Problems Hand pollinating squashes

[sweet-pea]

I have been trying to hand pollinate some of my squashes this year so that I can collect the seed for next year, but I seem to be having very varied rates of success, but mostly they don't seem to set.  I wondered if there is something I might be doing wrong, or is it just by chance.

I've been keeping an eye out for female flowers and tying a piece of twine around the petals before it opens.  When it looks ready to open I find a male flower that is of the same variety and that is either already open or looks like it is about to open. I remove the petals from the male flower, and open the petals of the female flower to reveal the stigma.  I then rub the anther on the stigma and tie up the petals once again.

I'm doing this either in the morning around 9am, or around 6pm.  I've noticed that sometimes the flowers are wet including the anthers and stigma, could this have an affect on my success rate?  I'd love to know why I seem to have more failures than successes so that I can avoid making the same mistakes next year.

[sweet-pea]

[Diana]

You seem to be doing it right, but the moisture will be a problem - can you try it during the day (weekend maybe)

You could also try using a paintbrush (to make sure the male flower you're using is actually producing pollen at the time you're using it). If, after wiping the brush round the male flower, there's no pollen on the brush, try another male flower

Hope that helps

D

[sweet-pea]

thanks Diane.  I am checking the male flowers for pollen before using them and they all have had pollen on them.  One thing I have wondered is that maybe the pollen on some of the male flowers hasn't been ready as I have occasionally resorted to using a male flower that hasn't quite opened when I haven't been able to find an open one.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've had absolutely lousy setting from my squashes, and I put it down to the weather.

[sweet-pea]

It's good to know it might not just be me then :-)  Hopefully I'll have enought to get seed from for next year.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've about given up on getting seed from squashes because they're so unreliable this year; I'm just going to eat what I have and buy seed again. I'm getting seed off other things so i can't complain too much.

[Gillian]

I didn't know you had to hand-polinate them! Any particular reason why you do that? Does it improve the flavour?

My squash plant doesn't seem to have needed any help polinating. Each one has 6 or 7 fruit on it! yikes.

[sweet-pea]

I'm doing it so that I can save seeds for planting next year.  As squashes are very promiscuous you need to hand pollinate to guarantee that the seeds will come true next year i.e. so that you know that you'll get the same squash.  So you're right they don't need hand pollinating to get fruit if you don't plan to save the seed.