Marrow question

[ItsEssexRob]

My marrow plant finally formed a tiny baby marrow today and I wanted to know a few things.

Why do some of the flowers form into marrows and some just drop off?

Also, there are ants crawling all over it. Is that ok, can they cause disease or a problem?

Thanks.

[rustylady]

Firstly Rob marrows produce two types of flower (male and female). The male flowers are just on a stem and the female ones have a tiny baby marrow behind them. In order for a marrow to grow the female flower needs to be fertilised with pollen from a male flower.

Ants in themselves aren't a problem but they do farm aphids so have a good look at your plant and see if you can find any greenfly on them.

[ItsEssexRob]

If a little baby marrow has already formed ( i.e 3 -4 inches long) I take it this means it has already been fertilized, or do I need to manually do it still?

Thanks.

[rustylady]

Is the flower open Rob? If so how long has it been open? Picture would be good.

[horticultural_hobbit]

If the baby marrow is that big already, I would have thought so. But only if it continued to grow, would there be certainty. I think most squashes get so big, and if unfertilised, drop off as it were. That I can attest to, with both courgettes and the BNS. I have a bush baby marrow plant, with a stumpy baby in it. So I watching it intently.

[ItsEssexRob]

Been open about 1-2 days and behind it theres a little green marrow with lighter green stripes, about 4 inches long, should I wipe one flower with a cotton bud and the other with it? No other flowers are fully open to pollinate it so I could force one open?

[Jelliebabe]

I do that some times Rob - The female flowers always have the small baby behind them and if unpolinated this will fall off with the flower. So I would just make sure if I were you. Dont worry they sometimes make lots of male flowers and no ladies and then lots of ladies and no men...They will get in sync.... in the end!

[ItsEssexRob]

Problem is, when I went out there today, the flower that has the marrow on it has closed up. Should I tear a bit off of it to get inside to pollinate it?

[ItsEssexRob]

The flower has fallen off now leaving just the baby marrow.. so I hope it was fertilized!

[ItsEssexRob]

Also does it matter if the marrow touches the soil?

[Tripmeup]

Doesn't matter really as long as slugs don't attack it...you could put some cardboard or straw under if you wanted to..