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Old 11-08-2011, 08:05 PM posted to rec.gardens
Brooklyn1 Brooklyn1 is offline
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Default Why no more new fruit on my zukes?

On Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:42:14 -0700, "Paul M. Cook"
wrote:


"Todd" wrote in message
...
On 08/10/2011 02:18 PM, Todd wrote:
On 08/09/2011 05:49 PM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I am attempting to grow zucchini this year. I am a total
beginner and no little of what I am doing.

Problem: on my four producing plants, I have lots of
flowers but no new fruit. I initially got a very nice
fruit off of each plant. But, then for the last two weeks,
nothing new. I have lots of flowers by no new fruit.
The plants seem healthy (well, to me anyway). I am puzzled.

Do I need to shake the flowers or somethings to make sure they
pollinate? Any ideas what to do?


Assuming you have no bees and without bees you need to manually
pollinate.
Pick a few male flowers, peel off the petals then dab the stamen onto
the
female flower's stigma. Roll it around well. It's tedious but the only
way
you'll get zukes without bees.

Paul

Hi Billy and Paul,

Thank you!

I did not realize there were male and female flowers on zucchini.

Found an excellent video that show how to self pollinate (and
that the two of you are correct):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x1crwrsxj8

I have wilted female flowers shown in the video too

I was also told I was over watering the guys by a farmer friend.

-T


I just checked out all my new buds now that I can tell their
sexes apart. THEY ARE ALL DUDES! BUMMER!!! Oh well, the
soil is still drying out from all my over watering.


Once you do get fruit don't let them get too big. You have to keep the
plant thinking it has not completed its life cycle or it will die and
shrivel up quickly. I like to grow really big zukes, like 24 inches long,
but I only get 3 or so from each plant. Overwatering may also have flushed
nutrients from the soil.


Leaving squash fruit to grow larger in many varieties is the same as
letting leafy vegetables go to seed. If it's large long zucchini
that's desired just grow the varieties that normally produce large
long fruit. This one is excellent (aka zucchini longo), I have it
growing now: http://www.lakevalleyseed.com/Summer_p/1427.htm