Zucchini blossoms all male

[TexasGardenGirl]

I'm super excited that my zucchini is blossoming. I did notice none of them seem to be female blossoms, though. They all seem to be male flowers. It's normal for the first few to be male and it take a little while before female ones show....but all the buds and everything look like they're male flowers as well. How long before I see female flowers and can hand pollinate (there don't seem to be very many bees around my backyard)?

[imafan26]

Male blossoms usually show up first. However weather can greatly affect zucchini blossoms. Hot spells can result in mostly male blossoms, and excess rain spoils the flowers and bees don't like to fly in the rain. It takes about 5 male flowers for each female. Pollination may require more than one visit. You can help things along by hand polination in the early morning.

Zucchini likes temperatures in the 70-95 degree range and a pH between 5.8-6.8

If you don't have a lot of polinators around try a parthenocarpic zucchini like parthenon which produces mostly female flowers and are self fertile.

[TexasGardenGirl]

Male blossoms usually show up first. However weather can greatly affect zucchini blossoms. Hot spells can result in mostly male blossoms, and excess rain spoils the flowers and bees don't like to fly in the rain. It takes about 5 male flowers for each female. Pollination may require more than one visit. You can help things along by hand polination in the early morning.

Zucchini likes temperatures in the 70-95 degree range and a pH between 5.8-6.8

If you don't have a lot of polinators around try a parthenocarpic zucchini like parthenon which produces mostly female flowers and are self fertile.

Temps have been fine, not anywhere near the 90s, mostly the 70s. I'm used to the weather in Oklahoma where my dad grows zucchini in abundance despite 100 degree temps. I grew from seed just to try my hand at it. The males are blooming just fine. I've seen bees on my front yard but there's not a ton in the backyard so I planned on hand pollinating. But every time I see open blooms they're male. And all the ones I see that are a few days away from opening are male. How much longer does it take to get female flowers? I don't mind hand pollinating cause then I can pollinate and use the male blossoms to eat once they're done doing their job.

[rainbowgardener]

It may take a few weeks of all male flowers. I think it helps makes sure the bees are buzzing around them by the time the females show up.

[TexasGardenGirl]

It may take a few weeks of all male flowers. I think it helps makes sure the bees are buzzing around them by the time the females show up.

I go out every morning to check on everything and give self pollinating plants a shake if I see any open blooms so I will probably hand pollinate the females so I can be sure they're pollinated. Since I don't usually see bees in the backyard I'd rather play it safe. Guess I'll just keep my eyes open for female flowers developing.

[imafan26]

I think I read some place(s) that bees really don't like cucurbits and prefer other flowers so the zucchini strategy seemed to be to entice the bees with male flowers first to attract them since the bees do liike to collect pollen. If I remember it took two to three weeks before I saw many female flowers and I usually have bees around my garden all of the time.

That being said, I used to get more zucchini than I could use from a couple of plants, but in the last three years, yields have been disappointing. I got 4 fruit from 2 zucchini plants last year so this year I am planting parthenon and see how that goes.

[TexasGardenGirl]

I think I read some place(s) that bees really don't like cucurbits and prefer other flowers so the zucchini strategy seemed to be to entice the bees with male flowers first to attract them since the bees do liike to collect pollen. If I remember it took two to three weeks before I saw many female flowers and I usually have bees around my garden all of the time.

That being said, I used to get more zucchini than I could use from a couple of plants, but in the last three years, yields have been disappointing. I got 4 fruit from 2 zucchini plants last year so this year I am planting parthenon and see how that goes.

Hmm I'll give it another couple of weeks. Especially since it's finally not as cloudy and rainy anymore. The sun is finally out, I've got the garden mulched, and figured out what the heck has been nibbling on the leaves of my zucchini. Thought it was a rabbit or squirrel but turns out my dog really seems to like the leaves and blossoms. I'm not sure why...maybe she just likes the way they taste. Maybe I'll pick the male blossoms off until the females show and feed them to her as a treat haha! If she's gonna try to steal them from my garden I may as well, right? Haha!