Huge zucchini plants - but no fruit

[adebourget]

I have two huge zucchini plants. The plants look really healthy and I get a number of beautiful flowers, but not one single zucchini plant. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? Am I just not getting good pollination?
Thanks!

[gixxerific]

Pollination is more than likely the problem, well more of a all male flower problem. Check your flowers the females have a tiny little buds/bulbs at the base that is the beginning of the fruit. Often there will be flush of males at first. How old is your plant? Are there pollinators around? If not planting flowers that attract pollinators may not be a bad idea.

If you do have female flowers you will more than likely have males you can self pollinate them by using a small brush or q-tip or similar item to rub on the male flower stamen than deposit that on the female.

I wouldn't fear too much with time they will produce, zucchini are normally very prolific. That is if those @#$#@%#% SVB don't come around and kill them. I hope you gave them plenty of room.

[adebourget]

I thought that may be the problem, so I've been looking for the female flowers. All I see are male flowers. I'm pretty sure I know the difference. Is it possible to get only males? Do I need to check earlier in the am?
Thanks!

[gixxerific]

It's highly unlikely you have an all male plant.

Just give it time. I remember last year on a watermelon plant I had nothing but males for a few month's than all of the sudden there were watermelons all over. Though they are different plants you get the idea. I doubt it will be that bad. Luckily zucchini grow fast and you should be good, with my melons they were so late they never fully matured.

This thread made me check my zucchini I put under my Weeping willows just for whatever not expecting them to do anything and what do you know a zucchini has formed. The one plant the SVB didn't find.

[garden5]

If you have only all male flowers, don't worry, the plants just need more time. The males usually just come out before the females, anyway.

[adebourget]

At last!! I now see some baby zucchini starting to grow. I'm so excited and I have a feeling I'm about to be up to my ankles in zucchini.

I planted them way too soon for my zone. That's is probably the biggest lesson I learned this year with my first garden.

[Toil]

I like to remove most of the males, and I like to think it results in more females.


Stuffed with a bit of ricotta or ice cream if you are adventurous, battered, and fried, the flowers from zucca (squash) or zucchini are just divine. Dust with confection sugar or drizzle with honey before serving.

[adebourget]

That's interesting. I know the Italians eat the zucchini blossoms, but I never knew that removing them resulted in more female blooms. Does it give you more zucchinis?