Zucchini--I'm so excited!

[jemsister]

I figured out the plant code from my seed packet. For some reason it didn't turn up in a normal search, but here it is. http://www.lowes.com/cd_Lowes+Plant+Guide_253427968_?url=plant.aspx?code=LB22543

Still googling around trying to find out if it's self pollinating.

[RamonaGS]

I couldn't find a direct answer on that either, but there were a couple of descriptions that talked about it being attractive to bees and insects, so I suspect it might need to be pollinated. But it looks like the variety of zucchini you have are heirloomable plants. I realized I hadn't looked mine up either, and my zucchini are self pollinating, but my cucumbers are not. Glad you all reminded me, LOL!

[jemsister]

Well, I suppose one way or the other, it will make yums! =D

[jal_ut]

I think I would just be patient for a week, if the female flowers get pollinated you will know because they will grow fruit very quickly. Not much use worrying about it unless they don't develop.

[RamonaGS]

Sounds like good advice to me!

[jemsister]

I will try to be patient. Not my strong suit!

Question, though. Will the large leaves that are shading the flowers effect the blooms in any way, or will they make it hard for bees to come to the blossoms? It is a very bushy plant, and you can't see any of the buds unless you part the leaves.

[PunkRotten]

It won't affect it and the bees will find the flowers. You just have to have enough bees active in your yard to begin with.

[jemsister]

Thanks, PR. I do see bees around, so hopefully we have enough. I see a few different kinds. The big black ones, the medium sized yellow striped ones, the itty bitty ones that hover...

[PunkRotten]

I never ever see bumblebees around here. But I got plenty of honey bees. I think those hovering bees you are talking about are actually hoverflies. They are good to have. I occasionally see these tiny green metallic looking bees. But they seem to be attracted to my Pepper flowers. I grow Yarrow, Dill, and sometimes let carrots, cilantro, and parsley flower just to attract different kinds of bees/wasps/flies. I usually will plant a cilantro plant right before Summer so that it bolts right away. I do it simply just to get the flowers because so many beneficial insects like it like Ladybugs.

[RamonaGS]

So cilantro attracts ladybugs? I thought they were just after those gross aphids. I'm going to have to plant some cilantro now!

[rainbowgardener]

Parthenocarpic/ self-pollinating would be very rare and marked as such. The ordinary zucchini is monoecious. While it is more common for them to only make male flowers at first and then start also making females, sometimes it goes the other way around, with females first. Either way you just need to be patient and let Nature and the plant work their magic.

You are very lucky, that I think on the west coast you don't have zucchini vine borers. We are plagued by them to the extent that I and most of the gardeners I know around here, just give up on growing zucchini.

[PunkRotten]

So cilantro attracts ladybugs? I thought they were just after those gross aphids. I'm going to have to plant some cilantro now!

Check out this link -

http://www.farmerfred.com/plants_that_a ... enefi.html

Some of these plants have to flower before they start to attract certain insects.

[jemsister]

No, we don't have squash vine borers. Thank goodness! They sound awful.

So my zuke bloomed a male flower, then two females got ready, and now that they have bloomed the male has closed up. Boo.

[rainbowgardener]

Patience, patience, all in good time.

[jemsister]

Oh crud, that patience word again. I suck at patience. LOL!

[liagarden]

"some of the buds that are forming look like they have stems, while others look different."

As long as you're getting males & females, and already have baby zuchinnis, you can pick some of the male squash flowers, stuff them, & cook them. Many recipes on epicurious.com, all-recipe, youtube, etc. I don't find them particularly flavorful, but once in a while it's fun to do. Of course, I'll eat anything stuffed with cheese!

[RamonaGS]

Of course, I'll eat anything stuffed with cheese!

Oh Heck yeah!!!

[jemsister]

I have one blooming female, and none of the males look like they will be ready for a couple of days yet. The blooms don't seem to last long. Should I eat it?

[jemsister]

Okay, I know this is a dumb question, but remember I have never grown zucchini before. How large does an ovary get? Mine are four inches long. Is that actually a zucchini growing, or are ovaries just that big?

[rainbowgardener]

they are the same thing-- the ovary/embryo zucchini just grows and develops in to the fruit. Looks like yours is well on the way.

[RamonaGS]

They can get really big actually. But if you want to be sure it's developing see if you can hand pollinate. Looks to me like it is starting to grow though. It's best if you don't let them get too big in your case, because didn't we find that your zucchini are an heirloom variety? That means their seeds will get hard and inedible if the zucchini gets to a certain size, but then you can harvest the seeds and grow them next year. So if you want zucchini to just pick, slice, and eat then don't let them get much larger than 8-10 inches long, maybe less. But what I have done when an heirloom zucchini got really big, and developed hard seeds, is I split it, harvested the seeds, and then stuffed the zucchini in the space where the seeds had been, and baked it up because the flesh of the zucchini is still quite edible when it's large like that.

[jemsister]

they are the same thing-- the ovary/embryo zucchini just grows and develops in to the fruit. Looks like yours is well on the way.

I'm still trying to work out the terminology. I guess what I'm wondering is how can you tell the difference between the unpollinated baby, and the pollinated, growing fruit?

Ramona, thanks for the tip about size--I didn't know the seeds got hard like that, but I guess they must, considering the seeds that you plant.

[RamonaGS]

On the heirloom zucs they do get hard, but not on hybrid types usually. You can always test it out by growing the first one really big and checking the seeds. I've grown some that got away from me and ended up about 16 inches long. Hybrids at that size usually have soft edible seeds, but the heirlooms had hard seeds that can be replanted.

[jemsister]

As I understand it, if a female has not been pollinated, the stem and ovary will shrivel up and fall off. How quickly does that happen?

[RamonaGS]

I read somewhere that if it is unfertilized that the fruit only gets to be 2-3 inches long and then starts to die. That might have been a thread on here somewhere.