getting frustrated with cherry tomatoes and yellow squash

[mtgarden gal]

I know I've posted about these two issues before, and recieved some advice, and I'm trying to be patient, but ARRRRGGGG!!

I've had some cherry tomatoes hanging on the vine for WEEKS now that are done growing and NOT turning color one little bit. ok, so I've read that maybe it's too hot. It's been in the 90's for about 2 weeks now. So I took a couple bunches off today, wrapped them in newspaper with a banana to see if they will ripen.

And my darn yellowcrookneck squash plants!! I'm almost to the point where I just want to rip them out of the ground and use the space for something else. All they do is grow bushier and bushier, choke out surrounding plants, and yet NEVER develope any actual squashes! I look down into them and see a bunch of rotten, half rotten or tiny (unpollenated?) squashes. I know it's not a matter of no pollinators in my garden, because there are bees all over and I've seen them around the plants. A week or so ago, I decided it must be that I don't have any male flowers yet. Well, how long does it take to get some?? It's almost the end of july. Am I not being patient enough? I know I'm a first time gardener so if it's me not being patient, let me know.
Ok, there, I've vented a bit.

[shadylane]

mtgarden gal, I did this once with my tomatos that were not ripping, It was advice given from a gardener long ago. May sound a bit aggressive but cause stress to your plant.
I broke parts off, bunched up the leaves and gave them a twist. And stepped on it's larger branches. This tends to hurry up there process of ripping. It worked for me on the two plants that I did this to. Sounds absurd but I did it.

[mtgarden gal]

Thanks Shadylane

[Nature's Babe]

Think of it as time to build up the flavour, I put some in my unheated greenhouse which tends to stress them a bit for early ones then the outdoor ones follow on

[mtgarden gal]

Thanks, Natures Babe

[soil]

you should have been more patient with the tomatoes. you messed up. wait for the rest to finish naturally.

sometimes if your having poor pollination issues with squash you can hand pollinate. its very easy and since there are not hundreds of flowers to pollinate at once, so its easy for a person to help. simply find an open female flower( the one with the little fruit behind it) take an open male flower ( no fruit behind it) rip off the flower petal part carefully and dab the male part onto the female part inside the flower. this is best done in the morning a little bit after the flowers open.

[mtgarden gal]

Hi Soil, thanks for your help (and honesty )

I will be more patient with the tomatoes, I promise. First year veggie gardening and I didn't realize it took so long for them to ripen.

I did hand pollinate one a couple days ago to see if it would take. nothing happened. right now I'm assuming that the heat was making most of the pollin bad. (heard that from a gardening page on facebook)

Still hanging in there hoping!

[mtgarden gal]

I went out and checked my squash this morning. For the past 3 days the temp has gone from the 90's back down into the 80's. I was hoping the lower temps would help. Well, I"m not going to get too excited or ahead of myself, but I THINK I see about 3 nice squash growing. I THINK! keep your fingers crossed for me.

Anyways, also pulled these off. I have been getting quite a few that look like this. Is this improper pollination? They get about this big, this long, then stop growing and rot.
[img]https://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g411/DawnOlivo/july%2024th%202011/gardenjuly282011.jpg[/img]