Hey everyone! I'm new to growing zucchini and squash and I've just planted some buttercup squash and zucchini. They've been in the ground for about a week and I'm all about having a successful garden this year. Right now, I've got tons of male flower buds, but I'm not seeing any female flowers yet. I've read that this can be normal for young plants, but I'm eager to encourage those female flowers to grow. Any tips on how to achieve this?
3 Answers
Trust your plants, they know what they’re doing! Just let them be for now. If you want to help things along, you can hand pollinate with any female flower from squash, but just remember, don’t save the seeds from those unless you want some unpredictable results next season. It's usually safe to eat this year’s fruit though!
If you really want to speed things up, you could consider cutting off some of those male flowers. Just don’t come crying to us when you’re drowning in zucchini later!
Patience is key when it comes to summer squash! It’s normal to see more male flowers at the start, so give your plants some time to develop. Instead of stressing, why not start a gardening journal? It'll help you track your progress and be super useful for future gardening attempts!
I love that idea! A gardening journal sounds like a great way to keep track of everything, especially for your first year.
Totally agree! A journal can really help you see what works and what doesn’t.
Haha, I might just take you up on that! Zucchini is tasty, but I hear you on the abundance!