How much to pollinate

[Nogreenfingers]

Hello all - long time follower and first post.

All my courgette plants are doing fine with lots of flowers. However recently the bees have not been coming and my female flowers not producing any fruit. So I am resorting to a manual pollination - but how much do I do? Is it the case of the more, the better?

Thanks all.

[Paulottie]

Certainly I tell Mrs P that!

Never needed to hand pollinate a courgette... they will produce more than enough when they are ready without your help.

[Flummery]

You maybe have an imbalance of male and female flowers. They often produce only male flowers first - so you can tickle 'em up all you like and you'll not get a courgette! As Paul says, when they settle down with both m and f flowers you'll get fruits. I've never hand pollinated either. I wouldn't bother unless I was trying to cross them deliberately.

[taff]

My father always ahnd-pollinated, just got a brush and stuck it in the flower, wiggled it, and on to the next one, but he used to grow one or two plants. Seemed to work for him, we always had courgettes.
Me, I can't be bothered, I have better things to do, and an upcoming abundance of them, so it's your choice really
If it makes you feel better, do it

[Alice]

It really shouldn't be necessary Nogreenfingers but if you feel you must then once a day should be plenty. I think you'll find it will all happen by itself.

[Nogreenfingers]

Thanks all

I guess I was just being impatient

[Flummery]

Thanks all

I guess I was just being impatient

If that was a hanging offence there'd be alot of us here with long necks!