2006-08-09 04:36:41 · 8 answers · asked by Dennis Fargo 5 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
You mention one plant. That's probably the problem. Zucchini flowers need to be pollinated, but they tend to open one at a time especially at first. Best to grow several plants to increase the numbers of flowers open at any one time.
Also, there are male and female flowers. The female has a bulb at the base. The males don't produce fruits. The first flowers tend to be male as well. I think pinching out the growing tip (of the plant) is supposed to help, because the side shoots will produce more female flowers.
Apart from that, about all you can do is pollinate from flower to flower (use a paint brush), hope for the best and plant more next year. Or take it to a neighbor with other plants. Hey, it's how my grandfather used to breed dogs. ;-)
2006-08-09 05:33:02 · answer #1 · answered by The angels have the phone box. 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cut the flowers.
If everything else is fine, the right amount of minerals in the ground, right type of water and water drainage, and right amount of sun... it would grow things half an half.
If it gets too little nutrients, and the plant feels that it can "grow" more it will produce flowers to try and grow. If the plant gets just the right amount, or a bit more - it will produce fruit because it does not need grow any more, or reproduce.
Cutting flowers before they bloom all the way also avoids the plant from putting energy into the flower. Every flower costs the plant a lot in terms of nutrients, so cutting them when you're sure they're not a fruit pod will allow the plant to try again with minimal waste of energy.
Double check your dirt, start cutting every other flower, double check the water and sun amounts for the plant online.
Good lucK!
2006-08-09 04:45:37 · answer #2 · answered by Solrium 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The flowers become the zucchini. When the flower wilts and falls off, there should be a zucchini growing in its place. Also, have you checked for bugs? I used to grow tons of zucchini, and these weird beetles would show up and eat the leaves and so on. We would pick them off the plants ourselves sometimes. The zucchini is one of the hardiest vegetable plants there are. They produce and produce till you have zucchini coming out of your ears. Good luck.
2006-08-09 04:44:35 · answer #3 · answered by nara c 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most likely, it is a lack of pollination. Cucurbits are ALL insect pollinated, bees, ants, etc. There are two possible solutions, one, become a beekeeper, and two, pollinate by hand. The second option will work but is tedious and the results are not very good often.
BTW, I am serious about becoming a beekeeper. The results are astounding and the honey is a secondary payoff.
2006-08-09 06:18:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are the flowers being pollinated? If not, take a Q-Tip and rub it on the pollen, then distribute the pollen to the other flowers.
2006-08-09 04:40:53 · answer #5 · answered by amerysse 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have patience...this is how they start out....the zucchinis will come....
2006-08-09 04:40:30 · answer #6 · answered by stephaniech24 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It probably isn't getting enough bees.
2006-08-09 04:42:51 · answer #7 · answered by BigPappa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
be patient they will start seeing them soon
2006-08-09 04:44:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋