Any luck with zucchini?

[higgledy]

Last year I could used zucchini to re-roof my house, this year could not re-roof a dog house. Not sure if it has been to cold or wet here in Maryland. My plants are huge but no fruit.

[Steve]

Are they making flowers? You may have to hand pollinate this year.

Steve

[TQ]

When did you sow the seed? How many days to maturity? Have you seen small zucchini at the base of some flowers turn yellow and drop off? Has pesticide been applied that could have killed your pollenators?

[higgledy]

No insecticides --plenty of bees. I planted the seeds around April

15-25, in a hill (1 hill about 5 seeds). They have grown great, idid thin by pulling 2 smaller plant leaving me woth 3 plants. I have seen small zucchinis begin rotting at the flower end. About a month ago I cut-off all developing squash to give the plant some time to build roots. Since then I have seen plenty of flowers but only two small squash. These 2 small squash look healthy and growing larger than the prvious squash had ever gotton. I am not sure of the days to maturity but assuming that the seeds had been planted by May 1, 60+ days should be enough time to make a zuchini.

TQ wrote:

[higgledy]

No insecticides --plenty of bees. I planted the seeds around April

15-25, in a hill (1 hill about 5 seeds). They have grown great, idid thin by pulling 2 smaller plant leaving me woth 3 plants. I have seen small zucchinis begin rotting at the flower end. About a month ago I cut-off all developing squash to give the plant some time to build roots. Since then I have seen plenty of flowers but only two small squash. These 2 small squash look healthy and growing larger than the prvious squash had ever gotton. I am not sure of the days to maturity but assuming that the seeds had been planted by May 1, 60+ days should be enough time to make a zuchini.

TQ wrote:

[TQ]

I planted my first zuke hills around the same time as you. They started to produce later that usual this year (early June v. late May). They finished producing about 10 days ago and their remains now reside in the compost pile. Second crop started producing last week.

In my experience, zukes produce for about a month, then essentially quit, although they will grudgingly cough up a few more, but hardly worth the effort. I find it/s better to plant more hills ~4-6 weeks after the first to ensure a continuous harvest.

If it were my garden, which is cramped for space, I/d pull out the old and sow anew so there/ll be zukes to pick come late August into early fall.

[John Savage]

You don't need bees for zucchini. The best stage to pick the fruit is just after the flower goes limp (usually the day after it opened), the fruit has maximum flavour at this size, about 5 inches.

ONLY if you intend leaving the fruit to reach a larger size do you need the flowers to be pollinated. You can perform the pollen transfer yourself if you can find a male flower open at the same time as the female. The fruit will grow to a large size, and look impressive, but it is tasteless in comparison with what it is just after the flower opens.

[Steve]

You must grow a different variety than I have tried so far. I find the flavor much nicer a day or two later when the fruit has grown a little but the flower has not fallen off yet. I find un-pollinated zucchinis to be a little bitter. I usually just steam mine. Maybe they are different if cooked another way.

Steve