It is very common for squash and zucchini fruits to not fully develop due to not being pollinated. The reduced number of pollinators visiting home vegetable gardens, combined with the high winds we often face in the high desert make it difficult for fruit flowers to be pollinated naturally by bees and other pollinators. Hand pollination is a technique that home gardeners can use to help mother nature pollinate zucchini and squash plants.
This process actually works for all plants in the cucurbit family. This includes squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons. Hand pollination is very easy and can be done successfully by even the most novice gardeners. The process is the same for pumpkins, cucumbers and melons, such as watermelon, as it is for squash and zucchini.
In this weeks Quick Gardening Tips video I explain the process of hand pollinating and even show you how to hand pollinate using a zucchini plant that I have growing in my garden as an example.
Using this method will greatly improve the quality of your zucchini and squash if you are having trouble with undersized fruits.
In this video:
0:00 Welcome to In The Garden
0:45 Hand Pollination is Easy
1:15 Pollinate from Male Flower to Female Flower
1:40 Identifying Male and Female Flowers
2:10 Pollinating Zucchini Flowers
2:40 Tips for Hand Pollination
3:09 Thanks for Watching
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