Yes it is normal, but usually related to modern hybrids. The older cultivars especially the open pollinated ones will present the males first. Don't know your cultivar, you will be ok if it is one of the parthenocarpic types like Partenon. If not you may some some abortion early, but it will right itself shortly. One thing that you can do with the latest hybrids is interplant a few of the older flowering cultivars so that there are some male blossoms when needed early.

P.S. about the zuchinni.......for me, it really varies from year to year. They need water, like all plants do. But they can get cucumber beetles that cause wilt, and can get squash borers, which all can contribute to an early demise. My plants are still making a couple zuchinni, but they are definitely not looking so great. Also......be sure to keep the big ones harvested, even if you don't want to use them, 'cause that will cause the plant to not make new ones.

I freeze grated zucchini every year. I do not blanch it (never even thought of doing so!). I just grate and freeze in 2 C portions (since that's what most recipes call for). When I thaw, I let it drain for a very long time and squeeze then. I think it might be better to do as you suggest. Grate, salt and drain, squeeze and drain, freeze. I do not add lemon juice and have not noticed any discoloration. In my opinion, zucchini are better before they reach the size of baseball bats! Wiffleball bats might be better, lol. I do know how hard it is to keep up though, those things are happy growers!

Hi Patty, I hope you're doing well. I also hope you know that there are no dumb questions here. I harvest my zukes small just like Carol does because I believe that's when they are at their highest quality. You can let them get larger (much larger!) but at some point the quality deteriorates. Squash Vine Borers (SVBs) may not find your plants every year, but most years they find them sooner or later. This year, I've lost the two squash plants in our granddaughter's garden to squash bugs, but haven't lost any of the 8 squash plants in the main garden yet to SVBs, which is actually pretty surprising. I think the SVBs will find them sooner or later, because I see the SVB moths around all the time. Larry, There are almost no sure-fire methods to keep SVBs from finding your plants The most successful method is to grow your plants under a barrier that prevents the moths from landing on them. Even when you do that, you have to either uncover the plants at blossom time so the pollinators can find them, and it is likely the SVBs would find them at at that point. Or, you have to remove the barrier long enough to hand-pollinate the squash plants yourself and then there's a chance the SVBs will get on the plants while you're hand-pollinating. The barrier could be a free-floating summerweight row cover made out of Reemay or Agribon or something similar. You would have to weigh down every edge of the material securely to keep the SVB moths out. Or, you could suspend the row cover fabric over a frame made of something like PVC pipe or electrical conduit or wire hoops. The other option would be wood framed cages that fit securely over the squash beds. These could be made of 1" x 2" framing and metal window screen type material. I say metal screening and not fiberglass screening because grasshoppers can eat through the fiberglass and might conspire with the SVBs against you. I have pretty good luck some years by putting the leg portion of pantyhose over the squash stem when the plants are very young. The bottom portion of the hose is beneath ground an inch or two to keep small SVB grubs from crawling underground and getting on the stems that way. I cut the leg 6" or 8" long and at the time the plants are small, it lies bunched up on the ground. As the plants grow taller and larger I pull the stocking up, up, up to cover more and more of the stem, packing mulch around it to hold it close to the stem. Is it foolproof? No. Do the SVBs usually find the plants anyway? Yes. Usually, though, by the time the SVBs finally get the plants, I have harvested all the zucchini and summer squash we care to eat and freeze and am ready for the plants to die. Some people spray their plants with Surround, a kaolin clay product and believe that its grittiness keeps the SVBs away. I don't know if that is true nor do I know how effective the kaolin clay is in keeping insects off plants. I really don't like the look of kaolin clay on plants, but that's just me. Dawn