Topic: Sqaushes going brown @ bottom

[Philbasford]

Three of the sqaushes that have just started developing (very small) are going brown @ the bottom and rotting off and thats 3 of one plant, what could be causing this?,

got two left !!!!

[manicscousers]

we have some the same, I put it down to non pollination, I've spent about an hour pollinating ours by hand, it's been so wet, i don't think the bees can fly and all the pollen beetles have disappeared  ;D

[Philbasford]

we have some the same, I put it down to non pollination, I've spent about an hour pollinating ours by hand, it's been so wet, i don't think the bees can fly and all the pollen beetles have disappeared  ;D

i think it might have been that, they are in a greenhouse

[Jeannine]

In the greenhouse you really should expect to have to  hand pollinate as there are so few critters about XX Jeannine

[Philbasford]

In the greenhouse you really should expect to have to  hand pollinate as there are so few critters about XX Jeannine

oh dear:( How do i do that?, maybe to late for doing that this year

[manicscousers]

shouldn't be, I just take off a male flower, take the petals off anf put it into a female flower, seems to work, I've melons on the melon plant from this method  ;D

[Philbasford]

shouldn't be, I just take off a male flower, take the petals off anf put it into a female flower, seems to work, I've melons on the melon plant from this method  ;D

So how do i tell a male flower from a female flower??

[manicscousers]

male flower has a big, long stem, female has a baby squash behind it  ;D

[Philbasford]

male flower has a big, long stem, female has a baby squash behind it  ;D

Just had a gander and loads of male flowers,and about 3 female ones that havent opened yet ,so will give it a go tommorrow:)

[Philbasford]

Its odd as everything else (tomatoes/cucumbers/chillis) have all set ok:)

[Jeannine]

The others don't need the help.

Try to pollinate  in the morning, the flower will  open up, it will only be viable for a few hours, you can usually tell the night before which flower will be ready the next day as it will be not so tight closed.If you have lots of males flowers use a couple on each female. The flower will drop off after a couple of days and after that time you will see the little squash start to swell. Don't ry to open the flower, you must wait till it opens on it'sown, should be open by about 10am if it is to happen that day, it will be viable till about 3pm.

Just for curiosity what tyoes of squash are they?

Tomtoes pollinate themselves, all they need is a bit if vibration which they will get in a greenhouse due to drafts ,open windows, you watering etc, ditto to the chillis and if your cukes are all female ones which most people use they don't need help either,, but the squash are not self pollinating like the others.

XX Jeannine

[Philbasford]

The others don't need the help.

Try to pollinate  in the morning, the flower will  open up, it will only be viable for a few hours, you can usually tell the night before which flower will be ready the next day as it will be not so tight closed.If you have lots of males flowers use a couple on each female. The flower will drop off after a couple of days and after that time you will see the little squash start to swell. Don't ry to open the flower, you must wait till it opens on it'sown, should be open by about 10am if it is to happen that day, it will be viable till about 3pm.

Just for curiosity what tyoes of squash are they?

Tomtoes pollinate themselves, all they need is a bit if vibration which they will get in a greenhouse due to drafts ,open windows, you watering etc, ditto to the chillis and if your cukes are all female ones which most people use they don't need help either,, but the squash are not self pollinating like the others.

XX Jeannine

Thanks that makes a lot of sense now:)

 no idea what variety just what i got from wilkos, they are the normal looking ones