Shriveled courgette plants

[green_pea]

I've tried growing courgettes, both inside and outside. The one I grew outside got eaten by 'slugs' (or so I thought) but the same thing has happened to the one indoors (pretty sure we don't have house slugs!). But anyway, the stem looks brownish, thin and shriveled. The leaves look absolutely fine and seem to be doing really well however, is this meant to happen? The same thing happened to the squash plants but they also look great overall (apart from the stem). What's going on!

[Odsox]

Without seeing your plant it sounds exactly like the problem I have this year, namely root or foot rot.
See ... http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... =1&t=22781
It's a fungus disease and almost certainly comes from your potting compost, or it did in my case, and it affects the bean family, tomatoes and the cucumber family (which includes your courgette and squash).
It's not too late to sow some more courgette or squash seed but either sterilise you seed compost first or buy some fresh, preferably from a different manufacturer.

[Millymollymandy]

Tony do you have a photo of your sick plants?

I'm having problems with some of mine (notably tomatoes and chillies) which I think came from the sack of potting compost. I'm onto another bag (same product but better quality - they are really hit and miss here) and everything seems to be growing well in that compost. Anyway not same problem as yours but a lot of yellowing, general sickliness and just basically not growing a lot.

[Odsox]

Tony do you have a photo of your sick plants?

Sorry no, all the plants that were really affected keeled over and died.
The ones that survived have brown marks on the stems at, and just above, soil level.
If the brown mark is just in one place it survives, if it encircles the stem it dies.

I realise now that I've had this problem before on tomatoes, just the odd one now and again, but I had thought it was probably me damaging the stem when pricking out or transplanting (big fat clumsy fingers )

[Green Aura]

a lot of yellowing, general sickliness

We've had that problem a lot mainly, I think due to the fact that our raised beds in the polytunnel started off as almost entirely compost. After a lot of head scratching we decided it must be a Magnesium deficiency.

Try a drink of Epsom salts ( for the tomatoes not you ). It works really quickly you'll see a difference within 24 hours if that is the problem.

Ours seems to have resolved after a couple of years of adding manure and stuff to the beds.

[Millymollymandy]

I did the Epsom salts days ago when they were planted out and even a general purpose feed whilst they were still indoors! I remember last year how it perked them up no end very quickly so bought loads when I was in England.

Did you read my other thread about the strange thing stripping the tomatoes and perovskia Tony? As it's the same toms I'm just gonna chuck them and go out and buy more I think as they look even more sick now. The other two are OK ish i.e. not attacked yet though still a bit yellowish so will wait and see.