Diseased courgette?

[john_miller]

When are you looking? In my climate, which is being shared by the U.K. this year I gather, any individual squash flower will start closing by midday. If you aren't looking in the morning you've missed it. By the same token hand pollinating in the evening won't work as the stigma, whether it has been pollinated or not, will no longer be receptive to the pollen. Come to that, the pollen is already dead too.  I'm not sure what the black beetles are, we don't see them over here as Striped Cucumber beetles are our problem, so I don't know if they are helping, which they could, or not.

[john_miller]

[redimp]

They are probably rape/pollen beetles and they eat pollen.  They become a problems when the oilseed rape stops flowering and they need an alternative foos source.  I have heard they are not a problem but I think they are responsible for a lot of failed pollination in early summer.  They do die out though.  They are attracted to yellow and one solution is to have a yellow bowl half full of water and washing up liquid.

[Debs]

Debs; pick the open male flowers and stuff 'em (they are much easier to handle than the females). The production of female flowers is phenologically dependent so just hope for suitable weather. Luckily (some may disagree eventually) the weather is typically conducive at some point in the summer.
Tim; 10/1 is unusual? Early in the season, for my varieties at least, that is typical. Hoe-itis?

John_Miller,

Re above...

Pick the open male flowers and stuff 'em...

Q: stuff 'em...where?? :o

What does a male flower look like ???

and

Where am I to stuff it ...

Answers on a postcard please and only non-smutty replies

thankyou!!!

Debs ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Stuff them with something good to eat Debs, like a mince mix, or creamy cheesey mix, then you could batter them and deep fry them or bake them.  Very good eating!  Male flower doesn't have the baby fruitlet behind it, just a flower, on a stalk......

[Debs]

Thanks EJ :D

Having never grown courgettes, I did not realise the flowers could be eaten.

Do you stuff them then dip in batter mixture?

Can they be oven baked in this way - I do not have a deep

fat frier... could they be shallow fried, if so , which type of

oil??

Questions, questions... ;D

Debs