Zucchinis aren't growing

Hello, does anyone know why my zucchini are browning before they grow large? In the photo you can see some that are just starting out, but below are some that started and then turned all brown. Nutrient deficiency? Virus? Please advise. Thanks!

Do you have any male flowers? Sometimes it takes awhile to get both male and female flowers together to get germination going. I'm going through that now with my cucumbers. All males and only one female. I'm thinking of planting a few more plants just to see if I can even up the numbers.

If you have male flowers use a q-tip to pollonate the female flowers. I have lots of bees but I still polinate my squashes to increase my yield.

All female flowers look like they have baby squash already formed. If they are fertilized it will continue to form if not they will brown and drop.

Extra male flowers can be used to eat!

Audry, "Nutrient deficiency? Virus?" Nope, no worries. It's very common for young and or early squash plants to produce only female flowers for a short period of time but eventually the males show up. If you like you can pick the young female squash and eat 'em up while small. Yummy. And battering and frying the early flowers while waiting for males to arrive is good, too.

From the pic you show, it looks like the two flowers that are front and center are males so you should be good to go now.

Happy Gardening!
Shoe

My problem is, No squash at all. Vigorous-looking plants, producing plenty of blossoms, but these just shrivel up without producing any fruit. I have 3 plants in a very small veg. bed. Could gender be the problem?

Just hang in there, they'll come. Sometimes we just have to sit back and accept that there comes a time when man has to stop and let G-d take over. This is one of those times. This is from someone who is praying over their cucumbers and hama melons by the way that only have male flowers.

I had a friend ask me if I felt like a pervert fertilizing my squash. Never thought about it like that. Just want enough to cook, give to friends and freeze for the long NY winter.

Think of it as, Tickleing them.

I, too, have this problem but, a lack of male/female blossoms it isn't. The last several years, I grew squash in a section of the compost pile. They always did very well (didn't lose any for any reason), until the squash bugs began to take over, once the squash looked like something out of a magazine. This year, I dug holes in the yard - near to all the other garden stuff. They are loaded with blossoms but, after the fruit begins to form and gets to be about 3" long, it turns yellow below the blossom, then falls off - all of them are doing this, and not just on one plant. I realize they don't have the benefit(s) that composted soil provides, but it was provided in the hole and on top of the soil, at the time of planting in the yard. They have been faithfully fertilized and watered. Other than not being pollinated, could there be any other reason?

Do you see pollinating insects (bees and such) early in the morning working the squash flowers? If not then you'll have to hand pollinate them. See http://pollinator.com/squash.htm for the gory details!!!

Ms. Tommie

First time gardener here and was wondering why mine stopped making squash. Working in garden yesterday and saw bunch of blooms, AND saw bees on them (and the watermelon blooms)
Oh boy, more squash on the way!

hikerpat, "They are loaded with blossoms but, after the fruit begins to form and gets to be about 3" long, it turns yellow below the blossom, then falls off - all of them are doing this, and not just on one plant."

That is the perfect symptom of no pollination or incomplete pollination OR too much watering will do that as well. If you're soil is waterlogged and/or not well draining you'll see that happen. I'd quit watering until you see the leaves wilt, then water sparingly. And if you have no insects/bees around then it is easy to hand-pollinate.

Shoe

Thanks, Horseshoe. One of the plants has started to rot - leaves wilting, etc. The other 2 look fine. I'll be more vigilant about the bees - after I get over being badly stung by yellow jackets, on the 4th - 'cause they like squash flowers, too. I have hand-pollinated before; guess I can do it again. And, maybe there is too much water, as one is rotting. (It's 97 degrees, as I type this!) Thanks, again.

I found out why the zucchinis were dropping off - squash vine borer. All 3 plants were rotted along the main stem - boy, does that stink! I pulled them up yesterday. Guess I'll head back to the compost pile, using the other side, and see if I can get anything going at this late date. Just hope the squash bugs (the angular gray things) that over-winter in the compost are past hoping I'll provide a free meal this year.

hikerpat, you should have plenty of time. I'm planning to start do more in early august (my first attempt failed) and hope for success :)