Squash blossoms falling off...any ideas???
Grrrr!
batter and fry them?
Bbbbbut, I want my squash!
I'm thinking maybe a pollination issue? Probably squash have male & female flowers like pumpkins? If you're seeing flowers with a little swelling at the base (like a mini squash), then those are female flowers. If they're not pollinated, they will fall off, and obviously the male flowers will fall off without setting fruit either. You can pick a male flower and brush it against the female ones to ensure pollination. From recent threads, I've gathered that male flowers might start forming a week or so before female ones, so you may just need to give it some time.
Are the blossoms that are dropping off male or female? If female, and if the small bulb underneath (the ovary) shrivels and falls, pollinizing did not occur. If the plants have both male and female flowers, you may need to hand pollinate. If the plants have only male flowers (long stems, no bulb), you can try forcing production of female flowers by cutting off the end of a vine.
Yuska,
You mean like as in the tip of the vine?
~* Robin
Yikes - this sounds complicated. I may just take Farmerdill's advcie!
I would stuff them with something first. I love squash but the best thing is to stuff and fry the blossoms. It is a really popular thing to do in Mexico. They are also good in quesadillas.
Robin, yes...just the tip of the vine. I read about this technique a couple of years ago, and it works with zucchini, which of course is a form of squash. I know, the idea seems radical, but it appears to remind the plant of its main purpose....to reproduce itself. Female flowers appear within a week on my zucchini. Experiment with just one vine at first. Cutting the tip stops the outward run and forces the plant to use what it already has. Female flowers might appear eventually if you just wait, but summer doesn't last forever. (Though it seems like it here today!)
They're also great in quiche and omelettes. I just drop them on before the omelette sets and they make quite a beautiful presentation. Hopefully this problem won't continue and I can have my squash and eat it too!
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