Larg plant, large leaves, no squash. I polinated the female flower from the male flower and no results. I guess I didn't do it right. I used a Q-tip which got real yellow and rubbed it on the watchamacallit in the female plant a month ago. What did I do wrong????
If your soil is lacking phosphorous the plant wont produce, try adding a fertilizer or topssoil with a lot of phosphorous in it. You can't put too much in your garden.
Oh and the way you can tell the phosphorous level is by the (P) number on the bag. All fertilizers and soul will have the N (nitrogen) P (phosphorous) and K (potassium) levels marked on the bag.
Oh and the way you can tell the phosphorous level is by the (P) number on the bag. All fertilizers and soul will have the N (nitrogen) P (phosphorous) and K (potassium) levels marked on the bag.
i dont want to hand pollinate either! i just try to keep flowering plants around to entice the bees to work! I'm sorry they aren't growing, I say just stick it out and see what happens!
I had trouble with pollination, and it didn't work with a q tip.. but it DID work well with a paint brush..
Then I just got some flowers and put them close.. things are coming along better now.
Try pollinating with a feather, it works much better. Also, try not to water the plants too much too early. They will produce lots of leaves and no fruit. Its when the plants start producing fruit that they need lots of water.
Try pollinating with a feather, it works much better. Also, try not to water the plants too much too early. They will produce lots of leaves and no fruit. Its when the plants start producing fruit that they need lots of water.
Your plant looks healthy enough, just young. The plant will get larger, the fruit will come later. Not all flowers will produce squash. Right now it only needs lots of water. I've grown squash for 40 years, never even once considered pollinating by hand. They usually pollinate by themselves or by bees or bugs. I often end up with enough summer squash to feed a battalion of hungry soldiers. If I were you I would just water and wait a few weeks.
Al
My blossoms on my squash bloom & then fold up. Then they are covered with some sort of black fuzz. Is this some sort of fungi.
Your plant looks healthy enough, just young. The plant will get larger, the fruit will come later. Not all flowers will produce squash. Right now it only needs lots of water. I've grown squash for 40 years, never even once considered pollinating by hand. They usually pollinate by themselves or by bees or bugs. I often end up with enough summer squash to feed a battalion of hungry soldiers. If I were you I would just water and wait a few weeks.
Al
Triplenickle -- could you post a picture? Your zucchini may have blossom-end rot, which is not uncommon, especially with the earliest fruits. The flowers don't last long, and the ones you are seeing are likely male flowers, which won't produce fruit, just pollen. In your zone, you should have a good bit of growing season left, so I would say just be patient (or I could send you a truck full of zucchini...) As Lycodad said, I've never considered hand pollinating, either; bugs should do the work for you, unless the plants are indoors!
;-)
Triplenickle -- could you post a picture? Your zucchini may have blossom-end rot, which is not uncommon, especially with the earliest fruits. The flowers don't last long, and the ones you are seeing are likely male flowers, which won't produce fruit, just pollen. In your zone, you should have a good bit of growing season left, so I would say just be patient (or I could send you a truck full of zucchini...) As Lycodad said, I've never considered hand pollinating, either; bugs should do the work for you, unless the plants are indoors!
;-)
It sounds as though your garden is now coming through nicely for you -- congratulations! That's what keeps us all doing it over again the next year -- even if not everything does well in any particular season. I'm starting to look forward to "seed catalog season" after the garden is done, which is a whole lot less work! We've had really incredible gardening weather this year where I live, although much too hot for my personal preference; who knows what next year will bring ?!
Sorry, I was out of town for a week - but sounds like you're doing well. Good luck with the rest of the season!
Al
It sounds as though your garden is now coming through nicely for you -- congratulations! That's what keeps us all doing it over again the next year -- even if not everything does well in any particular season. I'm starting to look forward to "seed catalog season" after the garden is done, which is a whole lot less work! We've had really incredible gardening weather this year where I live, although much too hot for my personal preference; who knows what next year will bring ?!
