Courgette scenario

[Crosbie]

Hi everyone

Briefly,

Eight female flowers open. No male flowers open.

So they won't get pollinated, right?

Scratching my head...

Regards
Crosbie

[Pies]

not all types need pollinating for the female to grow

[Pumpkin Becki]

Crosbie, some of my courgettes are only just showing female flowers. Once the plants get going, they should fruit into the autumn, I wouldn't worry just yet, I think your plant is just getting up a head of steam before it goes into full production.

[deezyb]

Crosbie I never think about courgette pollination, I'm sure they'll come along soon. I've got three female flowers and I'm sure there's something happening to them, with no males around!

[Daphne1411]

I couldn't tell which flowers were which but I get lots of flowers and am now getting courgettes... not biggies, about 4''. A lot of mine though get to about 3'' then yellow and die off. I'd like to know how to encourage mine to get a bit bigger.

[gemlady]

I'm having the same problem Daphne1411. First time of growing so didn't know what to expect, got really excited and then as you said they just die off. I live in hope.

[Crosbie]

Hi

Re: Daphne1411 & gemlady - this is testimony to my pollination issue I think -no male flowers - so the females just get slaughtered and whither.

Regards
Crosbie

[terrier]

Usually people complain that there are only male flowers early on, this year for some reason we're getting the female flowers first, I'm getting the same problem on my plants. We'll just have to wait and see and hope the males come along in a few days. I had a look at my pumkin plants today.. all male flowers and no females, I must admit it crossed my mind to pollinate the courgette female flowers with the male pumpkin flowers

[Crosbie]

My males have been and gone - vamoose

[terrier]

Wham Bam Thankya' Mam

[Crosbie]

Wham Bam Thankya' Mam

Not even that, evidently

[COMPOST CORNER]

Usually people complain that there are only male flowers early on, this year for some reason we're getting the female flowers first, I'm getting the same problem on my plants. We'll just have to wait and see and hope the males come along in a few days. I had a look at my pumkin plants today.. all male flowers and no females, I must admit it crossed my mind to pollinate the courgette female flowers with the male pumpkin flowers

Why not? If you are going to eat the product, it will make no difference to the fruit you get. This morning I have pollinated my second Patty Pan with pollen from a courgette as I have one male courgette flower, but have already lost a patty pan as it wasn't pollinated.

[Bramble_killer]

I was wondering if it was just me as well. The courgettes are growing nicely but the pumpkins and squashes have rows of males and then rows of females, none of which are open at the same time! I hand pollinated one pumpkin yesterday by peeling the male flower open, I wasn't sure if it was ready but fingers crossed!

[Tam]

Royal Horticultural Society - Gardening Advice: Courgette Failure This is a concise article re courgette pollination.