Too late to self-pollinate zucchini?

[MOFishin]

I spent weeks wondering why my zucchini kept flowering but not producing anything. I just learned about why this was happening, and the fact that I can pollinate with a q-tip myself, a week or two ago. But every morning I have made time to get out in the garden early to do it, the female flowers have not been open. Is it just too late in the season now?
Thanks!

[kayjay]

Hi. Can you maybe post some pictures? I can't figure out why you'd have female flowers for a week or two, but they're not opening.

I wouldn't think it's too late unless maybe the plant is sick. Mine didn't stop until they succumbed to powdery mildew, but there were no flowers by that point.

[applestar]

The squashes and other cucurbits open at a certain time in the morning. Some open earlier, some later. But the squashes typically close by mid-day. (I remember Watermelons do too, but can't remember about other melons. I don't think cucumbers close.)

It's possible you are too early if you are getting out there before going to work, etc. If it's early, then I don't think the situation is that you are too late or that it's too late in the season.

Here's a trick you could try -- you need to learn to recognize which flowers will open that day because those are the only ones that will be receptive. The blossoms should be yellow and loose, if greenish and tightly closed, then it's not going to open until at least the next day. Now, when you are out, are the MALE blossoms open yet? This is critical since you also need male blossoms that are will open on that same day. Assuming there are open male blossoms, here's what I do -- clip off the petals by cutting from one edge to the middle and then around, cutting off the calyces, so you have a wand with the yellow anther tip "q-tip" dab the tip in the base of the flower petal you just cut off because often there are loose pollen attached to the petals, then slit open the unopened female blossom -- you can either slit the side open or clip off the tip. Dab the stigma with the anther.

IF the male blossoms aren't open at the time you go out, this gets a bit trickier because the anther may not have produced the day's pollen yet. What I would do in this case is choose one female blossom to pollinate, and after opening it, LEAVE THE TIP OF THE ANTHER INSIDE THE FEMALE BLOSSOM NEAR THE STIGMA. This way, if ANY pollinator enters the female blossom, it will touch the anther which may have produced some pollen later and spread them around inside the female blossom, hopefully touching the stigma..

[applestar]

Here are some examples. These female blossoms were open, but as you can see, I always leave the anthers in the blossoms.

Subject: Applestar's 2016 Garden

NOT-Kakai -- since the first blossom didn't set, I made sure to pollinate with males from same vine.

Bottom two are yellow zukes 'Butta' -- first female blossoms may open day after tomorrow?

Subject: Applestar's 2016 Garden

Squash are Starting to bloom. I hand pollinated the Not Kakai and it has set (actually pale yellow color but the leaves cast a green shadow) Long Pie is not blooming yet, but soon, and has a female almost ready to bloom (long thin calyces and velvety fuzz not spines marks this as a C.moschata). This last one -- I can't remember which one it is because I forgot to label it, but since the male has opened, I can tell it's a C.maxima, and it's NOT Uncle David.





A lonely female Butta summer squash on one plant. A solitary male -- though females are on their way -- on another one 6 feet away.... The male blossom was occupied, but the bees climbed out and flew off as I walked with the cut off blossom, then I married them.

One of Kikuza x Tromboncino F1 has male blossom and at least two female buds. This one is a C.moschata.

[JohnnyB60]

Wow, I really feel dumb right now. This is the first I’ve ever heard of this and to top it off, my wife keeps telling me that we don’t have any bees this year, but I just didn’t listen. Jeez, I don’t have any idea how to tell females from males and I guess I need to do some more google learning.
Hmm, I have a lot of large brown grasshoppers running around and I wonder if they can help in this dilemma. LOL

[ButterflyLady29]

Don't depend on the grasshoppers. They just eat the plants. Grasshoppers aren't pollinators.

This year I've seen a lot of small green to black shiny bees around. They are different kinds of sweat bees. Those are excellent pollinators.

[JohnnyB60]

Don't depend on the grasshoppers. They just eat the plants. Grasshoppers aren't pollinators.

This year I've seen a lot of small green to black shiny bees around. They are different kinds of sweat bees. Those are excellent pollinators.

Thanks ButterflyLady29, I guess I need to pay more attention to the bugs because I thought I saw some bees, but not exactly sure.
I don’t remember the details, but there was a push a few years ago to protect bees and to also increase their population. I just don’t know whatever became of the idea.

[jal_ut]

Take a 30 inch long 2x4 and drill a whole bunch of 7/32 inch holes in it. Hang it under the eaves of an outbuilding. The lil leaf cutter bees will come and use these for laying eggs and raising youinguns.

[jal_ut]

The female flowers are low down and on short stems and have the beginnings of a fruit. The male flowers are on taller stems and often the flowers are at canopy level.

[kayjay]

I don’t remember the details, but there was a push a few years ago to protect bees and to also increase their population. I just don’t know whatever became of the idea.

Bees are still in trouble. I commented on twitter about not seeing bees and one of my followers is an exterminator. They won't use anything that harms bees, strictly forbidden.

Next year, if you can, grow yellow zucchini. The female flowers stick out like a sore thumb.

I shrunk the pic down a little too much,but can you see the little baby zucchinis?

20160612 - zuke gold flowers 2.jpg (54.89 KiB) Viewed 1893 times

[JohnnyB60]

Bees are still in trouble. I commented on twitter about not seeing bees and one of my followers is an exterminator. They won't use anything that harms bees, strictly forbidden.

Thanks kayjay, I don’t think every pest control company around here cares about bees. I’m retired now, but I think it was last year that one of my coworkers found a bee colony at one of our remote Communication sites and filed a safety concern with my employer. They in turn called out an exterminator and killed them all. I was upset because I have seen in the past where a beekeeper would be called to remove the bees.

[JohnnyB60]

Take a 30 inch long 2x4 and drill a whole bunch of 7/32 inch holes in it. Hang it under the eaves of an outbuilding. The lil leaf cutter bees will come and use these for laying eggs and raising youinguns.

Wow thanks for sharing this jal_ut, I’m going to do this today because I thought I saw a small bee yesterday when I was cleaning up around my zucchini plants. I just hope the wasps don’t move in before the bees, because I have a lot of them and get stung a lot.