only squash flowers, any hope?

hotcookie101

My squash is going mad, has lots of flowers, and more on the way, but no squashes. Should there be some by now? Should I abandon hope for it?

lostinrates

Well, you could stuff and eat the flowers rather than abandon ALL hope.

realfood

What type of squash?

demystified

Cucurbits produce masses of male flowers but very few female flowers, typically about 10:1. You need to look for the females and make sure they get pollinated, a little hand pollination if possible, a very soft fine paintbrush and lightest of touches, or a rabbit's tail if you can find one.

Are there flowers in the garden/allotment nearby that attract pollinating insects?

blossomhill_2

Pinch off the majority of the male flowers as soon as they appear - they are the ones with a long thin stalk - females have a bulbous bit at the bottom (hmmm!)

hotcookie101

Its a butternut squash. I had no idea re male/female flowers-I thought it all just got on with it! :rotfl:

There are TONS of pollinating insects though-my garden is full of (different types of) bees, hoverflies and butterflies

Habibiboo

[COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]Hi well done for seeking prompt advice ~ my husband pulled up all of my squash plants because of the lack of fruit before I'd had the chance to look up what the problem was[/COLOR] :mad: so now I have to start over next year (unless I can find a winter variety). We too do have a lot of pollinators in our garden but they have been concentrating on some of the other flowers and just ignoring the squashes, it seems, so perhaps don't rely on your furry flying friends and try the paintbrush method instead ~ I've now got one in ready for next year! Good luck, hope your efforts are soon bearing fruit!

ed110220

I've noticed that one of my squash plants has only just set it's first fruit now. All the other types I have, plus the courgettes have been fruiting for quite a while.

I put it down to the exceptionally wet summer we've had. I didn't try hand pollination as I thought I had enough cucurbits already!

I would think even if it starts now they probably won't be ripe by autumn, but of course you can still eat them before they are fully ripe.

meercatsunited

same here lots of male flowers but I have 1 squash on the plant, all females kept dropping before opening then found a large ants nest in the roots, I grow organically so do not know what to do as yet.

realfood

Hotcookie, Butternuts are always later in setting fruit than most other varieties of Winter Squash. You do not say where you are, but in the North you will get better results by growing one of the quick maturing varieties of Winter Squash.
See this page for suitable varieties :- http://www.growyourown.info/page127.html

Yorkie1

Don't remove all the male flowers as soon as they appear, or your female flowers will never be pollinated!