courgettes etc with yellow leaves

[Catherine]

I am not sure I am putting this in the right place (I am sure it will be moved if it is not) but I have grown quite a few courgettes and butternut squashes in the polytunnel in pots. We were away on holiday for a week and asked a friend to look after them in her greenhouse. They were very healthy when we went away, but when we came home they had started to get yellow leaves and since we have put them back in our polytunnel they are going more and more yellow.

They are in 4/5 inch pots and they are getting larger but I dont know if I should feed them or not, and with what. Thinking about it I should but I have never come across yellow leaves any time before. Any suggestions?

[Tigger]

Its usually a lack of food. Get them into their final home and feed them.

[Johnboy]

Hi Catherine,
It could be that your friend seriously over watered your courgettes.
Although they like to be moist at all times they resent saturation especially when they are in smallish pots. As Tigger says a good feed works wonders.
Friends are generally scared stiff that they are going to do something wrong and kill your plants whilst you are away and over watering is another way of killing with kindness.
JB.

[Catherine]

Thanks for that Tigger and JohnBoy. When we collected the plants they were seriously dry, in fact the parsley I left with her has since died. I wondered if they were left too dry too long. Anyway I am starting to harden then off and hopefully will get them in the ground next week. I have fed them with a general feed and hope they will recover. I think I need to look at when we go on holiday next year as I cant stand the stress of leaving my little plants to anyone elses care. I think I will have to learn to ski.