I'm not sure what's wrong with your zucchini this year, but for future reference, if you let them get to the size of a baseball bat, you're missing out on a good thing. I always hated zucchini until I worked in a restaurant and discovered that they should be picked when they're a little bigger around than a quarter and maybe 6 inches long.

i have had that same thing happen to a couple of my zucchini, but i have still been able to harvest some.
after reading many posts about this problem....there seems to be many different responses as to why this could happen.
squash vine borer?
incomplete pollination?
soil deficiencies?

i found this site, that may be of some use to you.
Solutions For Common Problems Growing Zucchini
Squash Blossom End Rot Causes And Treatment

good luck

I read your links very carefuly, thank you so much. After reading them I will try to look for the spray that was mentioned in the article. And spray next year before I plant.
My husband to stop my crying, sprayed some heavy poison his dad used to use. It is looking better, I think it some bug eating the blossoms, because I never saw anything on the leaves, but the blossoms looked down right yucky. Now hopefuly my children won't turn day glow after eating the vegetables.

After reading some of the postings and the articles on this site, I have figured out I know so very little about gardening. I have started to wonder what were we thinking finishing the backyard in garden boxes? But we live in a planned community. And we just didn't think the backyard was big enough for grass.
Oh, well I am going to give this a try.I have decided it is the hobby I want to try to take up. I certainly need to start something, the oldest is 16. And we will probably have to send her away to college.
four

Hey fourtoomany, welcome to the Utah gardening forum! Newbie gardeners are certainly welcome around here! Feel free to come for advice anytime you need it. We all feel a little lost when we're getting started in this hobby, but that's what's nice about a forum like this -- we can learn from other people's experiences.

I wonder one other thing about your zucchini -- how often are you watering them? I know when I planted mine this summer, the seed package said to plant them in little hills, with three vines per hill. I assume this is because they don't like being too wet around their roots, so maybe they're extra sensitive to overwatering.

Does anyone else know why they're supposed to be in little hills?

I water once a day. I am very careful about the watering, my back neighbor floods me. A problem in my subdivision, since all the houses are so close together. I hardly water my strawberry box an onion box at all, she takes care of that for me. I have everything in boxes, and my husband squared them off with string. I planted four zuccinni in four of the squares, out of I don't know how many squares. I didn't plant them in little hills, I never have. I also am careful not to water the plants themselves or the blossoms, I water right near the plant.

Well, maybe it was just a bug eating the blossoms like you mentioned earlier, but I would still urge you to cut back watering to every other day. The roots may be getting smothered by too frequent watering. They need a chance to breathe and let the air pockets in the soil open up between watering. With the recommendation about planting in little hills, I'm suspecting they're more sensitive to overwatering than many other veggies.

They'll be a lot stronger if not watered every day, too. If you mulch around them, it'll help them go even longer without water, but even without mulch, once every two days is definitely enough.

I also garden in raised beds and love them. They do need a little more water because the soil tends to dry out faster. You might re-look at your onions. Dixondale farms recommends 21 inches of water a year for maximum production. I water my Zukes every other day or when they start to look limp.

I have to say I am glad I turned to the web in my desperation. It is so very interesting reading the postings. There are some very talented people here. It reminds me how little I know.
But do you know anything about onions? I have never tried to grow anything but green oinons before.
Last year my biggest yield was zuccinni and tomatos. I had some many, many tomatos off of three plants! I didn't know what to do with them all, so I made freezer salsa. I made enough to last my husband through football season. So this year he wanted to plant everything we would need for the salsa. And try to get enough for the entire winter. I don't think how this is going to work because we are not smart enough to get them all to harvest at the same time. For instance I have been getting greenbell peppers out my ears. But I wonder if they will be done before my tomatos catch up.
Okay, I rambled, I do that alot. My question about the onions. My mom says my onions might not get big enough the first year? I didn't start them from seeds I bought the starts from the store. They look like they are getting big to me. Especialy since I ignore them pretty much, like I said the back neighbor keeps that box watered. I can't do alot about her watering, except water less or not at all on my ends.

I haven't planted onions in a few years because my wife said the ones I grew were too strong for her taste. But I never had any problem growing onions large enough to use in a single season. I also grew them from sets.

Watering gardens daily or every other day will prevent your plants from growing extensive roots looking for water. Every recommendation that I have seen says to water once a week with one inch of water. I hand water and I use a glass to measure. The only time you need more is in the 4 hottest weeks of summer where you can up the water to two inches. I check my beds weekly and have not had a problem with them drying out. Some plants will wilt slightly as they adjust. Also cover with mulch. Excess water creates a welcome environment for many pests.

Skoob, does your garden really get by on water only once a week? I know you've probably done much to improve your soil, and perhaps that helps, right? (I think of you as the soil expert around here).

The least amount of watering I *ever* do in the summer is twice a week, but usually it's three times a week during 90+ weather like we've had now for over a month. Everything seems to grow just fine, and the only pests I'm having trouble with are darn grasshoppers.

Maybe I should track my watering schedule. I water about every 6 to 7 days. I usually wait for some wilting. After a plant wilts it will send roots further so it doesn't happen again. I should mention that I water my root crop a little in between. I did put up a watering vid yesterday after I read this thread. I will link my channel at the end. I water with one of two methods. I take a glass out and I water with a wand width wise and length wise until the glass has about an inch of water. Or I will hold the wand above each plant and count to ten and go around to each plant two or three times. My beds have a lot of organics and I use about an inch of grass clippings.

http://www.youtube.com/theoriginalSkooby

PS. Thanks for the compliment. Although I don't think I have reached the level of expert yet.