Why Are My Zucchini Turning Yellow. Many reasons might cause the zucchini to turn yellow. The plant produces both male and female flowers.
Why Are My Zucchini Turning Yellow
If the pollination is poor, the zucchini turns yellow without further growth. Sometimes lack of pollinators may be the reason for poor pollination.
When the fruit turns yellow, it begins to rot, and your zucchini gets wasted.
Poor Pollination
The first cause of yellow zucchini is the lack of proper pollination. It can be because of a lack of pollinators or the blooming difference between male and female flowers.
Poor pollination stops the growth of zucchini and turns yellow. The yellowing starts from the blossom end and slowly reaches the stem portion.
You can hand pollinate the female flower in case you observe poor pollination. The long, slender stems contain male flowers that are the prime factors for pollinating the short, swollen female flowers.
Poor pollination can result in fruits but they are small and quickly drop down. In horticulture, this phenomenon is called fruit abortion.
Reason
A few pollen perform pollination, resulting in the dropping of yellow, rotted fruits.
If you observe misshapen zucchini, it indicates poor pollination or less pollen available for pollination.
Blossom End Rot
Another reason for yellow and rotted zucchini is the lack of calcium that causes blossom end rot.
In this disease, the plant suffers from calcium deficiency.
Function of Calcium
Calcium is helpful for the growth of the plant. It provides rigidity, and holds the plant’s cell wall.
Problem
Due to calcium deficiency, the cell wall becomes disoriented, and the plant’s growth is affected. That results in the production of retarded fruits
. These fruits turn yellow and get rotted soon.
Procedure
- Before planting zucchini do a soil test?
- If there is a calcium deficiency, add garden lime and Epsom salts about 6-8.
- That will overcome the blossom end rot and enhance zucchini growth.
In case other nutrients are deficient after performing a soil test. Add the desired fertilizer to avoid the loss of the fruit.
Cucumber Mosaic Virus
Zucchini can be affected by certain pests causing cucumber mosaic virus disease. It’s a pathogenic virus that causes infections in plants.
It affects the leaves, fruits, and ultimately the whole plant. It’s a transmittable disease and may affect the nearby zucchini fruits and plants.
After the plant gets affected, the leaves turn yellow. The plant becomes weak, and the fruits turn yellow and rot. It causes fruit distortion.
Mitigation
- You can cut the affected parts of the plants.
- For pests eradication, use a neem oil spray to eliminate the cause.
Spider Mites
If you observe yellow, white spots on the plant’s leaves, it indicates the attack of spider mites. These are harmful to the plants. Once a plant is affected, it may spread to its nearby plants.
The leaves start to turn yellow. If not cured, the fruits turn yellow and get aborted.
Mitigation
There are many ways to get rid of spider mites, but the best is to use an essential oil spray. It will make the plant pests-free.
How to Prevent Spider Mites
- Inspect the plant before purchasing
- Keep the plants well-watered
- Proper addition of fertilizers
- Keep the garden clean
- Provide high moisture
- Avoid dry conditions
- Use high-quality soil
- Sterile potting soil
Conclusion
Many reasons might cause the zucchini to turn yellow. The zucchini plant gave rise to male and female flowers. If the pollination is poor, the zucchini turns yellow without further growth.
Sometimes lack of pollinators may be the reason for poor pollination. When the fruit turns yellow, it begins to rot, and your zucchini gets wasted.
Related Guide