Agree. Assuming you are getting both male and female flowers do some hand pollinating. Much better production levels than just waiting for Mother nature to do it for you. Given the decline in pollinating insets hand pollination is becoming increasingly common practice.

Dave

Thanks! You sent this newbie off on some google-self-education, and this morning I successfully (?) plucked off a male flower, pryed open a female one (now I know the difference!) and painted the pollen all over it. I will add that to my morning routine and see if we can't get a better crop this year.

We've got bird netting around our beds to keep out critters. Don't know if that interferes with bees.

Insecticide will kill off your pollinators. Leaves are looking yellowish too.

That isn't a very vigorous squash plant. Check if you squash vine borers. And bird netting doesn't stop bees.

I have to hand pollinate both my squash and zucc's. strangely my butternut squash, cukes, and melons somehow get pollinated on their own, but if I don't help the summer squash out I get mostly blossom end rot from insufficient pollination. I just use a little stick or something, seems to work fine.

This question is asked on a daily basis at this time of year... I wish there could be a sticky for squash pollination issues. :)

I wouldn't pry open a female flower. When they are ready they will open. It is only for a few hours in the morning though, so be prepared to get out there at 8am.

I pry them open sometimes.... but carefully.

Don't need a sticky - we have the many FAQs here including one on squash pollination. Unfortunately few explore them. :)

Dave

(sheepishly asks) where are the FAQs? I have to confess to hanging out mostly on the Home Forums side, and just venture over here when I need something. I should have done some searching first.

I had pollinated at 7 am this morning and the female flower wasn't open yet. I'll start monitoring and see what I get and learn from it.

I wonder if you are over watering?
Is the plant getting 6 hrs of "direct" sunlight?

At the top of each Forum section there is a "Heading" for that Forum. Beneath that is a list of "Related Forums".
In that list should be FAQs for that Forum.

Mother nature is doing most of the watering, but if there's no rain for 2 days, I'll hand water. Our beds were Mel's Mix a year ago, supplemented by homemade compost from our food scraps mixed in last fall, so it drains pretty quickly.

It's getting plenty of sunlight, 8+ hours.

I discovered the FAQs and read the ones about squash. And I'll go there first for future questions. Thanks!

Mother Nature is perfectly capable of over watering. Which then brings up the question of location? Seems that when folks ask questions they leave out pieces - the location piece should have been put in the profile.

When you say Mel's mix was it purchased Mel's mix or should be called My Mix - something you mixed together with?

I remember in one of my early gardens - because it was out in the open I 'thought' it was getting sun all day. Then I made a point to actually check - Turns out there were trees all around the lot (not near the garden mind you) and it was only getting "direct" sunlight (not filtered or shaded light) for an hour and a half.

Like business marketing - gardening is all about location, location, location. Pick the location First - then amend the soil.

The Mel's Mix was My Mix: vermiculite + peat moss + purchased mushroom and cow manure composts (couldn't find 5 locally). This year I've got a much more well-rounded mix, with our household food scraps added.

The beds get direct sun from morning until about 3 pm when trees start to filter the sunlight.

<Mother nature is doing most of the watering, but if there's no rain for 2 days, I'll hand water. >

Watering every 2 days IS over-watering and then rain on top of that within the same week is definitely over-watering. Unless plants are in containers think about water in terms of "this week" not days. :)

Dave

Not to mention that peat moss will retain water. AND some areas on this planet have gotten 20 inches or more of rain.