They are not getting pollinated.

EG

That would be my first guess too with the information provided.

Dan

So they start growing then stop midway because they didn't get pollinated? I had no idea, I thought if they got that far they had already been pollinated. How can I make sure they get pollinated manually?

How can I make sure they get pollinated manually? .

Um, by pollinating them manually yourself? Some pop a male flower off and rub, some use Q-tips, some a moistened finger...

Dan

Ok, Thanks, I will try the flower method.
I thought my plants had a disease or some bug that was causing the problem. Good to know they just need pollinating.

It is interesting in my garden that for whatever reason, the butternuts don't always get pollinated. So I do it by hand when I see female flowers - disappointing when I see one wither on the vine.

Dan

It is interesting in my garden that for whatever reason, the butternuts don't always get pollinated. So I do it by hand when I see female flowers - disappointing when I see one wither on the vine.

Dan

Thanks Dan, I have another question then....
how long do I have to pollinate it? if the female flower closes up, can I manually open it and pollinate or is it too late at that point?

Maybe Dan won't mind if I answer this question in his absence.......

You need to be out there early in the morning, because that's when the flowers are open. However, there will only be 2-3 mornings that this can be done - because they close up completely after that. To achieve good pollination, the flowers have to be visited by a bee around 40 times....

EG

Thanks EG

You're most welcome...

EG

hmmm...my reply disappeared. I wrote I did it with a cup of coffee in my hand...

Dan

I just want to know where all the bees are??? I can't believe I have no bees here.

I just want to know where all the bees are??? I can't believe I have no bees here.

Colony Collapse Disorder.

I'm not surprised American corporate media haven't been covering this looming problem. You must go outside American media to understand why we aren't seeing bees.

This winter has been especially harsh in the Northern Hemisphere, here and here. Consensus at this time seems to be coalescing around humans having a lot to do with it.

Dan

You need to keep blooming plants nearby to keep the bees close. Or plant some herbs and let them flower. I make sure something bees like is always blooming in my yard. That's what the front yard is for.

I live no more than a 1/4 mile as the bee flies from amateur bee keeper and I have plenty of bee's, but, this is well documented about the Colony Collapses, are you sure this isn't well known in the US Dan? that begger's belief that is not widely reported here.
It is so well known in the UK that even Low Brow Family entertainment has used it as part of a storyline, without any preamble or explanation, as it is so well known, I refer to Stolen Earth, Dr Who, his assistant just says something like "only the Bees disappearing," and he says "that's it!" and obviously as this is Scifi, turns out bee's are aliens and escaping the Earth, but that was broadcast well over 2 years ago! but every one new that this was a real thing happening.
Just to add if what Dan say is the case, that a lot of people in the US don't know, it is an agricultural nightmare and is effecting the ability of the US and Northern Europe to produce certain crops, it is not at tipping point yet, but the year on year losses are of great concern.
What they don't say in the Guardian article, and I will be honest and say I didn't read the Scientific Paper :-) is they are taking Colony but they don't talk about solitary Bees as obviously no one looks after those, but there has also been a decline in these as well.

Well, heather, the issue arose from a question above; outside of gardening and ag and ecology folks, I'd wager not a large %age of the US population has heard much about it.

During my talks-classes-interpretable moments I find it a bit concerning it is not on everyone's radar. But many things that may threaten corporate profit go unnoticed/get mischaracterized in this country's media.

Dan

I literally remove a male flower from one of the plants, strip off all his petals and use it to make contact with all the female blooms! Super easy.

Dan I am horrified, I never knew?, that people didn't know, and 24 hours later, no one has said "well I knew!"
I only started gardening in the US last year, (moved here 2 years ago) and you can guess, I am no eco warrior, just Mrs Average, trying to do what is good for my Children, and recapture a time in my childhood for my children, oops! getting deep again!
I just replied to another post, you had also replied to.
I get that you are driven by fact's hence the scientific paper :-) I like fact's, although last night I was tired and couldn't be bothered, sorry! I am nothing, if not honest :-)

I have plenty of American Friends who see a world view, and are really on the ball, seek and learn, outside their box, and can argue with me good-naturedly but intelligently, and I will be honest, some are so good I have changed my views slightly, because they back it up, and don't shout, but asking about, no one seems to know about the Bee's?

Ouch that hurt! not a person 48 hours later? good God! are you asleep? bees are dieing, this is not good!

I knew...

But I haven't been brave enough to start keeping bees. I'm diabetic. What would I do with all that honey?
So I try planting flowers that the bees like.

Susan

Well, I DID NOT know.

I don't have a problem (right now) with pollination, as it is very early for my "fruiting" crops. My greens don't require assistance from bees, and my others are just now starting to flower. But, at the same time, I've seen as many bees this year as in previous years. (However, over the past few years) I have noticed an increasing number of my zucchini are not getting pollinated. But, I get so many that I can't keep up with what does get pollinated that I really haven't worried about it. Now, my pumpkins and winter squash had poor performance last year, but they didn't generate a lot of blooms (which I attributed to a lack of heat last summer...also a bad year for tomatoes in my area).

Okay. So I started a bunch of yellow squash indoors under lights and our weather (pacific northwest) didn't warm up (it was 40 this morning!) so I haven't put the squash outside and they have probably 10 blossoms per plant with lots more coming. I went on the internet and found info about hand pollenating them -- my blossoms are all the same. I don't think there are any males. Does this make sense to anyone?

look inside the flower, a bit crass, but the boys are well like boys, they have a part which sticks out like a penis, and the female are like females! as in a opening area, and behind the flower is the best way I can describe is a womb, as in you see a baby squash, and it need's the male to fertilize, and then produce the next generation, as in the seeds, I hope this makes sense to you. I am an RN and I have to say the first time, I self fertilized Squash, the resemblance to human's genitalia was a real eye opener for me.
Still! not that close, my husband never gives me flowers :-)

Okay. well. My squash all have penises and pollen. I have no female blossoms. Anybody have any ideas as to why? They are still indoors, were all grown under lights. Anybody know why I have no female blossoms? I'm going to start some more & put them outside before they bloom. I guess with this first bunch I'm growing squash blossoms!

Environmental factors make female fls. Maybe the lack of UV light or Daily Temp Range fluctuations making only males.

Dan

I live in east Houston and we have had quite a few different colonies of bees.We have actually had an increase in recent years but that also includes Africanized Bees as well.But as far as gardening goes I have seen a lot more bees in the last 5 years than ever before. I guess even Bees love texas!

missbertie,

That happens to me every year. The first set of flowers are always male for me, and then later the plants put out females later. The factors Dan mentioned makes sense. I think it usually is cooler and then as it heats up, the females come. It could be related to UV light also.

Have you considered a cold frame for them outside, or a hoophouse?

I just thought I'd weigh in on SC bee populations..atleast, from around my property.

I have a lot of bees...however, most are not honey bees..but carpenter bees or wasps.
We do have honey bees....the other bees just seem to out number them.
I flower garden too....so perhaps I am just one of the lucky ones.
I hope my neighbors are benefitting from my flowers being in the yard too....both of the sweet little old ladies near me have tomato gardens, I don't mind helping them out if I can.

The bees have become very scarce here in Ga, and I have known about this for quite a while but then we don't get our "news" from the main stream media and haven't for years. Fortunately we have other pollinators here who seem to be taking up the slack.
It does make me tempted to allow my hubby his lifelong dream of being a beekeeper. (I'm allergic)
Maybe!

I hand pollinated my sqaush after I realized I ran the bees off by spraying to get rid of bugs.I had good success pollinating them.Now I have seen some more real small white looking bugs, they almost look like a real small cricket (LOL).I also saw some slugs.The blooms on 2 of my sqaush plants have holes in them and the pollin stem part of the flower has been eaten on a few more plants.I am scared to spray because of the bees.Will slugs do this damage? what should I do? SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS AND THANKS FOR ANY HELP.

gardenall,

For slugs, try a iron phosphate product around the plants you want to protect. This is sometimes called "Sluggo" or "Escar-go". (Another option I've read about, but never tried is DUCKS. Ducks according to what I've read, love to eat slugs, and won't scratch like chickens.)

I used it early this season (while my lettuce was very small) and had very good success, fewer slugs by far than in previous years. I also have a large bird population, that enjoys being in my garden. (I chase them off before my seeds come up, but let them hang out after that to help control the slug/insect population.)

Eaglelsgarden, Thanks... are these products a powder or a liquid? I have been gardening for about 10 years. This is my first raised bed on a SFG formate.Seems like the close planting is what the slugs love. They are on a lot of old blooms.

gardenall,

Usually they are in pellet form.

Close plantings give the slugs more cover, better moisture retention and hiding places from predators.

eaglesgarden...I bought the product you told me about.I put it out one week ago before leaving on vacation, and almost all the slugs are gone after I got home....THANKS

Just passing on information that I have received. I'm glad it worked so quickly for you. You will probably need to reapply again in a few weeks, or suffer from slug damage again.

The directions say every 4 weeks (I think), but I found damage again after 3, but I have a high slug population (or did!).

I'm having to hand pollinate all of my squash and zukes. If I don't, they just wither and die. Kinda sad to see that little fruit shrivel up on the vine because I overlooked it during my a.m. perusal or it opened up after I have left for work.

I'm seriously considering buying a hive of bees so they will pollinate my garden.

Rachel

Here is a link that might be useful: LookMaNoWeeds

Just wanted to chime in on the bee problem. When I purchased my home 7 years ago there were bees everywhere it was hard to be outside sometimes.

Last year it finally dawned on me that the bees were disappearing.

I taped a show on PBS in Atlanta regarding Colony Collapse and the thought that the bees could disappear forever is very scary.

Most non gardeners don't realize that without pollinators there will be no vegetables or fruits.

Margarita10