Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: nittynora on August 03, 2008, 22:36:41
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OK, so found out today that you are supposed to take off all the male flowers from courgettes/squashes except one or two .........
Father came round, tutted at our hermaphrodite plants and we picked off LOADS..........
I wonder how many other things he hasn't told us about .... Has anyoone else got similar tales/tips/admissions?? ;) ??? ::)
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Are you?????
I never have. Have still got courgettes though. Does it make a difference?
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Another novice here - so whats the difference between the flowers? I've not touched my squash plants - have one squash already, but loads of flowers - do I take them off - when? Which ones? Help!!!!!
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I think you need male flowers to pollinate the female ones and produce courgettes. But maybe that's wrong. I think it's cucumbers where they get bitter if pollinated.
so you should leave all the flowers on your courgettes I think.
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Pigeon seed you are spot on - it's only cucumbers and indoor ones at that where you remove the male flowers.
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I have had tons of courgettes from previous crops and never once removed flowers. (Don't grow them anymore because there is only me who eats them in our house. Couldn't justify them all the space). This is my first year growing Carmen cucumber and we have had over 12 fruit, 10-14" long and it is still going strong. Not removed any of these flowers neither - though Carmen is a self pollinating variety 8)
Besides: what does a male flower look like compared to a femail one ???
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female flowers have little baby pumpkins/cuecumbers/courgettes/or whatever you are growing behind them
lbb
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female flowers have little baby pumpkins/cuecumbers/courgettes/or whatever you are growing behind them
lbb
Thanks. :)
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Thanks for the comments. We have never removed flowers previously either and have always got courgettes. Dad reckons that by removing most of the male ones, the plant is not putting energy into "wasted" effort. Whether that makes a difference? I dunno ??? Interesting to see no-one else seems to do this ......... maybe I should tell him.......
As llb said, the females are the ones with fruit attached. Males just stick up on thin straight stalks. The flowers themselves look identical to me!
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I've never removed flowers from courgettes, cucumbers or any kind of squash, never heard of it before. Cucumbers are going wild at the moment!
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Last year I really thought I had removed all male flowers from my cucumber plants (in greenhouse) but I still landed up with bitter tasting cucumbers, so this year I only bought female plants. The cues on these plants (only bought 2) are excellent. Much easier when you are a novice at growing them.
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Funny thing.....
This year I planted out about 7 courgette plants, the 'regular' courgette plants have been producing very well for the last 6 weeks but the other strain (summer crookneck, or bent) squash have been totally covered in what you describe as male flowers but no female flowers/fruit..... hmmmm i only have 4 of this strain, is it possible to have 4 purely male plants?! i sounds highly unlikely as i thought that all varieties of squash were hermies?
Any ideas?
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Welcome to A4A erbie :)
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.....and welcome from me, too :)
.....hesitantly....my courgettes seem to produce loads of 'male flowers' at first (well, it's a male show-off thing?) before, suddenly, the females take over 8) and they're away...
I've been late sowing this year and even up to last week I thought I was doomed to no courgettes but loads of unproductive flowers.......whew! what a difference a week makes....
Courgettes anyone?
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The lads always show up first and hang around in droves waiting for the ladies..there is no need to take any flowers off and no there is no male only courgette.XX Jeannine
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Thanks for the welcome betula and Alishka_Maxwell!
And hi to everyone else :)
This forum is great :D
Thanks also for the courgette advice, hopefully i'll have some of those crookneck squash to try soon, funny i tried them as they are listed as a prolific producer and so far i've not had 1!
On a different note (although squash related), has anyone here tried to grow Kabocha before (its a Japanese pumkin/squash)?
I grew some last year but the squash didn't get very big, i also can't seem to find any grow advice on them for the growing dates etc...
It's a shame because they are really tasty, sweet and buttery, they are used in Japanese cooking for making croquettes and in stews but also in lots of pudding/cake recipes.
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hiya, erbie, nice to meet you ;D
sure there was a thread on here about kabocha squash, maybe search could find it :)
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Kabocha is one I grow regularly, what help do you need ? XX Jeannine oh and welcome too...sorry.
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Yes I never take courgette flowers off and have lots ???
But this year I have noticed that the growth seems more moderate, very few "marrows" but I have also been picking them regularly too. I planted some lovely yellow courgettes and will do that again next year, they are smooth (less prickles), very mild nutty flavour, few seeds, give off little water as they cook.
Last night I made two huge jars of ratatouille for when we have forgotten our lovely summery veg and are eating cabbage all week ;D ;D
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This year I grew a so-called all-male variety of zucchino - Calabacin - and we've had loads of zucchini, they are a ridged variety and quite tasty. Loads of male flowers, but plenty of female as well.
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Calabacin is the Spanish word for courgette,zucchino is the Italian, where did you get the info that it is all male?
XX Jeannine
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Ah! I didn't read the blurb on the website as I got the seeds directly from Italy. they are MAINLY male, not ALL male:
http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/682 (http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/682)
and on reading the back of the packet (for the first time, and I've had them a year!) the variety is San Pasquale.
Gosh, it's amazing what I can see now I've changed my glasses!
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so....that's courgettes sorted - what about cucumbers, please? I've got Marketmore in the g/house & I understand I don't have to pick off the male flowers, is that right? Then the cucumber I've outside I can't remember the name of, so I just call it "Kookie" ;)...should I remove the male flowers from that one, please, just in case?
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Well done Asbean,, you had me worried there for a mo. I know this one specifically for flowers , I hope you use them XX Jeannine
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Oh yes, that's why we grow them. Now we're fed up with them (the flowers) :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P !!!
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hi Jeannine :)
thanks for the welcome
O.K my problem with Kabocha is when to sow them, do i make a fence for them to climb and do i need to pinch out some fruit to get some decent sized squash?
p.s this forum is great!
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Hi again, Kabocha will go up a fence if that is what you want but they won't climb in the true sense,eg like an ivy would, you will have to tie them in as they grow.
I never pinch out my squash unless it is close to the end of the season and they are still producing babies. In that case I will pinch the growing to allow the already growing fruit a good chance on maturing.
Lots of folks will disagree with pinching out, but my own feeling is if the ground is well prepared and they are given the room they need to grow they don't need it.
If of course you are aiming to grow a record breaker then it is a good idea.
Bear in mind the growing needs and the length of time to harvest, there is vast differences between squash varieties. and plant accordingly. If you plant in time you should have no problems with Kabocha.
I have one full lottie of just squash which sometimes has more than fifty different types growing, the ground turns into a forest of foliage which would be impossible to go around pinching out.
So tips
Sow early enough that the plants have a chance of maturing in the UK, but not too early that they are cold.
Very well fertilised ground.
Be prepared to assist with water.
They need warmth so a bad summer is not good for squash.
Give them the space they need, cramping them is probably the number one mistake that people make.
Find the specs on the variety you want to grow so you are familiar with the time to harvest.
That is it really, given their needs I find they grow themselves.
Hope this helps.
XX Jeannine
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Thanks Jeannine!
yes that does help :)
What time of the year do you plant them? april/ish like normal squash?
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What do you consider normal squash?