Sometimes I have to pollinate my zucchini plant. I only have one zucchini plant, so when it first started putting out a few zucchinis they would start turning yellow on the end and then shrivel up. So I got busy each morning and pollinated them and they started growing just fine.
To pollinate, first find the male flower.
Since there are so many male flowers, I usually just pull it off and then take some of the petals off.
I waited almost too late for this zucchini because the flower has started closing up. Usually, you want to catch it when the flower is open all the way on the end.
Then I put the male flower pollen on the inside of the flower with the zucchini on it.
Tada! Now we’ll have fruit. 🙂
I have one zucchini plant but the male flowers are not opeining at the same time as the female flowers. Will pollination be successful if I pick the male flowers & put in fridge till female flowers are open. Thanks
Joan,
I’ve never tried that, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. Do you live here in Arizona? My one squash plant is starting to quit putting out male flowers like it used to, but my plant is also getting baked by the heat. I am letting it go because we have had our fill of squash already.
Let me know if refrigerating the flowers works. That would be a really helpful hint for others if it works.
If I pull the flowers off for frying will it effect my growing fruit? And also how do you tell the dif. between male and female? Thanks
Crystal,
I, personally, have never eaten a squash blossom, but if you take the female flower (the flower attached to the end of the baby zucchini) off of the plant it won’t get pollinated which would seem like it would not allow the squash to mature.
The male flowers do not have a baby zucchini attached to them.
Send me some pictures of your fried squash blossoms and I’ll post it here! I’d love to see it.
You can email me your fried squash blossom photos to agardeninthedesert@gmail.com if you want!
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You Know there is zucchini pie recipes to use thoughs big ones that get out of hand…my family likes it better that apple pie, if not told, you wouldn’t know the difference. Zucchini comes in season before apples, works out great!
I have not checked in here for some time because I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I¡¦ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
I have two 4×4 planters. I want to plant zucchini, but I don’t want it to take up too much of my planter space. Would you suggest that I plant it in a large pot instead?
Do you live in the Phoenix area? If so, I would not suggest putting it in a pot because it dries out way too fast.
Gosh, I wish I would have had that intmaorfion earlier!
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Keep up the great writing.
Personally, I don’t think there’s much difference in the taste, but many pepole think there is and when they do, they favor the taste of charcoal grilling. It’s just a matter of convenience to me. Purists don’t mind the trouble and time. Our grill is actually hooked to the natural gas coming into our house cheaper than buying propane and no running out right before the food’s done. Betty