BC Living
Embark on Culinary Adventures: 5 Must-Try Solo Dining Experiences Around BC
You Gotta Try this in April 2024
English Muffins – From Scratch
4 Tips on Balancing a Nutritious Diet with a Side of Indulgence
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
Travel Light, Travel Right: Minimalist Packing Tips for Solo Explorers
A Solo Traveller’s Guide to Cozy Accommodations
Local Getaway: Relax at a Hidden Cabin along Jordan River
Films and TV Series that Inspire Solo Travel
B.C. Adventures: Our picks for April
Cooking Classes
Sḵwálwen Botanicals – Changing the Face of Skincare
Culinary Fashion: What to wear on “Foodie Field Trips”
Freshen Up your Skincare this Spring with these 9 BC Based Skincare Products
Even a healthy young zucchini fruit can start rotting at the stem end. Conway Lum tells us why.
Your healthy zucchini plant produces lots of flowers, but you may notice that its young fruit is starting to rot at the stem end. This fruit will feel soft and may appear water-soaked.
The problem springs from inadequate pollination. When a fruit is not pollinated completely it will begin to rot because the flower is no longer needed for its central purpose of bearing fruit. Flowers on zucchini plants are either male or female. The fruit is produced only on female flowers, which can be identified by the small, swollen fruit just behind the flower. The first few flowers tend to be only male. Flowers are only viable for a few days. To enhance pollination, avoid excessive use of insecticide. Hand-pollinate early in the morning, using a soft brush to transfer pollen from the male to the female flower.
To give your zucchini added help, mulch to ensure even soil moisture when the plants are bearing. You may also need to check the soil’s calcium levels periodically. (If your pH levels are okay, then the calcium is also fine.)
Conway Lum is a horticulturist at Mandeville Garden Centre in Burnaby. Questions can be emailed to him at clumATcanadawideDOTcom.