Topic: butternut squash - flowering already

[vjm63]

Hi, my first post, so hope I'm not asking a dumb question.

I have a couple of butternut squash taking over my greenhouse, which is fine so long as I remember to string them from the roof every so often. However, one of the female flowers has now come out - which has totally baffled me.  All I've read says the males come out first, then females - and that you take the male flower to the female or use a paintbrush. So - what do I do when no males are anywhere near open!?   ???

i am going to try leaving the door open, and hope a long distance travelling bee comes in - but is there anything else, or have I more than likely lost that potential squash? Or will it grow anyway, even if unfertilised?

Ideas welcome!

[cacran]

Oh I have some b/nut squash plants coming on. I didn't know I would have to do anything to get the fruits. Thought they just grew. Can you explain  what I must do? I did plant them from a packet. ??? ???

[saddad]

Female flowers have a bulge behind them... the fruit. Males are on a stalk.. use pollen from the male to fertilize the female, bees do it but to make sure...
Have you any other cucurbits? Cucumber/courgettes, if you aren't saving your own seed they will do the job....  :)

[Digeroo]

There is also a little black beetle that does the job as well.  Some times in the summer the flowers can be covered with them.

[vjm63]

Thanks for that - I do have some courgettes just in flower, so have used one of them. 

I must admit I do not need to save this seed, I was able to get one of the BBC sets of seed so have hunter to try next year. Think I'll definitely grow them outside - I did not realise butternuts could grow this much, last year's did not!