I planted these two during the first week of May this year and they have grown a ton. My cukes are climbing and the vines are about 8-10 feet long, and my zucchini has taken over a 4’x4’ area. Both look fairly healthy but they keep producing a ton of male flowers. Both have started to produce at least 2 females each with only one female on the cuke looking like it’s going to make it. The 2 zucchini females appear to have fallen off before the flower opened. I’m in Missouri outside of Kansas City.
Should I just continue to wait the females will eventually or do you think this is from a lack of nutrients?
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Maverick8550
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SQWIB
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I noticed most of my vining squash puts on females once the vine has grown in length.
I hand pollinated the females but it wasn't necessary for my spaghetti squash.
I have seen a lot of the females form a squash but they're not fertile so they just don't make it.
For my zucchini it's a similar thing, many more males as opposed to females, as long as the plants are healthy, hang in there and see what happens.
I hand pollinated the females but it wasn't necessary for my spaghetti squash.
I have seen a lot of the females form a squash but they're not fertile so they just don't make it.
For my zucchini it's a similar thing, many more males as opposed to females, as long as the plants are healthy, hang in there and see what happens.
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Gary350
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Just wait you will have female flowers soon. Last year I had a few females then all males 2 weeks later then mostly females another 2 week after that. Cukes? You mean Qcomeburs.
Last edited by Gary350 on Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:55 am, edited 4 times in total.
It is normal for most monoecious plants to put out male flowers first. They are there first to attract the pollinators. The female flowers usually follow after. Sometimes weather, nutrient or soil conditions can play a part especially with squash and zucchini. Less than ideal conditions can cause flowers to abort or more males to be produced instead of females.
I used to have too many zucchini, but with the weird weather we have been having the last few years, I have switched to mostly parthenocarpic plants. I have been planting parthenocarpic cucumbers for years, but I recently started growing parthenocarpic zucchini because I got 0 fruit 2 years in a row. The male and female flowers failed to sync and I only had one plant so it did not help. I did get more fruit set with parthenocarpic plants but I still have problems with the fruit being stung by fruit flies, so I have to cover them.
I prefer to grow Japanese and burpless cucumbers. Straight 8 was too seedy and bitter for my taste.
https://www.growveg.com/guides/the-secr ... -zucchini/
I used to have too many zucchini, but with the weird weather we have been having the last few years, I have switched to mostly parthenocarpic plants. I have been planting parthenocarpic cucumbers for years, but I recently started growing parthenocarpic zucchini because I got 0 fruit 2 years in a row. The male and female flowers failed to sync and I only had one plant so it did not help. I did get more fruit set with parthenocarpic plants but I still have problems with the fruit being stung by fruit flies, so I have to cover them.
I prefer to grow Japanese and burpless cucumbers. Straight 8 was too seedy and bitter for my taste.
https://www.growveg.com/guides/the-secr ... -zucchini/
So the plants are otherwise healthy, but the female flowers are dying before they even open? I had that happen a few years ago on a butternut squash. I had two healthy squashes early in the season - June/early July, when the weather was beautiful. But then the weather was incredibly hot and humid for the rest of the summer, and that happened to me - the females rotted off. Once it cooled in September, I got one more healthy squash.
I assumed it was the weather. Has your weather been unusually hot and humid? Have you grown zukes and cukes before, and were they better in less-hot summers? My impression of KC summer climate (from baseball broadcasts
) is that it's pretty hot and muggy.
I assumed it was the weather. Has your weather been unusually hot and humid? Have you grown zukes and cukes before, and were they better in less-hot summers? My impression of KC summer climate (from baseball broadcasts
) is that it's pretty hot and muggy.-
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Ah you are in Missouri... Ok have you checked for SVB’s (Squash Vine Borers)? Zucchini, being C. Pepo with hollow stems is susceptible. Once they begin to much away, summer squash and zucchini might still have healthy-looking leaves, but become unable to sustain the female blossoms and their unpollinated/ovary behind the flowerbuds turn brown and rot before the flower buds even open.
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Maverick8550
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This is my first year planting cukes and zucchini squash. Both look healthy, and there appears to be no insect damage on the stems of the zucchini squash. I sprayed neem oil on everything today since the Japanese beetles are making themselves known. Other than that it’s been in the upper 90’s this week with high humidity, today a couple of the zucchini squash’s leaves started cupping up around the edges which appeared towards midday, but the leaves look nice and green.
High heat and humidity can lead to mildew on the leaves. I think it is the heat that is causing the problem of the blossom drop
https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/06/ho ... -yields-2/
Zucchini and summer squash (maxima and pepo) types don't do well in temperatures above 90. Moschata types will tolerate the heat better. Waltham butternut, Seminole Pumpkin, Tan Cheese,Green striped Cushaw, Luffa, and watermelon will grow better in the heat.
https://www.southernexposure.com/blog/20 ... t-summers/
https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/06/ho ... -yields-2/
Zucchini and summer squash (maxima and pepo) types don't do well in temperatures above 90. Moschata types will tolerate the heat better. Waltham butternut, Seminole Pumpkin, Tan Cheese,Green striped Cushaw, Luffa, and watermelon will grow better in the heat.
https://www.southernexposure.com/blog/20 ... t-summers/