[sunshineband]

All the squashes and pumkin varieties I have are now fruiting away, except for my butternut. This has masses of gorgeous leaves, a long tail of about 2m  and plenty of male flowers. No females as yet.

Any one any ideas as to why, or anything I can do to encourage it in the right direction, please?

[jb]

This is very common and it might just be a case of waiting for the females to come along. Oddly I appear to have the opposite problem, my courgettes and gem squash seem to have flippped straight into producing female flowers and so there are no male flowers to pollinate them  .

[DD.]

Don't panic, my butternut are always late developers. In fact I'm sure they do it on purpose, they deliberately wait until I think they're not going to make it before the frosts then woooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh!

[peapod]

DDs right, they seem to have a 'waiting time' to fool you   

[pumpkinpatch]

dont worrie just wait they might be a bit late my pumpkins last year were all males and then i was supprised to find 1 pumpkin =]
This year there doing fine iv got 4 giant atlantic pumpkin plants growing and they all have about 4 massive pumpkins on them
Not bragging and all

[mumofstig]

Well last week i had all male flowers....this week 3 females and you guessed it! no male ones
I'm sure they do it on purpose just to wind us up Then they realise .......i've gotta set seed......quick, quick, and then you have pumpkins 
(weather permitting of course )

[sunshineband]

Let's hope the joke's over soon , as I love butternuts and was am looking forward to a feast or two (Let's be positive!)

Maybe they'll hear your encouragement. Thank you everyone 

[tam]

Save some of the male flowers, otherwise it will pull a fast one and have all female next. My squash are currently alternating, a few days of one and then a few of the other 

[sunshineband]

Save some of the male flowers, otherwise it will pull a fast one and have all female next. My squash are currently alternating, a few days of one and then a few of the other 

Doesn't the pollen die?