Zuch is fizzling

[William L. Rose]

The plant looks fine: big green leaves, nearly 5 feet tall, lots of flowers. The zuchs grow to about the size of your little finger, then the flower wilts and the zuch starts browning where the base of the flower had been. The crook neck next to it is a little slow but seems to be progressing with small yellow fruit. The plants are on a drip line (emitter every twelve inches, 1/2 gal./hr.). It has been fed and mulched and the nearest plant is three feet away from it. They get about six hours of full sun/day. The temp has been at least 80F for the last month although it does drop down to the low 50sF at night.

Last year I had two zuchs, so this year I planted one. Any ideas? Anyone? Anyone?

[<usenet2006]

Sounds like they aren't getting pollinated. That is especially a problem when you only have one or two. Personally, I plan to have maybe four or five this coming spring.

The flowers on the ends of the small zucchinis are female. The flowers on regular stems are male. There has to be one of each open at the same time for pollination to happen. Check them each morning, and if you see an eligible couple, take the male flower off, peel the petals back, and smoosh it into the female flower.

[sherwindu]

Gee, I thought I was the only crazy one going around playing bee on my apple trees with a que tip.

Sherwin D.

[William L. Rose]

Four or five zucchini? Are you mad, man? No way you can eat it as fast as it grows. I can hardly wait for the headlines, "Rouge Zuchs loose in County".

Que tips, huh? This appeals to my boyish sense of perversion. Now where did I leave my rubber gloves?

Anyway, thanks everybody.

[TQ]

I agree that the problem is most likely poor pollenation and that you need more than one plant to ensure a crop. Next time, plant one hill where you allow the three strongest seedlings to grow. Unless you/re way north, you still have time to replant and have some to eat come mid-September.

You may get more than you want, but there/s no rule saying you have to eat them all. Throw the excess into the compost pile.

[Steve]

Ha! I usually plant 5 or 6. My plan is to pick them very small and keep ahead of them so they don't push me out of my yard. I always fail, sometime soon after the first week of harvest. My plan B is to pick all the ones that got over sized and throw them on the compost pile, then start again eating the small ones. At the end of the season, I just let them go in case my wife feels like making zucchini bread with the resulting large ones.

Steve

[Sue]

Nope. I'm out there every morning with my little paint brush committing lewd and lascivious acts among my zucchini. Sue

[John Savage]

Don't compost them!! Expand your cooking horizons. This recipe for Zucchini bread (actually a sweet cake loaf) is delicious, both warm and cold, and no one will believe that it contains zucchini. Spread with butter if eaten cold.

Zucchini Bread ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3 eggs quarter teaspoon Baking Powder 1 level teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda 2 & a quarter cups caster sugar 3 teaspoons cinnamon 3 teaspoons vanilla essence 1 cup walnuts 1 cup oil 2 cups grated zucchini 3 cups plain flour

Set oven at 180 deg C. Line 2 loaf tins. Beat eggs till light and foamy. Add sugar, vanilla and oil. Beat till thick and mousse-like. Stir in the grated zucchini. Sift together flour,baking powder,salt,bicarb soda and cinnamon. Fold this into the zucchini mixture with the roughly chopped walnuts. Pour into tins and bake in pre heated moderate oven for 1- 1 and a half hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Use only tender fresh zucchini. (If large, peel and seed before grating). Light maize, peanut or safflower oil give good results. Stir in zucchini and don't beat.

-- John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)