Why squash blossoms fall off

This is only my second year and the three types I mentioned are all my first time. If there is such a thing as a 'green thumb' I think I might be green. Thanks for the information! Much appreciated Dawn! Steve, You're welcome. My husband grew up in the Pittsburgh PA area, but has lived down south now for about 35 years. We have clay soil too, and have built many raised beds over the years. You will never regret the raised beds. Normally we have far too little rainfall here, but this year we have had far too much with incredible flooding, and my raised beds saved my plants from drowning.

Since you're so far NE of us, I imagine your flowering season for the squash is just beginning, and I hope that you get a good crop. Often, the odd reverse flowering seems to occur in cooler, wetter weather earlier in the growing season and then goes away as warmer and drier weather sets in.

You do sound like you have a green thumb, and I'd like to point out that none of us were born with green thumbs, but the more we gardened, and the more we learned, and the more experience we gained, the greener our thumbs became. It saved my garden from being totally eaten to the ground by hordes of grasshoppers flying in from the surrounding fields in a very bad period of drought, but I hated doing it and I'm not sure I'd ever do it again.

I don't even like using organic pesticides, particularly in the form of a spray. I don't mind the organic pesticides in a granular or pelleted form that must be eaten by the targeted insect, since beneficial insects usually aren't affected by those.

Truthfully, though, I don't like to eat anything that's been sprayed with anything at all, so it is a rare occasion that I spray anything, even the organic stuff, in my garden.

I live near a famous town known for a certain address given by Honest Abe. Great little town if you have never been. It is full of lots of motorcycles this week.

That is the one thing I noticed about the raised beds, specifically with a SFG mix. The soil stays moist but any excess water is removed before plants suffer. It has definitely been a wet year and the garden has been entirely unaffected in any negative way. I did try organic fertilizers last year but not this year. My only 'pesticides' have been beneficial insects and plants.

Ironically, the only pests I have found this year are the ones that want to find meticks. But organic produce is hard to come by and the variety is often lacking.

I know gardening is one gigantic learning experience but I had zero. I read up in late April and sort of went for it so to see things doing well makes me happy like a kid on Christmas morning. I managed a garden with insect and sun help and THAT came out of it? I admit I am easily entertained but it seems surrealzucchini easily times the size of a store bought organic zucchini? Even more surreal when I realize, aside from adding organic matter back to the bed at the start of the season, I haven't done any garden work.

I did quite a bit last year but this year wanted to see the contrast. I just walk around the garden for a few minutes every day or two harvesting and that is it.

Obviously, not having to break my back is nice but the garden is healthier too. Nor was I expecting this It adds to the surreal feelings. Maybe that thought of opening a restaurant focusing on organic ingredients is not so silly after all? Indem Sie weiterhin auf der Website surfen bzw.

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Holiday Lighting. Gift Cards. Oklahoma Gardening. Squash blossoms dying I need help Dawn, or someone, I have never had this situation before Any ideas as to the squash problem will be appreciated. Email Save Comment 8. Featured Answer.

Okiedawn OK Zone 7 14 years ago. Here are the short answers, as well as a video to show you HOW to hand-pollinate a squash. Most squash are monoecious, meaning that a single plant produces both male and female flowers.

Male blossoms are borne on a straight green stem, while female blossoms sit atop a tiny bulbous growth the eventual squash fruit. To develop fruit, pollen from male flowers must be physically transferred to the female flowers by bees. Be patient. If there has been unusually high amounts of rain or cold weather, this can delay the emergence of the female flowers by a bit. This sort of subpar weather can also impact the activity of pollinators, which is another reason to hand-pollinate squash.

See our Squash and Zucchini Growing Guide to learn more! I have been hand pollinating for some time and on my squash and pumpkins I prefer to use a portion of a feather.

You can get many pollin collectors out of one feather. Just split it down the middle and take an inch or two at a time from each side. I learned to grow my tomatoes on 6 inch square wire so that when they bloom I just shake the wire and pollinate the entire row every few days.

On average, zucchini plants grow 2 to 3 feet in spread, so plant seeds or transplants 2 to 3 feet apart. The plants are low-growing and have shallow roots that are best protected with a layer of mulch.

Zucchini take 60 days on average to mature. If, before falling off, the blossoms of your squash rot and turn black, the squash may have blossom-end rot, says the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Blossom-end rot is caused by water issues — most commonly wide fluctuations between wet and dry soil. Spread a thick layer of mulch over the soil to retain moisture. On average, zucchini plants should be watered once a week during cooler weather, increasing to two or three times a week in the summer. Water deeply — about 2 to 3 feet. Weather, climate and drainage can affect the amount of water needed, so check the soil often.

Soil should be as moist as a wrung-out sponge.