Zucchini plants with blooms but no fruit!

Credit: Kpjas

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Q: I have planted several zucchini plants. They grew to a nice size and have the prettiest blooms, but no fruit setting. Then the blooms just fall off. The blooms are reproduced but not a single fruit. Any suggestions?

There a number of reasons zucchini fruit may start to rot. Zucchini (most summer squashes) are usually male flowers. As the plant develops, there will be a mixture of male and female flowers. Female flowers are easily distinguished by a swollen stem behind the flowers, which resembles an immature fruit. Flowers are usually bee pollinated and are receptive to pollination for a few days. I would suggest hand-pollinating the female flowers first thing in the morning with a male flower. Seeds must be fertilized in order for fruit to grow.

Make sure plants are properly spaced (about metre apart) to maintain adequate soil moisture by mulching (especially in very small containers). Some dolomite lime is required every 2 to 3 years in your vegetable garden to ensure proper calcium levels (as determined by soil testing for pH).