"ATL" wrote in message
om...
I have searched for and read several earlier threads about zucchini
problems. My two zucchini plants put on fruit, but after growing to
lengths of around 3-4", they shriveled up and died. From what I have
read it sounds like the problem is a lack of bees to pollinate the
plants. I did not, however, read the exact method of hand pollinating
the zucchini. I understand you take a male flower, which is located
on a fruitless stem, and rub it against a female flower, which is the
flower on the end of a fruit. Assuming that is correct, my question
then is do I open the female flower to pollinate? The flowers on the
ends of my zucchini are closed. I tried rubbing the male flower on a
closed female flower and I tried rubbing the male flower on a female
flower that I opened manually. Neither appears to have worked. I may
have been too late or else my technique needs improving. Also, how
soon should I pollinate the female flowers? As soon as they are first
formed or should I wait until they grow to a couple of inches long?


Sounds like my zucchini situation. Thanks to suggestions from the newsgroup
folks I began to use a Q-tip to pollinate, swabbing the pollen from the male
flower and gently rubbing it on the female. I have to gently tear the
females flower open as they don't seem to do it on their own. I try to wait
as long as possible to make sure the female is mature, so seems like the zuc
is at least two inches long when I pollinate. I have one plant that has
grown to a monstrous size and I am awash in zucs - so be careful what you
wish for. How many ways can you prepare zucchini??

Karen