Why does my squash flower but I get no fruit?

Question

The flowers come but fall off.

Ok I just took a cue tip and am moving pollen between plants..think this will work?..I have no bees at all this year.

Answer 1

Several things can affect fruit set and poor pollination.

Too much nitrogen can delay the setting of fruit on the vine or a mid summer heat wave. Watch that you don't overfertilize or use the wrong type of fertilizer.

Are you able to control the heat in your greenhouse? High day and night time temperatures will cause plant stress. The tiny pollinated fruit may abort as a result. A heat wave can also deter bees from their job, making hand pollination more important.

Male and female flowers are to be found on the same plant. The male flowers will appear well before the female flowers and also in far greater numbers. In periods of hot weather the male flowers are more numerous. When they get a cool spell, the female population will catch up.

Male flowers are short lived. They will open up before dawn and will close completely by mid-morning.The male flowers possess both pollen and nectar, the female flowers only nectar. If the plants are watered from overhead early in the day, that may prevent all further pollination for that day. Everything gets washed off of the short-lived male flowers. Replacement flowers do not open then until the following morning.

So don't water overhead in the morning if you want to give your plants optimum opportunity to pollinate. I see you cut back on the watering & it made a difference... maybe because you had been watering overhead in the morning before?

Maybe you don't have enough insects for pollination? You can also pollinate by hand .Take the male flower and gently rub its pollen onto the stigma sections in the center of the female flower. Pollination will be more successful if several male flowers are used to pollinate one female flower.

Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Butternut Squash Flowers

Answer 3

You need pollination and moving the Qtip from one female flower with a tiny squash on the end to a male flower that has no squash on it, will set the fruit and both will or should grow squash. A squash plant usually produces more male flowers than female squash flowers.

Answer 4

Has the plant produced any female flowers already ? The first few flowers are always male, and after about the 4th flower or so, then the female flowers are formed. It could also be due to the weather. My gem squash and hubbard squash plants have already formed fruit, but my butternut is way behind and has not even flowered yet.

Answer 5

Squash plants have male and female blooms. Female blooms have tiny squash behind them; male blooms have a straight stem. This may help!
Female flower: http://www.flickr.com/photos/assertagirl/24492835/
Male flower: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jadore_la_nature/395186385/

Plants have have too many male flowers due to high temperatures, too-fertile soil, or having too many other blooms or fruits on the vine. If you don't have bees, pollinating them yourself is a good idea, but be sure to tell male from female blooms!

Answer 6

Your question did not give a State or other general location. However, almost all states have agricultural colleges and support extension services. I suggest that you "Google" your state +vegetables or similar searches until you locate one locally or in an adjoining state. I have found their services to be very informative and helpful for my location. They will generally provide information on growing, insects, harvesting and many other helps. Good luck and Happy Gardening. You are to be congratulated for the effort of gardening. The rewards are terrific.

Answer 7

the flowers are not being pollinated , do you have bees in your garden? , or you can try taking male flowers [larger ones ] and rubbing them on female flowers to pollinate , @ this time of year you should have limitless amounts of the fruit

Answer 8

the answer's your squash is'nt getting enough visit from pollinators e.g. butterflies, bees, wasps....try putting a hive of bees near your squash, you'll soon have a lot of fruits.

Answer 9

honey'' you lucky you ain't got no bees, and that flower is suppose to do that if you'll stop picking at it, and give it time, everything will be as you wish b-4 u no it, just don't forget to say yo prayers''

Answer 10

It is getting too much water or not enough water.Did you fertilize? try doing that.