FAQ: Zucchini not flowering
- On July 27, 2010
- By Meleah
- In FAQ
0
Q: I have several zucchini plants, but they’re not producing fruit and the flowers are just falling off. Why is this happening?
A: I get this question a lot. It sounds like you’re suffering from a lack of pollinators. Zucchini plants have both male and female flowers and only the female flowers produce fruit. (Female flowers are attached directly to the main vine rather than by a stem.) While it is not uncommon for some of the male flowers to bloom first and fall off before female blossoms have started to open, if a lot of blooms are falling off without fruiting it’s probably because they aren’t being visited by pollinators. In order to flower, pollen needs to be transferred between male and female flowers by insects. Perhaps cool, wet or windy weather has kept pollinators away this year. If you spray to control insects or plant problems, be aware that herbicides and pesticides can also harm beneficial insects like bees. Whatever the reason, if you lack pollinators, you can hand pollinate plants yourself by using a Q-tip or small paintbrush and swirling it inside a flower and then moving from flower to flower as a bee would, swirling the Q-tip or brush gently each time.