[Apostrophes]

I am lucky enough to have been given a new allotment plot in Stevenage, which the council have just cleared and made available. I didn't even have to wait very long for it.

My first quetsion is about manually pollenating courgettes. I know why I might need to do it and, mostly, how, but I am unclear on one thing:

At which stage in the life of the courgette do I pollenate it with the pollen from the male flower? I have some very tiny courgettes in my garden right now with only the first suggestion of a tightly closed flower. Is that too soon?

Or must I wait until the flower opens up?

Thank you; and hello allotment growers all.

Richard

[heloise]

Hello,
I have 2 plants in the greenhouse and have always found that the female flowers will open up very wide by themselves so it's easy to transfer pollen via a small paintbrush. Unfortunately they never seem to open up for more than a day, so I have to check on them regularly.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I've never needed to pollinate any of mine (I did with my pumpkins) and have always had loads. If you are going to pollinate I would have thought you need to wait till the flowers open by themselves.

[Apostrophes]

Thank you both. Thinking about it, it makes obvious sense to wait till the flowers open up: afterall, bees don't pollinate green buds.

Richard

[gobs]

As Katie says though, only have this job, if growing indoors, which there is no need for.

[GrannieAnnie]

I have courgettes in teh polytunnel at the moment, and they do their own thing.  I've never had to pollinate a courgette yet!

[Apostrophes]

Thank you. I only really asked as my courgettes are pretty poor excuses right now but I think that's more to do with how I kept them.

Richard

[Kate and her Ducks]

They're pretty heavy feeders I understand. Mine are in a little raised bed that I made this year and filled with last years compost and they are growing like the clappers (could also have something to do with the vast quantity of duck muck they get too). Feeding them might help?

[Apostrophes]

Kate,

I am picking up a duck theme from you.

Richard

[e15]

I wait for the flowers to open and then I pinch off the male flowers, which have no immature fruit and brush it against the female flower. It seems to work well for mine...

[Kate and her Ducks]

Kate,

I am picking up a duck theme from you.

Richard

I know, it's an obsession. I've been assured that there is treatment available but they will have to catch me first!!!!

Don't get me on to how great ducks are for the garden and soul! :roll:

(OK just a bit - They eat the slugs and snails, fertilize the ground, mow the lawn, well a bit  I carefully overlook the minor disadvantages

[Lemon]

Hi Apostrophes,

We live in Stevenage too - but no allotment - just a back garden with 2 raised veg beds.

Last year, to help the early flowers/courgettes along, I'd pick off the male flower (the one with the long pointy thing :oops: in it covered in pollen) then poke the inside of the female flower (this has the immature courgette behind it) making sure the middle gets some pollen.

If they are not pollinated successfully, the fruits do not mature and grow, but wrinkle and die.  As the plant grows better, you won't have to do this - it will sort itself out, but I find it useful when the female flower opens after the male flower has withered.  (In extreme cases, I peel back and discard the petals of male flower and leave the pollen stick to do the poking!   )

Happy Veg Growing! :mrgreen: