Because I grow mostly succulents on a patio, my garden does not attract many pollinators, Barb. It took a season of prolific zucchini blossoms followed by zero fruit for me to realize I needed to hand pollinate them. Now I facilitate zucchini sex early every morning using a Q-tip swab. I look for the taller "male flowers" with stamens loaded with pollen, swipe the stamen with a swab, and then swab the female flowers. The female flowers tend to be lower to the ground and have a stubbier stem (a zucchini in waiting, so to speak). I'm in southern California, so our growing season and climate are different, but I've gotten 7 zucchini from one plant (in a hydroponic grow box) so far this year. Zucchini bread anyone?
Did not have "facilitate zucchini sex" on my bingo card, but here we are! I plant marigolds around my garden to attract pollinators, but maybe I need something with a stronger, umm, call to nature, as Annie suggested.
Because I grow mostly succulents on a patio, my garden does not attract many pollinators, Barb. It took a season of prolific zucchini blossoms followed by zero fruit for me to realize I needed to hand pollinate them. Now I facilitate zucchini sex early every morning using a Q-tip swab. I look for the taller "male flowers" with stamens loaded with pollen, swipe the stamen with a swab, and then swab the female flowers. The female flowers tend to be lower to the ground and have a stubbier stem (a zucchini in waiting, so to speak). I'm in southern California, so our growing season and climate are different, but I've gotten 7 zucchini from one plant (in a hydroponic grow box) so far this year. Zucchini bread anyone?
Did not have "facilitate zucchini sex" on my bingo card, but here we are! I plant marigolds around my garden to attract pollinators, but maybe I need something with a stronger, umm, call to nature, as Annie suggested.
Plant African Blue Basil, it attracts lots of pollinators!