Squash Blossom Sex

[jaunthie]

Did you know that squash blossoms come in two genders? Male blossoms and female blossoms - and that only the female blossoms produce the veggie in question, and that only if they've been pollinated by a male squash blossom from a different plant? Squash aren't self-fertile, so you need male pollen from another plant to ensure lots of yummy female squash. And you'd better get it on the one and only day the blossom is open.

The reason I bring this up is that I have volunteer pumpkin plants in four of my veggie beds, courtesy of feeding last year's Halloween pumpkin guts to the worm bin, and fertilizing said beds with the resultant worm compost. Since I've got the plants (and I lost count of how many volunteers I weeded out - there were literally hundreds of them), I really would like some pumpkins out of them. But this requires pollinators. We have lots of bees and other insects in my yard, but no squash specialist. And today dawned rainy (YAY! RAIN!) and unusually chilly for this time of year, and none of the pollinators were even remotely interested in coming out, much less hanging out around the pumpkin plants.

Which, of course, meant that the SIX female blossoms I've been keeping an eye on all decided to open this morning.

So what's a prospective pumpkin grower/eater to do?

Attempt a little hand-pollinating, of course. Or venture into amateur artificial insemination, if you prefer to be blunt about it.

Ah, growing your own vegetables. More of an adventure than you ever imagined.

Comments

[ravenzanne.livejournal.com]

I've heard from a co-worker that an electric toothbrush is a good pollinator replacement.

[jaunthie.livejournal.com]

*falls down laughing*

[ravenzanne.livejournal.com]

Laugh as you will, but my co-worker has two huge cherry tomato plants in her southern exposure office window that are producing like crazy. The only way they can fruit is if she becomes the bee with her toothbrush.

[fisherbear.livejournal.com]

That does give "buzz pollination" a whole new meaning.

[fisherbear.livejournal.com]

... the bio pedant is required to add that tomatoes respond well to buzz pollination, but squash do not.

Buzz pollination is usually provided by bumblebees, but their absence from a certain southern continent has created a substantial market for tomato sex toys. (Search for "electric bee" if you dare.)

[(Anonymous)]

Ooo! Kinky!

--Jake