Hand-Pollenating Squash

[GrowinVeggiesInSC]

so i see the difference, do we hand pollinate once we know the difference of the two, or is it once you see the difference pollination has already happened .. do we hand pollinate to avoid the 2 inch zucchini?

texan were you able to see the difference on your plants? and did you try hand pollinating?

i took a photo of my plant, and i can totally see the difference between the male and females ..(i dont think i ever got this close!) haha

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/6271_img_1236.jpg

thank you

Yay, you found them! You need to pollinate them so the fruit grows bigger than what you see. At this point, pollination has not happened.

Go out early in the morning when all the flowers are open. Take a small atist's paintbrush with you. Get some of the pollen off of the anther (big protrusion in the middle of the male flower) and gently brush it onto the stigma (big protrusion in the middle of the female flower). If you try this at any other part of the day, the female flowers will be closed. You have to time it so they are open.

Good luck!

 

[Texan]

Funny thing, I went out at about 6:30 am this morning and the female flowers never opened. The male ones did. I have a whole bunch of little two inch squashes. I am going to go out earlier tomorrow morning.

 

[GrowinVeggiesInSC]

Funny thing, I went out at about 6:30 am this morning and the female flowers never opened. The male ones did. I have a whole bunch of little two inch squashes. I am going to go out earlier tomorrow morning.

Yeah, try different times of the day, it depends on how the sun hits them. It might be later in the morning for you. I say morning 'cause that's when mine open. I've never actually looked at the clock.

 

[Texan]

I managed to pollenate two female flowers this morning. Will try more as they open.