I can't find the squash!

calico2222

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Ok, our garden is a mess. This is the first year we actually planted one, and with DH's schedule we didn't get a chance to mulch it. With my back problems, I haven't kept up on the weeding either. So, it's basically a jungle.

I can find the tomatoes, because the red stands out among the weeds, but the squash and cucumbers are lost. I can find some of the vines and a few weeks ago they had a ton of flowers on them. Aren't the flowers supposed to turn into squash? Or am I completely confused? This is actually my first garden and, being a city girl, I'm lost.

We also planted pumpkins along the woods line and that vine is thriving with lots of orange flowers but is also being over run with weeds.

One good thing, I found out some of the weeds are wild onions and wild garlic. I found out some of it was garlic after I cleaned one and took a big bite. I've used a 1/2 bottle of mouthwash so far, and suddenly am craving spaghetti!
 

gailc

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Yes the flowers once polinated will bear squash !!
But the key is the pollination and the temperatures outside.
Usually if the temps are above 90 degrees the plant will abort the fruit.
I used to grow the Atlantic Giant pumpkins and am quite versed on fruit set!!
Its getting a bit late in the season to still set fruit but you can pollinate the female
flowers with the pollen from the male flowers and try to set some fruit.
I bet you can google for pics of the male and female flower differences (its kinda obvious).
Any vine crop like pumpkin and squash take up alot of space on the ground.
There are bush squash varieties though that are very easy to manage. Or you can train the squash up on a sturdy wire fence. Not chicken wire as that isn't strong enough.
 
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calico2222

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Originally Posted by GailC

Yes the flowers once polinated will bear squash !!
But the key is the pollination and the temperatures outside.
Usually if the temps are above 90 degrees the plant will abort the fruit.
I used to grow the Atlantic Giant pumpkins and am quite versed on fruit set!!
Its getting a bit late in the season to still set fruit but you can pollinate the female
flowers with the pollen from the male flowers and try to set some fruit.
I bet you can google for pics of the male and female flower differences (its kinda obvious).
Any vine crop like pumpkin and squash take up alot of space on the ground.
There are bush squash varieties though that are very easy to manage. Or you can train the squash up on a sturdy wire fence. Not chicken wire as that isn't strong enough.
I was hoping you would see this and respond. But, I'm confused (surprise!). There are male and female flowers? Do they grow on the same vine, or are the seeds either male or female? We planted them from seed packets so do they have both (if it is seed based) or does it do it naturally?

How do you pollinate them? Could the problem be because the weeds are so high (knee level) that the bees can't find the flowers?

How about you just come over and take care of my garden!
 

goldenkitty45

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Squash can be tricky. Yes the flowers should turn into squash, but the leaves are so big they can hide a long time. We planted some one year...got a few off the vines, but they were attacked by bugs and we didn't get a lot.....however the vines and leaves did VERY well. I'm glad we planted them at the end of the garden which led to the highway.....lol3:
 

butzie

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Originally Posted by calico2222

I was hoping you would see this and respond. But, I'm confused (surprise!). There are male and female flowers? Do they grow on the same vine, or are the seeds either male or female? We planted them from seed packets so do they have both (if it is seed based) or does it do it naturally?

How do you pollinate them? Could the problem be because the weeds are so high (knee level) that the bees can't find the flowers?

How about you just come over and take care of my garden!
I am a city/country girl. I have a brown thumb, but lots of my family have green thumbs. We spent our summers in the Catskills with a vegetable garden. My Dad even made squash, cucumbers and tomatoes grow in a terrace garden in a city.

I don't think that you can pollinate anything. Bees can find anything.Have you checked the growing seasons where you live?

As for the flowers, you might want to look for recipes to eat squash flowers. They are quite delicious.

I think it is not pumpkin time yet.

Good luck.
 

gailc

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Male and female flowers are on the same vine however the temps have to be just right for female flowers if too warm only male flowers may develop.
If you look real close at the inside of the flowers you will see the "male" part and well itkind of looks like its counterpart on a human male only lots smaller!! I thinks its called a pistil and the female has several I think they are called anthers. You can pick off the male flower and rub the pistil on the anthers to transfer the pollen or in the giant pumpkin world people (I've probably done this) can use a small craft brush to transfer the pollen. If successful a tiny round fruit will form in a week-10 days. You will have created life!!
Bees normally do this naturally but with the decrease in bee population in the US sometimes nature has to be helped along. Also a factoid pollinators are attracted to the yellow color which aids in pollination-that is why so many "wildflowers" in fall are colored yellow it increases their chance for pollination!!

And you can always ask me any veg garden question!!
 

carolpetunia

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Gail, you make me want to run right out and plant something, just for the pleasure of watching it grow! But it's so hot now... is there anything I can plant around Halloween, when the temperatures begin to become tolerable?
 

GoldyCat

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I never thought to look inside the blossoms. I just always figured the ones growing close to the vine would give me squash and the ones with longer stems wouldn't. Guess I'll have to look more closely next year.
 

gailc

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Gail, you make me want to run right out and plant something, just for the pleasure of watching it grow! But it's so hot now... is there anything I can plant around Halloween, when the temperatures begin to become tolerable?
Well your growing season is a bit longer than mine!! But when the temps cool down you could probably plant lettuce, spinach, radish's for sure. For me this time of year I have to count backwards from the average first frost date to find out what I can still plant and expect a harvest.

texasextension.tamu.edu is a website I would check out as they should have garden publications for education purposes.
 
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calico2222

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Originally Posted by GailC

Male and female flowers are on the same vine however the temps have to be just right for female flowers if too warm only male flowers may develop.
If you look real close at the inside of the flowers you will see the "male" part and well itkind of looks like its counterpart on a human male only lots smaller!! I thinks its called a pistil and the female has several I think they are called anthers. You can pick off the male flower and rub the pistil on the anthers to transfer the pollen or in the giant pumpkin world people (I've probably done this) can use a small craft brush to transfer the pollen. If successful a tiny round fruit will form in a week-10 days. You will have created life!!
Bees normally do this naturally but with the decrease in bee population in the US sometimes nature has to be helped along. Also a factoid pollinators are attracted to the yellow color which aids in pollination-that is why so many "wildflowers" in fall are colored yellow it increases their chance for pollination!!

And you can always ask me any veg garden question!!
Thanks! I'm going to have to take a closer look at them today. Believe, the bee population around my house hasn't decreased in the least!
I knot they're good for nature and all, but I am terrified of the suckers.
 
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