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I planted a zucchini plant in a large planter in June. It has been constantly producing large yellow flowers and what looks like a "baby" zucchini behind them. But the zucchinis have never materialized. Anyone know why this is occurring?
Plants: 1 | From: Marin, CA | Registered: Aug 2005
| Seeded: 4.243.143.112
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Hi coach. You may have noticed some of the flowers have the embryo fruit and others have no embryo and are on a long stalk. The ones with the embryo are the female flowers, the others are the male. Pick a male flower, peel off the petals and brush the inner part of the open female flowers with it. This will pollinate them. You may notice there are more flowers open in the morning and this is the best time to do it. BTW you can eat the flowers too, raw with a salad or fried in a bit of olive oil. Have a munch on one straight of the plant and see if you like the flavour. Don't eat a bee!
* * * * The secret is the soil. Plants: 1184 | From: East Coast | Registered: Sep 2004
| Seeded: 146.27.122.18
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My zucchini and yellow summer squash seem to have a pact. No more then one plant fruits at a time. I have bees, I think it's the weather.
Tomatoes and Peppers are nice, beans were good until the evil bunnies got them.
* * * * Currently listening to: Vince Guaraldi Trio -- A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adult and contemporary but evocative of youth and innocence, a must own CD. Plants: 191 | From: S/W Michigan | Registered: Jun 2005
| Seeded: 64.136.26.235
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I had this problem for a couple years. I would try to grow one or two plants and they would eventually shrivel up. The thing is they need pollination. My solution was to plant about 6 plants and I have tons of zucchini now! I like to make a really yummy zucchini bread and freeze it and I like a chocolate zucchini cake too. I also grill the little ones! Another pointer: make sure to pick them often because they stop producing for a while if the flowers fall off the fruit. In fact they always seem to produce in waves.
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Printer-friendly view of this garden