pollination question

[TrappinGal]

i have out about 50 hills of assorted squash. zuchini, white patty pan and yellow squash to name a few. i planted alot because i freeze some in strips for frying later, i bread them like green tomaotes for frying, with cornmeal,and i make squash pickles.

heres my problem on this topic. i have tons of bloom but no squash set on. at first i thought i may have set them in the wrong sign but i didnt.

it has been very wet here this summer. we got rain 28 of 30 days in june and its rained all but 3 days so far in July here.

i was wondering if it could be just too wet to pollinate them. i have see honey bees that could pollinate them, so lack of them it isnt the problem.

too much rain is the only thing i can come up with as the possible culprit because i have done nothig different this year from others and have always had good luck with my yield.

do you guys have different any thoughts as to what the issue may be? and how i might be able to correct it this late in the game?


my cukes and other vegetables are just starting to bloom and id like to insure a harvest so i have enough to can and freeze without having to buy produce to put up for the winter.

my Ag.schooling hasnt given me the direct answer on this issue and i need a fix for the problem.

ty in advance for your thoughts.

[Rick]

There are a few things I can recommend.

1. Try pollinating some flowers yourself with a Q-tip. The male blossom is on a skinny stalk and the female has the swollen squash at the end of the bloom. If you are successful and the flower pollinates into a squash then you know you have a pollination problem..bees or not. Here's a nice web site that will help with the pollination portion.

http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2007/07/16/how-to-molest-your-zucchinis/

2. You could be dealing with a nematode infestation. If the plant has nematode root-knot it will look wilty because the plant can't uptake water. You should rotate your squash with a grass or other plants to help keep the nematode population down. Even though I have a small garden, I rotate my crops every year except for the pole beans.

If the plants don't look wilty I would go with No. 1 above.

[TrappinGal]

i never ever dreamed id be artificially inseminating squash :eek: but at this point im willing to try anything. :D

Ty for the tip.:)

[TrappinGal]

ill let you know how things turn out.

[Rick]

Or you could ask the male flowers to go to boxer shorts. I understand that sometimes works. Let me know if we have "kids".

[wareagle69]

did you not have the talk about the birds and the bees

[TrappinGal]

Im not sure how yankees do things , but down here we hillbillys... dont talk to our squash about the birds and the bees.. it just aint proper. :)

[Rick]

Tad embarrassin' to proper folks, WE. You're prob'ly one of those planned parentsquash folks aren't you?

[wareagle69]

yankee who ya callin a yankee i'm a diamonbacks fan(yankee .^%#56#*^%3*^%3*65#65#86$%3^$%3*^%^#^*%3*65#8^%3^( %675$9^&4( he mutters walking away)

[TrappinGal]

ummmm................................. you??? :rolleyes:

[wareagle69]

you're lucky rick is holding me back or i'd call you a mets fan

[TrappinGal]

thems fightin words you..........you....................you......... DANG YANKEE!! :mad:


i bet your wife aint even kin to ya is she? you done went and messed up your families genetics. :D

[wareagle69]

i don't know she could be i'm an orphan

[TrappinGal]

so youre saying theres a 50-50 chance you might be a redneck then?

[Rick]

Well don't this beat all? What if WE really IS an American?

[wareagle69]

should we tell her where i am from rick?

[Rick]

I like the guessing game, personally. But now that you've piqued her curiosity (remember the vice story?) you might want to tell her.

[wareagle69]

well since were playing hmm a few clues i got a shot gun a rifle and a four wheel drive ah i have horses and a farm and i used to ride bulls and i lived on a ranch in the desert ah so where am i from?

[TrappinGal]

yes, tell me. judging from some of your posts that ive been reading the last few days, id bet deep south. lol

[TrappinGal]

there are a few states that would meet that descritption.

[wareagle69]

aridzona and lived in slohio also

[TrappinGal]

texas or new mexico come or mind or maybe Arizona.

[TrappinGal]

so you were a buckeye,lol?

[wareagle69]

and ya could throw in gerogia and texas also oh yeah and indiana now i am a political refuge seeking assylum in free traxistan

[TrappinGal]

you may be my cousin.

[wareagle69]

ya know i thought that once i walked up to a lady and asked her if she was my mommy my wife never finds that funny.

[TrappinGal]

imagine that.

[TrappinGal]

checked the squash again a few minutes ago. still plenty of bloom but no squash.

i tried to pollinate them but evidentally did a lousy job of it.

[crashdive123]

Think like a bee.

[TrappinGal]

easier said tan done, lol.

BTW, beeing a bee is overated,lol.