Here's a response I gave to someone else on the Seed Saving Forum that might be helpful to some people: If you want to save seed from squash(without bagging,) you need to grow only types with a different second name. Squash's latin name is Cucurbita, but all squash have a second name of who they are compatable with. Like zucchini is most always Cucurbita pepo. Butternut is Cucurbita moschata. So zucchini and butternut will not cross because their second names are different. But Acorn squash is Cucurbita pepo, so it will cross with zucchini. There are other second names like maxima and mixta. Also, if you neighbors are growing squash close to you there could be cross pollination. The reason they is so much cross pollination between compatable varieties is squash need insect pollination to make fruit. Other veggies like tomatoes do not. So technically if you wanted to totally make sure your seed was pure, you would need like a mile or something between varieties. For home gardening that is impossible, and as long as your not really close to the neigbors you should be fine. I have seed saved from a local farmer and the squash grew true to type even though he grows different varieties. I think it is just cautionary that you may not get 100% if something is growing in the distance: ) Remy

I'm right there with you - my Burpee's butterbush started out with 4 female flowers and no males around to pollinate them! It broke my heart. I had some nearby acorn squash male blooms that I tried to pollinate with, but it didn't work. But within a week or so I had a couple male flowers with no females at the time! Argh. Within a couple weeks of those first females, I finally had males & females at the same time, and it's obvious that the two females were pollinated because the fruit started growing immediately - they were noticeably bigger by the next day! There are more coming up. What a soap opera in the garden!

I don't know if helps, but through trial and error here is what I have learned. . . Most cucs, zucs, and squash have female and male blooms. The male usually out-number female 10:1 You can use a small water color brush but this does not authenticate nature. Bee pollination happens two-fold. First, transfering pollen flower to flower on their visits. Second, the aggressive flapping of their wings or 'buzzing' aggitates the pollen moving it from flower to flower. Buzzing causes pollen to fall and spread through the air. The Paint brush technique replicates the first, but only has about 35% success. To replicate the second and more efficient buzzing, hold the base of the plant with one hand to keep from up-rooting or breaking. Next, give a firm but gentle shake with your other hand. Choose a spot further up the plant where you feel comfortable and confident that you will not harm it. This shake should not be large or violent in motion. You should see the pollen movement as well, but look closely.Just remember, you are replicating a bee, not a bird. lol Female flowers have the fruit (cucs, squash, etc.) just below the gender stem and flower. Males have a cylindrical stem continuing to the plant rather than the 'bulb'. I do hope this helps without information overload! Best of luck! ~Traci p.s. do this in the morning so the pollen does not dry up in the heat of the sun! sorry about spelling errors!

It is all speculation of course when it comes to a specific case, but yes some crosses can and have produced sterile males. As for insuring no crossing that is truly only possible with bagged blooms as all sorts of insects can contribute to pollination. I grow all my squash under insect barrier row covers where in theory no insects can get to them. And I hand pollinate. But I still get a strange cross now and then. I'm resigned to only saving seeds from really unusual or hard to find varieties. For common varieties it just isn't worth the time and effort. But do keep in mind that we don';t know for sure that is even the problem here. Only time will tell for sure and unfortunately you are running out of time for your season. If you can find someone nearby also growing squash in the same family see if you can bum some good males from them. You can do several females with 1 male. Dave