Zucchini woes

[beachbum757]

My zucchini plants still have no female flowers although the plants are quite large and producing lots of male flowers. Is there any chance I will still get any yield from these or am I wasting my time.
Because of a series of very large amounts of water from overnight storms, I am seeing the beginnings of powdery mildew.
I have bees visiting my flowers every morning, so I just am bewidered.
I have always had an over abundance of zucchini.
I especially miss making my zucchini bread.
Can you make bread from yellow squash, using my same recipe?

[Trentt]

This has happened to me in years past and eventually the female flowers show up and by mid-August I'm once again giving zucchini away. Hopefully your plants are simply late bloomers.

And yes, you can use any kind of summer squash in zucchini recipes. The grated squash is really more there for texture and moisture than anything. They are not strong on taste so any other summer squash will be a fine subtitute.

[Toria810]

I have the same problem. I tried using a paintbrush as I thought the pollination problem was the issue. But now I think I just don't have any female flowers. Can someone please explain again how to tell the difference between the male and female flowers?

[Jess]

Here you are Toria
https://www.backyardnature.net/fl_sqwsh.htm
And it can take up to 3 weeks for the females to appear so don't panic just yet.

[beachbum757]

Thank you1 I thought that I could substitute the squashes, it makes sense, but I didn't want to try and end up with a mess.
I will keep looking for those female blooms.
I had to pull up a whole summer squash plant, it was rotting. Too much rain. I am not sure the squash plants like being in the raised beds either, not enough sprawling space. Oh well, thanks for the replies and I'm always eager to here from my fellow gardeners.
I must say, I am stunned to learn the huge sizes of some of the vegetable gardens talked about in these forums. I could never keep up with all that work

[Toria810]

Jess,
Thanks for the great pics!!! THat definitely helps confirm that I do not have any female flowers!! Well at least the males are pretty to look at it and we will remain patient until the females decide to show up to the party.

I would have to quit my job and become a full time farmer to keep up with some of the gardens everyone has here. But hey, atleast we have a great resource and know where to go when we need help!!

Happy gardening!

[mbaker410]

Jess,
Thanks for the great pics!!! THat definitely helps confirm that I do not have any female flowers!! Well at least the males are pretty to look at it and we will remain patient until the females decide to show up to the party.

Sounds like what happens to single guys that go to the club! lol

BTW... I had only male flowers and plenty of them for close to 2 weeks before the females showed up. Now in week 4 I have cukes and looks like plenty of them.

Mike

[JennyC]

In the meantime, I discovered that the excess male flowers are delicious -- you can put them in salads or (even better) stuff them with a meat or veggie stuffing and fry like fritters.