Video: How to Pollinate Zucchini for a Bigger Harvest - Julia Dimakos (2024)

FAQs

How do you increase zucchini pollination? ›

Clip off a male flower and remove the petals. Gently touch or roll the pollen from the male flower onto the stigma in the center of the female flower. (If you prefer, you can also leave the male flower in place and use a cotton swab or small paintbrush to make the pollen transfer.)

Pluck a fully open male flower from the plant. Peel off the petals to expose the pollen-heavy anther. Gently brush the pollen over the stigma of a fully opened female flower. That's it!

Zucchini is not self-pollinating. It has male and female flowers that require the assistance of bees and bumblebees to fly from male flowers, collect pollen, then disperse the pollen to the pistils of female flowers. What doesn't zucchini need? Cool temperatures, persistent rain and absent pollinators.

Expert Response. The likely reason for summer squash fruit not developing to maturity (falling off the stem, shriveling at the end of the fruit, remaining very thin and small) is lack of pollination.

An ideal zucchini plant fertilizer will certainly contain nitrogen. An all-purpose food like 10-10-10 is generally sufficient for zucchini plant needs. They contain plenty of nitrogen to facilitate healthy growth as well as necessary potassium and phosphorus to boost fruit production.

If you are looking for an early variety with high yields, Black Beauty is a great selection. These heirloom early varieties are super easy to grow and highly productive. They yield classic dark green zucchini with delicious white tender flesh and a mild flavor. The fruit texture is firm and with very few to no seeds.

If pollination has been successful, the small zucchini fruit at the base of the female flower will start to grow. Unsuccessful pollination will result in wilting female flowers, eventually falling off the zucchini plant.

When temperatures are too hot, bee activity can slow down and pollen can degrade. This too can account for poor fruit set. A common misconception is that squash, melons, and cucumbers will cross-pollinate. This is not true; the female flowers of each can be fertilized only by pollen from that same species.

Pruning Zucchini

You should always remove badly damaged, dying or yellowed leaves. They aren't contributing anything to the health of the plant and only serve to reduce that all-important airflow. But they you can go a step further, by removing any overlapping leaves.

Do zucchini need lots of water? ›

Watering Zucchinis

One inch of water per week should suffice, but water more often if the weather is particularly hot and dry. Well-draining soil is a must—if it water pools and remains stagnant around the roots, they will start to rot. Avoid letting your soil dry out; this can increase the risk of blossom end rot.

However, pumpkins and some types of squash can cross-pollinate because they are in the same species. Cucurbita pepo – Summer squash (both zucchini and yellow summer squash); acorn, Delicata, patty pan and spaghetti squash; pumpkins and gourds are all in the same species.