Easy Trick for Bigger Squash, Cucumber & Melon Harvests

Don’t settle for mediocre harvests of squash, cucumbers and melons! In this episode, I show you an easy trick for bigger harvests - you'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner! Get ready for a record-breaking garden this summer.
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IN THIS VIDEO:
➡CaliKim Cucumber Seed Collection: (now featuring Diva Cucumber!) bit.ly/CaliKimSquashSeedColle...
➡CaliKim Squash Seed Collection: bit.ly/CaliKimSquashSeedColle...
➡CaliKim Melon Seed Collection: bit.ly/CaliKimMelonSeedCollec...
➡Cosemetic brush set (for hand pollinating): amzn.to/3xr14XC
➡Smart Pot 15 gallon: use code “calikim” for 10% off at smartpots.com
WATCH THESE VIDEOS FOR MORE GARDEN TIPS:
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bit.ly/CaliKimVerticalSquash
bit.ly/CaliKimContainerGarden...
bit.ly/CaliKimTomatoStringTre...
bit.ly/CaliKimJuneMustPlantVe...
TABLE OF CONTENTS: (click the time stamp to watch your favorite part of the video)
00:00 Introduction
00:29 How to know if you have a pollination issue?
01:10 Why a lack of pollination on cucurbits?
03:30 Step 1: Look for a plant with open male and female flowers
05:20 Step 2: Pollination tools
05:28 Step 3: Collect pollen from male flower
05:50 Step 4: Transfer pollen to female flower
06:04 Step 5: Repeat as needed
06:23 How to know pollination is successful
06:36 Step 6: Monitor progress
06:45 Cucumber and melon hand pollination
08:12 Plant parthenocarpic varieties
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Music: Track Tribe - Members Only
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[@CaliKim29]

Are you hand pollinating your squash, cucumbers and melons? Let us know how it goes! Thanks for gardening with us! -CaliKim and CameraGuy BOGO Sale: Buy One CaliKim Seed Collection, Get One of equal or lesser value FREE with the code “GROWFOOD” at calikimgardenandhome.com. Ends 6.25.24.

[@jwilli7434]

"Close your eyes kids!" Ha, ha! Reminds me of a couple of years ago when I explained to my landlady how I was hand pollinating cucumbers and other plants. She started calling me "The Plan Diddiler!" 🤣

[@CaliKim29]

Haha, that's hilarious! "The Plant Diddler" is quite the nickname! Hand pollinating can definitely lead to some funny conversations. Thanks for sharing! CK

[@michaelinejunefrost9437]

So glad we’re all adults here for our “birds and bees” lesson … LOL! Great video Kim, Jerry, Mac, & crew!

[@CaliKim29]

Haha, indeed! It's always fun to learn about the "birds and bees" of gardening. Thanks for the laugh and glad you enjoyed the video! Kim

[@Fred.pSonic]

Nice closeup work by CameraGuy. The zoom in on the yellow pollen contrasting against the dark bristles helps to visualize the process, very helpful tutorial CK.

[@CaliKim29]

CameraGuy did a fantastic job with those closeups, didn't he? It really helps to see the details up close. Thanks for watching and finding the tutorial helpful! CK/CG

[@sheilacarr38]

Hi Cali, Thank you for sharing this information. I am new with gardening and last year I failed. So here I am here again, and thanks to you I am doing better. My sugar baby plants are growing well and pray fully, I will have a good harvest this year.

[@CaliKim29]

You are so welcome! I hope so, too, and remember, if they don't, it's NOT about you!! It's a bummer, but don't take it personally!! Kim

[@sheilacarr38]

Thank you for the encouragement!

[@CaliKim29]

We gotta' stick together, right!? : )

[@juliekovach9784]

Many, many thanks for this clear cut, info-packed video at just the right time for me to use it!

[@CaliKim29]

You're very welcome! I'm glad the video was helpful for you at the perfect time. If you have any more questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out anytime, Julie. CK

[@juliekovach9784]

@@CaliKim29 Thanks so much!

[@brianseybert192]

Definitely hand pollinate, luffa's, cantaloupe, cucumbers, birdhouse gourds and squash. I only do it in the beginning, before the female flowers start showing in larger numbers. I even cross pollinate if I am not saving seeds. Have a lot of comfrey and borage growing to attract bumblebees, they do the lion's share of the work. Will have to start wearing makeup and get one of those brushes, I have just been picking male flowers and removing the pedals Nice video! Stay Well!!!

[@CaliKim29]

That's a thorough approach to pollination! It's great to hear you have comfrey and borage to attract bumblebees-they're excellent pollinators. Using a makeup brush is a clever idea for hand pollination. Thanks for sharing your methods and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Stay well and happy gardening! CK

[@rockyusa2012]

Good video. I definitely have a lot of cucumbers this year thank goodness. Lucky enough to start giving away to neighbors.

[@CaliKim29]

That's awesome to hear! Glad to know your cucumbers are thriving and you have enough to share. Keep up the great work! CK

[@donnademkodonnascreativeco432]

Thanks so much for showing us how to hand pollinate cukes. That was really helpful.

[@CaliKim29]

You're very welcome! I'm glad to hear that the hand pollination tips for cucumbers were helpful to you. If you have any more questions or need further gardening tips, feel free to ask anytime! Happy gardening! Kim

[@suzannegrimes9743]

I have hand pollinated my summer squash, and zucchini, but I have never tried to do cucumbers on my melons, but be sure I will be doing it! I never attempted it because the cucumber flowers were so small but since I saw the way you did it, it makes me feel confident that I can do it too Thanks for the info. It was very helpful as usual. ❤

[@CaliKim29]

Hi Suzanne! I'm glad you found the hand pollination tips helpful! Hand pollinating your summer squash and zucchini is a great start, and now you're ready to tackle cucumbers and melons too-awesome! Those cucumber flowers can be tricky, but with a little technique, you'll nail it. Happy gardening, and thanks for your kind words! ❤️🥒 Kim

[@wendykudronowicz4592]

It looks like that I will have to hand pollinate my cucumber plants soon thanks for the advice

[@dawninthemountains]

Weather up here in the mountains has been crazy! High 80s in day (plants wilt like 90s, at our 8,500 feet!) But, then, heading down to 40s at night. Too cold for heat loving plants. Crazy challenges this year. 😊

[@CaliKim29]

Wow, that sounds like a real challenge! The extreme temperature swings can be tough on plants. Maybe try some row covers or bring heat-loving plants inside at night. Hang in there and good luck with your garden! CaliKim

[@jackiehorsley9263]

Kim I am growing cucumbers and squash myself so far I am having no problems yet with pollination I have this one little carpenter bee that likes to come around all the time it's kind of funny cuz that's the only one I see but if I do start having pollination problems then I will definitely try hand pollinating

[@natecherobinson5229]

Definitely hand pollinating my squash. Have lots of bees but I like to make sure.Haven't needed to do cucumbers yet but glad to know you can!

[@CaliKim29]

Hand pollinating is a great way to ensure your squash thrives! Glad to hear the bees are helping out too. It's always good to have options like with cucumbers. Happy gardening, Nate. Kim

[@nealgreenstein2227]

I’ll try hand pollinating my cucumbers when there are flowers

[@CaliKim29]

That sounds like a great plan! Hand pollinating can really help ensure you get a good harvest. Good luck with your cucumbers! CK

[@sajida9643]

Thank you for the very informative video. ❤❤❤

[@CaliKim29]

Glad it was helpful!

[@barbaracarbone4658]

I have a Green Stalk tower this summer. I'm disappounted with it. The lettuces are doing good but the peppers and tomatoe plants are still so small. The squash just fizzled out. Spinach didnt grow at all. Onions are growing but dont look like ill have any decent size onions. I bought the tower because i didnt have much luck in pots or the ground. Except for my tomato plants. I still have a few in pots with many little green tomatoes. Im happy for that. Good video. I still have some time to try the squash. Gotta hurry tho. 😊

[@CaliKim29]

Thank you for sharing your experience with the Green Stalk tower. It sounds like you've had a mix of successes and challenges. I'm glad to hear your lettuces are doing well and that your tomato plants are producing little green tomatoes! Sometimes different plants can react differently to vertical gardening systems. For the peppers and tomatoes that are still small, it might be worth checking if they're getting enough sunlight and nutrients. Peppers, tomatoes, and squash typically need a lot of light and consistent feeding. Regarding the squash, it's a good idea to try again if you have the time. Make sure the plants have enough space to grow and aren't shaded by taller plants. Spinach can be tricky in warmer weather, as it prefers cooler temperatures, so that might be a factor. Onions can take a while to mature, so they might just need more time. Consider using a balanced fertilizer to help them along. It's great that you're keeping an eye on everything and adjusting as needed. Gardening often involves a lot of trial and error, and it's fantastic that you're persevering. Best of luck with your squash and other plants! Thanks for watching the video and sharing your thoughts! CK

[@barbaracarbone4658]

@@CaliKim29 Thanks so much for your positive feedback. I truly appreciate it. I'll feed my toms and peppers more often and just see how the rest goes. Thanks so much, CK. 💕🍅

[@instantsiv]

I tried this and it was not worth the effort given my poor growing conditions. The plants were in containers and probably over planted with 2+ plants per container and had issues where the soil would dry out in the summer heat and or the plants would suck the soil dry. I noticed more fruits but a lot of them ended up falling off. I need to try this again when I get when I get a garden where I can put them in the ground.

[@CaliKim29]

Yep, I get it. I respect that completely ! CK

[@EffSharp]

Has anyone made fried squash flowers? I want to try that this year.

[@CaliKim29]

No, I haven't. Any one else out there ever try it...?

[@keithrodz6485]

Hi Kim can I pollin my pepper plants to get bigger peppers and I'm practicing for basketball😊😊

[@CaliKim29]

LOL!!!!!

[@aussieauto7314]

I did hand pollenation last season with my kent pumpkins i harvested 32 kent pumpkins off one plant 210 pounds

[@CaliKim29]

That's incredible! Harvesting 32 kent pumpkins weighing 210 pounds from just one plant is quite an achievement. Hand pollination clearly paid off well for your pumpkins. Sounds like you had a very productive season! CK

[@aussieauto7314]

@@CaliKim29 Hi i did do alot of hand pollenation with my pumpkin plant and at the moment i have a kent pumpkin plant and Qld bllues pumpkins and butternut pumpkin and golden nugget pumpkins going i also have savoy cabbages and potatoes two cold weather varieties i also have broccoli and cauliflower and peas and carrots and cauliflower also red devil beetroots

[@CaliKim29]

That is awesome! Keep it going!!!

[@Stephanie_Cumbie]

Can we take the pollen from one male squash plant and fertilize several squash plants?

[@CaliKim29]

Yes, absolutely! You can use pollen from one male squash flower to fertilize multiple female squash flowers on different plants. Just make sure to transfer the pollen carefully to ensure good pollination. Happy gardening! Kim

[@mcgritty8842]

Even though I watch a bumblebee go through all my cucumber flowers like it’s his patrol, I still have been hand pollinating too 😂 So far I harvested 5 gherkins and have several more that are pollinated, as well as several female flowers coming in. Been growing them on single stem for now, but might let bush out when they hit the top of the trellis; 4’ tall!!!! My first cuke plant grew lots of male flowers and only 3 cukes so far, 2nd and 3rd were more balanced, but I guess that just means more chances for pollination when more females come knocking. My newer set of cucumber plants are picklebush and exploding with growth and flowers coming in. So far only 3 females and 1 male, and the male hasn’t opened yet 😂 who would’ve thought the male wouldn’t be ready?😂😂😂😂😂 It might be a stupid question , but can I use pollen from a different variety of cucumber? I’m leaning towards letting nature run its course and if some fruit don’t get pollinated, oh well, others will ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@CaliKim29]

McGritty!!! Not a stupid question at all! Yes, you can use pollen from a different variety of cucumber. It's great to hear your garden is thriving and you're seeing so much growth. Letting nature take its course can be a good approach too. Happy gardening! CaliKim

[@featheredsunsets4675]

Is there a way to stimulate for more female flowers?

[@CaliKim29]

The production of female flowers can be INFLUENCED, not cause and effect, by various environmental and cultural factors. -Ensure the plants are growing in temperatures between 70-95°F (21-35°C). -Provide plenty of sunlight, at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. -Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. -Use a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) or one slightly higher in phosphorus and potassium to promote flowering and fruiting. Excessive nitrogen can lead to more foliage and fewer flowers. -Remove excess male flowers if there is an overabundance, as this can sometimes encourage the plant to produce more female flowers. However, be careful not to remove too many, Again, none of these are sure fire guarantees but create optimal probabilities. Let me know how it goes! Please be sure to subscribe if you are not already! CaliKim

[@brichter4669]

I have 2 patty pan squash plants growing in fabric grow bags. I put insect covers over them since transplanting them to keep the vine borer moth away from the plants, so I have to hand pollinate the female flowers. So far, most of the flowers are male. Ironically, when a female flower opens, there are no male flowers open or vice versa. GRRRR! I've only been able to hand pollinate a handful of flowers successfully. The patty pan squash is tasty, but the male to female flower ratio is disappointing. I doubt I will grow patty pan squash again next year.

[@CaliKim29]

It sounds like you've been dealing with some frustrating challenges! Timing the male and female flowers can be tricky, especially with the added task of hand pollination. It’s great to hear that the patty pan squash you’ve managed to grow is tasty, though. Hopefully, you'll have better luck with another variety next year. Thanks for sharing your experience! CaliKim

[@lyndysimpson1272]

Hi

[@CaliKim29]

Hello!

[@ccjdis]

The information is fantastic, but I don't like the jazz background.

[@CaliKim29]

I understand, sometimes the background music can be a bit distracting. Thank you, Geri! Kim

[@lyndysimpson1272]

I also agree no music