs, courgettes and toms get this treatment but the amount of soda required may vary. I keep a note of the brew(s) and results for future reference. Best done in the evening so it has time to do its thing overnight without the risk of sunburn. Make a fresh batch of brew for each spray session. Remove some additional leaves to enable good ventilation throughout plant. What variety of triphid are you growing?

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24 Dec 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)

The only benefit that I know of would be to increase air circulation and reduce mildew problems. If you are plagued by powdery mildew mix up a spray of 10% milk with water and thoroughly spray your plants. I can't explain why but it works. Trust this helps.

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14 Feb 13, Al (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

I started cucumbers and courgette plants at the right time, but both plants have plenty of female flowers - no male flowers 3 months later. Don't tell me I do not know the difference, I am 88 years old and have been growing them since a boy in 1938. I moved to a new home 12 months ago. The pH where they are growing is 6.0. This has me puzzled. Thanks.

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18 Jan 17, Te Pi' (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Hello Sir, I was just reading through the comments further on, and it occured to me that you may have some micro-climates at your new property making things alot cooler/dryer/warmer- outdoor thermometer reads in the area for the day will tell you, and most likely the nutrient balance/microorganisms population is a lot different than your old place...I read somewhere that some squash or pumpkin can change their flowering habits due to a combination of level of nutrients/metals available and plant hormones in the soil, returning to male and female on seperate plants, maybe test the soil for nutrient levels and contaminants if you havent done so already. Is the seed your own or bought? If its not your own seed, you could take it up with the supplier, keep detailed records of these kind of issues and welcome questions about oddities etc, sometimes they purposely breed plants as F1 hybrids so you have to buy more seed to make collecting it not worthwhile

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