[gypsy]

My courgettes only have male, flowers, the same thing happened last year. Am I planting too early, 2nd week in May?

[mumofstig]

Not too early, they'll probably settle down and make both sorts soon.

If not next year grow Parthenon.... it doesn't need pollination 

[chrisnchris]

Mine have the same problem, although the first female flower has just appeared.........Parthenon duly noted, thanks mum 

Although I assume it still produces both male & female?

Is there a variety that will produce predominantly female flowers?

[bappelbe]

I have the opposite problem!
for over a month now I have managed to get only 1 male flower on 3 courgette plants, (2 in a poly tunnel and 1 outside). I have lots of female flowers which die off after about the size of my index finger.

I used the 1 male flower to manually pollinate some flowers but there was only the one.

any ideas?

[mumofstig]

Parthenon duly noted, thanks mum 

Although I assume it still produces both male & female?

It does, but............ it doesn't seem to get that mismatch of male/female at the beginning of the season.

[gypsy]

I always had loads of courgettes until last yr and this year, last yr I was told they would settle down and produce some female flowers but they did not. So you do not think it is the time I planted.

[jaydig]

Male or female, don't you just love the beautiful scent of courgette/squash flowers?

[beesrus]

Yes, I do.
While almost everything is growing and harvesting at record levels in this weather, for some reason my courgettes are the one big failure, are spindly and only just starting to produce the odd edible fruit, and yes, mostly male flowers. I can only assume it is the dry weather and I didn't get on the watering detail early enough. To add to the irony, they're a F1 variety, Diamant. Never tried an F1 before, and won't be again. I don't remember how I ended up with them, probably Lidl.

[brokenglass]

If they are stessed, weather lack of water, lack of feed, they produce more male flowers that feamle flowers, it is about speading their genes i.e. conditions not good for plants here so spread the pollen to other plants which may fair better.

[gypsy]

Thankyou. It may be that they have been too dry. I have been watering more this week and have 2 female flowers.  I hope they produce 2 courgettes.