Expert: Mike Mascio - 8/1/2005

Question
minneapolis, minnesota:  The tips of the zuchinni are rotting.  They are not making it to maturity as a result.  What is causing the tips to rot?  We've had a lot of soaking rain.  The soil may not be as draining as is needed for the soaking rain that we have had.  Is too much water causing the problem?  So far I have removed 8 tiny 3-6 inch zuchinni from the stems due to this problem.  Also, at what point is the zuchinni actually ripe enough to pick?

Answer
Mary, I like to pick my zucchini fairly small at about 8" long.  The younger the fruit, the more tender and tasty it tends to be.

In regard to your tip rot, it is definitely a result of poor drainage.  What happens is that the soil retains the water, which in turns waterlogs the roots.  The result is that the roots cannot absorb oxygen and nutrients.  

The only way to resolve this problem is to amend you soil every spring with organic materials such as peat moss, compost, aged manure, dried grass clippings, and shredded leaves.  These amendments will improve the overall tilth of the soil, provide a constant source of nutrients, and improve drainage.  You can still mulch around the plants with some compost to somewhat alleviate the problem.  But the long-term answer is to amend the soil

I hope this answered your question.  Good luck, and have a great week.

Regards,

Mike