The Patty Pan has put out lots of female flowers, but the fruits have all failed to set. In desperation I have hand-pollinated one, and it might - just might - set. It looks promising at present, but I won't be able to tell for sure for at least another few days.
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| Summer squash "Patty pan" |
The Autumn Crown squash has not until now even produced any female flowers, and only one or two male ones. And now, when it is far too late, it decides to get its act together:
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| Winter squash "Autumn Crown" |
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| Winter squash "Autumn Crown" |
I wonder if it is different weather conditions that has been the deciding factor? Over the last month or so there has been a bit more sun and a bit less rain than there was earlier in the Summer. Maybe this has encouraged more flying insects to get in there and move the pollen about.
Fortunately the squashes' cousins, the cucumbers, have done rather better. My two plants have produced about 16 of so fruits so far, and there are loads more immature ones coming on, including these non-identical twins:
well at least you got something!... I got ONE courgette and lots of sad shrivelled fruit.... very sad year...
ReplyDeleteI have never been able to grow summer squash. Lots of tomatoes, beans, eggplant, but little squash. So many male flowers, but very few female.
ReplyDeleteYour cucumbers look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteNot the best year for all things squash. We seem to have two or three really fine winter squashes, and a few more very small ones that are unlikely to grow fully, but nowhere near the usual performance. And the butternut squashes! - conspicuous only by their absence. The courgettes were very slow to get going, but have given us a steady stream of fruit since, better than the usual glut actually.
ReplyDeleteOur cucumbers disliked the high temperatures in the greenhouse though, so we've not had any fruit for a few weeks, though there are some tiny ones forming now again, so fingers crossed...
Sara
My courgettes are giving a steady supply but my squash plants have amounted to nothing. I'll try again next year.
ReplyDeleteI almost always hand pollinate Mark- It seems to help! Those cucumbers look good!
ReplyDeleteI'm really not too surprised that squash was hard for you this year. I keep thinking if we could have averaged the US and UK weather we all would have been happy. Extremes are hard to grow things in.
ReplyDeleteYou have much better luck with cucumber this year compare to last year.
ReplyDeleteOur squash seeds didn't even germinate but the cucumbers are very prolific.
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