Last year I could used zucchini to re-roof my house, this year could
not re-roof a dog house. Not sure if it has been to cold or wet here
in Maryland. My plants are huge but no fruit.

higgledy wrote:
Last year I could used zucchini to re-roof my house, this year could
not re-roof a dog house. Not sure if it has been to cold or wet here
in Maryland. My plants are huge but no fruit.


Are they making flowers? You may have to hand pollinate this year.

Steve

"higgledy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Last year I could used zucchini to re-roof my house, this year could
not re-roof a dog house. Not sure if it has been to cold or wet here
in Maryland. My plants are huge but no fruit.

When did you sow the seed?
How many days to maturity?
Have you seen small zucchini at the base of some flowers turn yellow and
drop off?
Has pesticide been applied that could have killed your pollenators?

No insecticides --plenty of bees. I planted the seeds around April
15-25, in a hill (1 hill about 5 seeds). They have grown great, idid
thin by pulling 2 smaller plant leaving me woth 3 plants. I have seen
small zucchinis begin rotting at the flower end. About a month ago I
cut-off all developing squash to give the plant some time to build
roots. Since then I have seen plenty of flowers but only two small
squash. These 2 small squash look healthy and growing larger than the
prvious squash had ever gotton. I am not sure of the days to maturity
but assuming that the seeds had been planted by May 1, 60+ days should
be enough time to make a zuchini.



TQ wrote:
"higgledy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Last year I could used zucchini to re-roof my house, this year could
not re-roof a dog house. Not sure if it has been to cold or wet here
in Maryland. My plants are huge but no fruit.

When did you sow the seed?
How many days to maturity?
Have you seen small zucchini at the base of some flowers turn yellow and
drop off?
Has pesticide been applied that could have killed your pollenators?

No insecticides --plenty of bees. I planted the seeds around April
15-25, in a hill (1 hill about 5 seeds). They have grown great, idid
thin by pulling 2 smaller plant leaving me woth 3 plants. I have seen
small zucchinis begin rotting at the flower end. About a month ago I
cut-off all developing squash to give the plant some time to build
roots. Since then I have seen plenty of flowers but only two small
squash. These 2 small squash look healthy and growing larger than the
prvious squash had ever gotton. I am not sure of the days to maturity
but assuming that the seeds had been planted by May 1, 60+ days should
be enough time to make a zuchini.



TQ wrote:
"higgledy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Last year I could used zucchini to re-roof my house, this year could
not re-roof a dog house. Not sure if it has been to cold or wet here
in Maryland. My plants are huge but no fruit.

When did you sow the seed?
How many days to maturity?
Have you seen small zucchini at the base of some flowers turn yellow and
drop off?
Has pesticide been applied that could have killed your pollenators?

I planted my first zuke hills around the same time as you. They started to
produce later that usual this year (early June v. late May). They finished
producing about 10 days ago and their remains now reside in the compost
pile. Second crop started producing last week.

In my experience, zukes produce for about a month, then essentially quit,
although they will grudgingly cough up a few more, but hardly worth the
effort. I find it/s better to plant more hills ~4-6 weeks after the first
to ensure a continuous harvest.

If it were my garden, which is cramped for space, I/d pull out the old and
sow anew so there/ll be zukes to pick come late August into early fall.


"higgledy" wrote in message
oups.com...
No insecticides --plenty of bees. I planted the seeds around April
15-25, in a hill (1 hill about 5 seeds). They have grown great, idid
thin by pulling 2 smaller plant leaving me woth 3 plants. I have seen
small zucchinis begin rotting at the flower end. About a month ago I
cut-off all developing squash to give the plant some time to build
roots. Since then I have seen plenty of flowers but only two small
squash. These 2 small squash look healthy and growing larger than the
prvious squash had ever gotton. I am not sure of the days to maturity
but assuming that the seeds had been planted by May 1, 60+ days should
be enough time to make a zuchini.



TQ wrote:
"higgledy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Last year I could used zucchini to re-roof my house, this year could
not re-roof a dog house. Not sure if it has been to cold or wet here
in Maryland. My plants are huge but no fruit.

When did you sow the seed?
How many days to maturity?
Have you seen small zucchini at the base of some flowers turn yellow and
drop off?
Has pesticide been applied that could have killed your pollenators?

"higgledy" writes:
No insecticides --plenty of bees.

You don't need bees for zucchini. The best stage to pick the fruit is
just after the flower goes limp (usually the day after it opened), the
fruit has maximum flavour at this size, about 5 inches.

ONLY if you intend leaving the fruit to reach a larger size do you
need the flowers to be pollinated. You can perform the pollen transfer
yourself if you can find a male flower open at the same time as the
female. The fruit will grow to a large size, and look impressive, but
it is tasteless in comparison with what it is just after the flower
opens.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

John Savage wrote:
......
.......
........
You don't need bees for zucchini. The best stage to pick the fruit is
just after the flower goes limp (usually the day after it opened), the
fruit has maximum flavour at this size, about 5 inches.
.............
.........

You must grow a different variety than I have tried so far. I find the
flavor much nicer a day or two later when the fruit has grown a little
but the flower has not fallen off yet. I find un-pollinated zucchinis to
be a little bitter. I usually just steam mine. Maybe they are different
if cooked another way.

Steve