Courgettes only have male flowers.

[gardening_gal]

Seeds came from the same packet, all are planted in the same type/brand of compost in containers.

4 of the plants were planted into final position ages ago and all of those are very big plants now and have small courgettes on them.

The other 4 were left in their small pots for weeks simply because I had no room and no compost to plant them on.

I finally planted them on but all of these 4 only have (lots of) male flowers, not one female amongst them.

Now common sense would seem to dictate this is due to their living conditions in some way, rather than the seeds/plants themselves, given that their stablemates all took off once replanted.

So question is, do I continue with them or assume they have somehow 'set' because of their tough beginnings and it's unlikely they will throw out female flowers now?

They have at least 6 flowers on each plant, all male, so their flowering ability is not impaired, they're just gender specific.

[Two_Sheds]

I can't understand all this fuss about male and female flowers, and hand-pollinating ... my squash plants all just get on with it

So my advice would be, just plant them and ignore them until they produce fruit for you

[gardening_gal]

I can't understand all this fuss about male and female flowers, and hand-pollinating ... my squash plants all just get on with it

So my advice would be, just plant them and ignore them until they produce fruit for you

I thought it was only female flowers that produced fruit, ergo no female flowers = no fruit? That's why I'm asking, I don't want to give room to something that wont produce if all I have is male flowers.

If it's just a case of male now, female later, then I'm happy to leave them but I've not heard of plants only giving out male flowers solely therefore I have no idea if females will come or not.

[veggiechicken]

I always find the boys arrive first and when there's enough talent, the girls come along and take their pick.
Plenty of male flowers on my plants too but very few females yet. be patient - they'll be there soon.

[WPG]

Gardening Gal, I think it'd be fine to leave them too. My squash kuri started with a load of male flowers last year but a few weeks later produced a mix of male/female. Like Two Sheds, I just left them to get on with it, and had loads of squashes in the end.

[Alison]

They've been stressed by being left in their puts too long therefore are producing only male flowers. When they settle in and are more comfortable they'll do female too and you'll be fine. Gave just realised you must have 8 courgette plants, wow, that's a lot, you may be rather grateful if some of them don't produce much

[gardening_gal]

Thanks for clearing that up for me, I'd not experienced just one type of flower being produced solely and the difference between the two sets of plants was concerning me.

I'm happy to leave them now I know this can be normal.

Thanks for the replies.

[gardening_gal]

They've been stressed by being left in their puts too long therefore are producing only male flowers. When they settle in and are more comfortable they'll do female too and you'll be fine. Gave just realised you must have 8 courgette plants, wow, that's a lot, you may be rather grateful if some of them don't produce much

My aunt had throat cancer and as a result she can only eat certain foods.

I intended growing lots of cucumbers, tomatoes and courgettes so I could hopefully pass on some to her.

That's assuming the plants survive my less than expert attentions.

[Nicos]

we pick off our male flowers initially and eat them cooked in tempura batter...really yummy!

Once the girl flowers arrive we tend to leave a few boys around to get on with their business..and carry on eating the rest.
We always have a glut of courgettes even with 5 plants..you have 8 plants???

[sparrow100]

I've got 7, so you're not alone with a potential courgette mountain! My elderly neighbour always asks for some and I'm playing GCSE biology-stylee and saving seed from a few - or trying to. I have the opposite problem to you, lots of female flowers on the ones I want to save seed from and the male ones are late...

As others have said, I'm sure it will sort itself out.

[Raybon]

I totally understand where you are coming from.

[gardening_gal]

......you have 8 plants???

I'm beginning to feel like this is some sort of faux pas.

I will love them all equally, I promise.

[Bren In Pots]

I'm beginning to feel like this is some sort of faux pas.

I will love them all equally, I promise.

GG have a look at this link its a recipe for Courgette pickle :-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tes_21316.html


its well worth growing extra courgettes just to make this pickle.

[gardening_gal]

That sounds tasty Bren, copied that into my recipe folder. Thanks.

[ancee]

The flowers are truly delicious battered and fried. We cut the courgettes in to matchstick size and batter and fry them too - a good way of getting little ones to eat 'chips'