squash blossoms

[lillgardnr]

I was told that I should pinch off some of my squash blossoms, in order to make the plant healthier...is this true? if it is how many should I take off? which ones should I take, and when should I start plucking them?

[opabinia51]

This is a common misconception, all that will happen if you pinch off the blossoms is that you will have less squash. So, allow the blossoms to persist.

To allow the plants to be healthy, add some good compost to the soil and/or some well rotted Cow, pig, sheep, chicken or horse manure. Also, if you can find some some aerated compost tea wouldn't hurt. Use this as a foliar spray.

You can make your own by placing compost in a barrel and filling with water and stirring vigorously several times a day or getting a aeration system from a local aquarium shop.

Don't use sterilized compost, what you want are all the beneficial flora and fauna that live in the compost.

[lillgardnr]

thanks. I'm glad to hear that...didn't really want to go out an start pulling on the plants Ive been working so hard to keep happy ...

[Inamon]

If you want to have super gigantic squash I think you are correct in the pinching thing. You let some set fruit ad then pinch the others off so the ones that are left get all the benefits of the plant provided nutrients. Much like anything in life too much of something isn't a good thing. Baby carrots? Sweeter! Baby basil? more intensly flavoured! I'm down with much crop over one or two large crop items. Much crop allows for continued harvest, large crop items require immediate use.