Zukes not fully developing
 

My zuke plant, I only have the one, is acting oddly. So far it has started
4 zukes. Two I hand pollinated the others were bee pollinated. In each
case they grew to about 4 inches in length and then just stop. After 10
days I cut them all off as they had not grown an inch in a week. Last year
they grew an inch a day. What could be going on here?

Zukes not fully developing
 

In article ,
"Paul M. Cook" wrote:

My zuke plant, I only have the one, is acting oddly. So far it has started
4 zukes. Two I hand pollinated the others were bee pollinated. In each
case they grew to about 4 inches in length and then just stop. After 10
days I cut them all off as they had not grown an inch in a week. Last year
they grew an inch a day. What could be going on here?

You may have ended up with a cull as your main plant. Thinning and
culling leaving the strongest is a big part of gardening.

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

http://www.wordnik.com/

Zukes not fully developing
 

"Bill who putters" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Paul M. Cook" wrote:

My zuke plant, I only have the one, is acting oddly. So far it has
started
4 zukes. Two I hand pollinated the others were bee pollinated. In each
case they grew to about 4 inches in length and then just stop. After 10
days I cut them all off as they had not grown an inch in a week. Last
year
they grew an inch a day. What could be going on here?

You may have ended up with a cull as your main plant. Thinning and
culling leaving the strongest is a big part of gardening.

I only planted one. I do containers. I have this one in a 22 inch pot with
3 cubic feet of soil. The seeds came from my garden shop. The plant itself
is quite healthy and has many large leaves.

Zukes not fully developing
 

Paul M. Cook wrote:
My zuke plant, I only have the one, is acting oddly. So far it has
started 4 zukes. Two I hand pollinated the others were bee
pollinated. In each case they grew to about 4 inches in length and
then just stop. After 10 days I cut them all off as they had not
grown an inch in a week. Last year they grew an inch a day. What
could be going on here?

What do the flower ends look like? I am wondering if you have atypical
blossom end rot.

David

Zukes not fully developing
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
My zuke plant, I only have the one, is acting oddly. So far it has
started 4 zukes. Two I hand pollinated the others were bee
pollinated. In each case they grew to about 4 inches in length and
then just stop. After 10 days I cut them all off as they had not
grown an inch in a week. Last year they grew an inch a day. What
could be going on here?

What do the flower ends look like? I am wondering if you have atypical
blossom end rot.

The flowers are very large and perfect. I have three new ones on there now.
None have grown a quarter inch in the last several days. All are about 3
inches long. One is turning yellow.

Paul

Zukes not fully developing
 

Paul M. Cook wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
Paul M. Cook wrote:
My zuke plant, I only have the one, is acting oddly. So far it has
started 4 zukes. Two I hand pollinated the others were bee
pollinated. In each case they grew to about 4 inches in length and
then just stop. After 10 days I cut them all off as they had not
grown an inch in a week. Last year they grew an inch a day. What
could be going on here?

What do the flower ends look like? I am wondering if you have atypical
blossom end rot.

The flowers are very large and perfect. I have three new ones on there now.
None have grown a quarter inch in the last several days. All are about 3
inches long. One is turning yellow.

i would guess that you need a different
source of pollen. some plants don't set
fruit very well when self pollinated.


songbird

Zukes not fully developing
 

"songbird" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
Paul M. Cook wrote:
My zuke plant, I only have the one, is acting oddly. So far it has
started 4 zukes. Two I hand pollinated the others were bee
pollinated. In each case they grew to about 4 inches in length and
then just stop. After 10 days I cut them all off as they had not
grown an inch in a week. Last year they grew an inch a day. What
could be going on here?

What do the flower ends look like? I am wondering if you have atypical
blossom end rot.

The flowers are very large and perfect. I have three new ones on there
now.
None have grown a quarter inch in the last several days. All are about 3
inches long. One is turning yellow.

i would guess that you need a different
source of pollen. some plants don't set
fruit very well when self pollinated.

Hmmm ... last year I grew Fordhooks. This year Black Beauty. Could it be
the variety of zucchini?

Paul

Zukes not fully developing
 

Paul M. Cook wrote:
....
Hmmm ... last year I grew Fordhooks. This year Black Beauty. Could it be
the variety of zucchini?

i'm not really sure, but it could also be
a timing thing too. some plants/blooms will
not be able to be pollinated unless certain
conditions are met and i don't have a good
description anywhere of what a pollen accepting
zucchini squash blossom looks like in comparison
to one that is not (i have such a description
for tulips, but that doesn't help you :)).

you may want to do some experimenting and
see what seems to work. like, pollinating
within a few hours of the bloom opening, and
then trying again a day later, and then waiting
another day and try again. try some early
in the morning, others midday, others evening,
etc. for temperature. no need to be shy,
a normal squash blossom needs many visits by
bees before they are pollenated properly.
that could hold for zucchinis also...

sorry i can't be a more specific help but
my reference isn't precise and i'm not online
much these days to nose about.


songbird

Zukes not fully developing
 

"songbird" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
...
Hmmm ... last year I grew Fordhooks. This year Black Beauty. Could it
be
the variety of zucchini?

i'm not really sure, but it could also be
a timing thing too. some plants/blooms will
not be able to be pollinated unless certain
conditions are met and i don't have a good
description anywhere of what a pollen accepting
zucchini squash blossom looks like in comparison
to one that is not (i have such a description
for tulips, but that doesn't help you :)).

you may want to do some experimenting and
see what seems to work. like, pollinating
within a few hours of the bloom opening, and
then trying again a day later, and then waiting
another day and try again. try some early
in the morning, others midday, others evening,
etc. for temperature. no need to be shy,
a normal squash blossom needs many visits by
bees before they are pollenated properly.
that could hold for zucchinis also...

sorry i can't be a more specific help but
my reference isn't precise and i'm not online
much these days to nose about.



I'm thinking zukes are really weird. First they open their blossoms in the
early morning, seems just one time, then close up and die unless pollinated.
I know I pollinated them in the later part of the day and I had to tease the
blossoms open again. The stigmae had all closed up by then. So I am
thinking when you pollinate them is important. Looks like no zukes this
year. None are growing past 3 inches and now all I have is female flowers.

Paul
songbird

Zukes not fully developing
 

Paul M. Cook wrote:
....
I'm thinking zukes are really weird. First they open their blossoms in the
early morning, seems just one time, then close up and die unless pollinated.
I know I pollinated them in the later part of the day and I had to tease the
blossoms open again. The stigmae had all closed up by then. So I am
thinking when you pollinate them is important. Looks like no zukes this
year. None are growing past 3 inches and now all I have is female flowers.

i looked more today and found a few references
about timing, any that did said pollinate in the
morning. so yes, i'd guess your timing was off
and that was the problem. your early bees were
not buzzing.


songbird