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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] -Squash blossoms

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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] -Squash blossoms
  • Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 08:26:39 -0500

To add further explanation, all members of the cucurbit family (squash,
pumpkins, gourds, melons, cucumbers, etc.) have separate male and female
flowers. The male flowers will open first. They appear on long stems,
generally opening up at the top of the canopy. After producing male flowers
for several days, the plant will then begin to also produce female flowers.
These will appear along the vine, underneath the canopy. There will be an
embryonic fruit at their base. Once you see the difference between male and
female flowers on cucurbits, you'll never confuse them again. Look inside
the flowers and you'll see the stamens and anthers in the male flowers, and
the style and stigma of the female flowers. That's why cucurbits need
pollenizers (bees). They carry the pollen from the male flowers to the
female flowers. Nature is amazing!

Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center


>As to the squash blossoms that weren't setting fruit...the first blossoms
>won't set fruit anyways...I always pick them off. If it's not first
>fruit, most likely not getting pollinated. Sora at Paradise Valley
>Organics






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