North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Road's End Farm <organic87@frontiernet.net>]

How long ago did you seed them? What variety did you use? How long  
have they been flowering?

As Ernest said, male-only flowers are normal at the start of flowering  
for cucurbits; but female flowers should be along within a week or two  
from the beginning of flowering. It's possible that you have a variety  
not suited for your area in some fashion. I don't know, offhand, what  
would cause male-only flowers to continue so late in the season,  
unless you started the plants quite late and they haven't been  
flowering long.

By the way, most varieties of tomatoes, eggplant, and beans don't need  
insect pollination; and there are a few varieties of cucumbers which  
don't either, though most cucumbers do.

Yes, you can definitely eat squash blossoms. May as well get something  
out of them!


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



On Sep 11, 2011, at 5:50 PM, Caren Kirk wrote:

>  Rivka and Ernest,
>
> OK now I'm a bit better informed, I went to check the flowers and
> they're all male! How does that work? This is commercial seed I'm  
> using!
>
> Is there something that causes the plant only to set male flowers?
>
> Feeling terribly zucchini-deprived but searching for recipes for  
> blossoms,
>
> Caren.