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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] OT - Zuchinni pollenation

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  • From: Caren Kirk <quirky@videotron.ca>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] OT - Zuchinni pollenation
  • Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:10:33 -0400

I did plant the zucchini a little later than normal ( I am trying really hard to get 2 season of crops out of my garden and it's tough up here, specially with a late spring). However they have been flowering for about 3 and half weeks easily so don't know when the female flowers are going to show up, if ever. And last year they were in the ground much earlier and I never got anything either. The variety I planted is a italian striped zucchini (striato di Napoli), as I used to plant this 4 years or so ago and get huge crops (they are great because if they get too big they are still good to eat).

Anyway we'll see how the blossoms turn out tonight for appetizer!

Thanks for your help,

Caren.

On 9/11/2011 9:09 PM, Road's End Farm wrote:
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.


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