Chicken boarders

[beach chick]

mine are getting huge, prickly and rather in the way - can I trim some of them off or will that stop the plant making more courgettes? thanks

[Chickpea]

You should be ok to cut some off, just don't go mad!

[beach chick]

thanks, I will just take off the most dangerous ones then

another question - I have some big open courgette flowers, with no little 'gettes at the base - do I take these off too? cos usually it seems you have the 'gette and the flower is kind of closed on the end of it...

[Chickpea]

I've always left mine on, the female flowers & courgettes should follow shortly, I think it's only with types of Cucumber that you take the male flowers off of.

[bluekarin]

Mine are getting huge and in the way too so I shall prune it a little.

 

I have small white patches on the leaves of my courgette plants. Any suggestions on what best to do?

[Chickpea]

Are they circular, powdery/dusty looking splotches or more angular and on the larger leaves? If the dusty type it could be powdery mildew, (very common) it doesnt like wet conditions so spraying it with water could help, or take off the affected leaves as they die off (dont compost them), if the angular type, it's just the natural markings of the plant & nothing to worry about!

[bluekarin]

A it doesnt like wet conditions so spraying it with water could help

*confused* It's the more powdery type so its mildew. I took off some leaves a while ago, but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. But now I know it is, I shall do it again. Thank you

[Chickpea]

I did wonder if that was a bit confusing! I meant powdery mildew doesnt like wet conditions (around the roots), it is more likely to infect in drier conditions as the fungal spores have a high water content; if that makes sense Best way to proceed is to remove leaves, and keep the plant well watered, but try not to get the leaves too wet (just reread my pest and diseases book Good ole Pippa Greenwood!)

[bluekarin]

Thank you for the clarification! Makes sense now. I shall make sure its watered but not too much. The plants are in a flower border to fill up a space (which the three of them are doing just a bit too well, yikes!) so get what water falls from the sky.