[Totty]

Our squash plant is growing really well, very strong plant. Every day we are seeing new squash appearing, then when they get to about three inches long, they start going yellow and soft. They then begin to rot and need removing.

Whats going on?

Totty

[mumofstig]

they are not getting polinated

Do you have male flowers (the ones without baby sized butternuts behind) as well as the female flowers?

[JayG]

They almost certainly are not getting pollinated, either because there are not enough insects to do the job or your plants are only producing female flowers (the ones with the small embryo squash behind the petals.)

A good idea to make sure of pollination if you do have male flowers by using a small paintbrush to transfer pollen from male to female flowers (needs to be done during the day when the flowers are open!)


Edit: 2 answers for the price of one and 100% agreement (rare!) 

[mumofstig]

Agreement.....but I hand pollinate by pinching off a male flower, removing the petals and carefully inserting it into the middle of the female flower..........you get the picture...you can even play some Barry White lurve music if you are so inclined

It just saves me having to find a paintbrush

[JayG]

Agreement.....but I hand pollinate by pinching off a male flower, removing the petals and carefully inserting it into the middle of the female flower..........you get the picture...you can even play some Barry White lurve music if you are so inclined

It just saves me having to find a paintbrush

OK let's make it 99% then! 

I keep a special lurrrv-paintbrush in my pen jar so that it's always ready to go in my shirt pocket when I go up the garden. I've even been known to go out shopping with it still there (well, you never know, do you?!) 

[radiohead]

I have 2 butternuts sprawling all over the shop with loads of flowers but they are all male .....there is only one female with a small fruit forming,am I doing something wrong?

[doubledug]

lucky little lady  butternut 

[mumofstig]

I have 2 butternuts sprawling all over the shop with loads of flowers but they are all male .....there is only one female with a small fruit forming,am I doing something wrong?

more females should grow soon, fingers crossed..........I don't think there is anything you can do about it

[someoneorother]

Indeed - I find the first few  (maybe 5 or so?) flowers on each vine are male, then the females start appearing. They do seem to open at the same time as each other as well, which is quite clever.

[Totty]

ok, will do the same as the melons then, take off the male flower and twiddle that in the female flowers.

Cheers! 

[rikknikk]

I have fruit that is quite big but looks lime green and not yellow, how do I know when to pick?

[mumofstig]

I have fruit that is quite big but looks lime green and not yellow, how do I know when to pick?

when the colour changes, they are ready whatever size they have grown to

[Junie]

Indeed - I find the first few  (maybe 5 or so?) flowers on each vine are male, then the females start appearing. They do seem to open at the same time as each other as well, which is quite clever.

I found the same last year, this year I have loads of different squashes which are all intermingling with each other, not  sure if all the squashes will be the same with mainly male flowers first, but it does seem to be the case.  It was certainly the same with pumpkin last year too.