This is how it works when the bees are missing

Generative characteristics

Zucchini plants develop male and female flowers, which open every two to three days during the flowering period and the number of which varies depending on the weather. The flowers are pollinated by flying insects, which cavort between the petals, collect nectar and transfer the pollen.

When there is no fertilization

In bad weather, the number of insects is very low. In addition, the pollination problem is exacerbated if you only cultivate one plant in the garden or on the balcony. In particularly rainy summer months, the plants develop more male flowers, which is often a problem with heat-loving varieties. In these cases, fertilization by hand makes sense.

Manual pollination

The ideal time for hand pollination is in the morning, because zucchini bloom for a few hours at the beginning of the day. The structure of the flowers gives you clues about gender. While the female part has a thickened ovary below the petals, the male specimens sit on long, thin stems without thickening.

How to proceed:

• Snap off male flower
• remove yellow petals
• Stamens in the female funnel(€ 4.58 at Amazon *) introduce
• Repeat the process for all fertile flowers with a stylus

Brush method

A small cosmetic brush serves as an alternative to collecting flowers. Brush the soft bristles over the stamens so that the pollen adheres. Then strip them off on the pencils. The more often you repeat the process, the greater the success of pollination.

When pollination was successful

After successful fertilization, you can watch the flower close, the ovary swell and the petals wither in the near future. Remove the petals to prevent rot. After five to seven days, a clearly visible fruit has developed that can be up to 20 centimeters long.