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My courgettes are producing lots of flowers but they are droppingoff and no fruits are growing. They are currently in big pots and I put them outside during the day. Is it a pollination problem? How would I hand pollinate them?

Also when do I feed? Is it when flowers ome or before?

Thanks ;D

They normally pollinate OK on thier own, could be the coldish weather.

Are they female flowers, male flowers, or both emma?
There are some good descriptions of hand pollination in other threads - if the 'search' function comes up again I'll post links :P

I'm not sure whether they are male or female as they have been somewhere in the middle in terms of appearance..ie a bit of a bulge but not really defined  ;D

I don't think I have green fingers!!

You've GOT courgettes emma, mine are slowly yellowing from too long in the greenhouse :'(

What may be happening is that you're getting male only flowers to start with, which is quite normal (if irritating). The mumma flowers have a definite baby behind them, and a prettily convoluted inner for receiving pollen. Males tend to have longer stalks, no baby, and a stamen with pollen on the end.

To hand pollinate, transfer pollen from a male to a female flower.

You can do this by picking a male flower, taking off the petals, and touching the female flowers' receptors with the pollen. Each male will pollinate a few mummas.
Or you can use a soft brush, touching first the male pollen and then the female receptors.
If you have children, get them involved in pollinating courgettes, for some reason it fascinates them ;)

If you are at the Male only stage it won't be long before you have some proper ones, I don't expect to get any before July in the windsept midlands, although at least one plot holder has ragged it already this year!
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