How to Hand Pollinate Zucchini, Squash & Pumpkins to Increase your Yields

Hand pollinating zucchini, squash, pumpkin & other cucurbits is an easy task that helps to ensure you get a bumper crop. It's a skill that definitely comes in handy when your garden isn't visited by many bees or other pollination insects.
Involving the kids in the pollination process is a great way to give them some ownership in growing the food they'll be eating. Might even help to encourage some fussy eaters to enjoy a veggie they have watched grow from a flower to a fruit but I can't make any promises ;-)
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Have a great one everyone.

[@ShelitaRN]

who could give this a thumbs down?? this was a perfect explanation and demo up close so we could see everything!!! I love your videos thanks for all your hard work and sharing your garden with us!!!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Shelita. 🙂Am glad you're enjoying the clips. All the best & happy growing. 🌱🌱

[@ShelitaRN]

Thank you!

[@Neyobe]

I agree

[@tuwandasmith276]

Thank you

[@DreamsCatcher101]

I get my 10 year old daughter doing this to my tomatoes in the greenhouse. I tell her "Go be a bee on the toms" She knows what to do. Go sticks her finger in the flower then sticks it in another. Worked for years now :)

[@RobsAquaponics]

+DreamsCatcher101 Nice one mate. I like to give our tomato flowers a bit of a tap as I walk by every day just to help them along. An bloke from the Gold Coast that I follow here on YT built a large vibrating set up for plants in his aquaponic system. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnetnoR5qcp1hdU Rather impressive I thought. Cheers & all the best, Rob.

[@Praxxus55712]

I really like your idea of involving the kids in this to encourage them to become closer to their food and possibly help them widen their diet. Very cool. :)

[@robrod7120]

hey Ray, glad to see you here :)

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Praxxus55712 Hey Ray. Best way for some to learn is to show them. I wish schooling was a lot more hands on when I was a kid. Cheers mate & all the best.

[@dfre102]

Thank you very much! I live in an apartment and I'm growing some on my balcony. I didn't even know the flowers weren't male and female so definitely good to know!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad I could help some. Happy growing.

[@Allthingsmisspriceless]

I’m happy 😃 I saw this video! Just cause a lot of videos, only show how to pollinate but not when to pollinate! Awesome 👏🏻

[@RobsAquaponics]

Am glad I could help some. 😊 Cheers & happy growing.

[@alanmcrae8594]

Thanks for this clear & closeup presentation! Good camera work to let us see EXACTLY where the pollen has to go and why.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful Alan. Hope you get loads of fruit set. 👍

[@alanmcrae8594]

@@RobsAquaponics Second attempt at hand pollination appears to have worked. Watching a growing zucchini with eager anticipation, some new recipes and a vision of how grow food all year long during the advent of global climate change.

[@melodybellrose6820]

Thank you for a great presentation - can't wait to pollinate my zucchini and summer squash!!

[@thehoop74]

Thank you so much!!!!! I haven't seen many bees here yet in Alabama. My squash isn't growing like they did last year

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem TH. 👍 Hope you get a good harvest from them.

[@annatartaglia1512]

Thank you for this idea. Truth is I haven't seen many bees around the garden so I planted some flowers around the zucchini. I am going to try this and hopefully it works. Wish me luck!!!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope you get a bumper crop Anna. 😁😁👍

[@jenniferjohnson9218]

I love that you included “children!” Ty!!!❤️❤️❤️

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers Jennifer. 👍😁

[@DunkanIdaho1]

Thanks from southern most Ontario, Canada. Our weather has become Carolinian in nature (warmer).

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem & hope it helps you out some. Have seen some folks say it's been an intense summer in some parts of NA. We're having a very mild winter here. Had 2 days hit 29°C last week but it's back down to the normal low 20 now. Cheers & all the best.

[@DunkanIdaho1]

Lots of sunlight, heat and dryness. The growing is good as long as you have water, which we have plenty of here! Thanks.

[@bonniehoke-scedrov4906]

Great video! I will certainly be doing this with my zucchinis! Thanks from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA!

[@scandelis1306]

Oh man, no wonder my zucchinis never grow fruit. You're a life saver mate. Cheers!

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem & hope you get a better yield mate.

[@sandrarako6707]

thank you!!! just what I was looking for!! thanks

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad I could help Sandra.

[@Jerry-rf8bn]

"Must see" video for any avid gardener. Thank you.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Am glad you enjoyed it Jerry. 👍 Cheers mate & happy growing brother. 🌱🌱

[@LadyMcBuff]

Great video! Enjoy your summer!

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Belles Human Thanks Belles Human :-) All the best, Rob. Love your YT name BTW ;-)

[@LadyMcBuff]

+RobBobs Backyard Farming Thanks! She's my pup and I'm just her humble human. LOL!

[@2000willsome]

Great video thanks. We're growing zucchini for the first time now.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Willy T Hi Willy T. Hope they produce well for you mate. Have a great one.

[@janecontreras403]

Great video, my 1st time planting veggies, so happy to see this & easy ti understand. Thanks. Looking forward to trying the hand pollinating. Very helpful. Keep ideas coming.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RafsKitchenGardenChannel]

Thanks for update ! I've been using ear sticks to pollinate my cucumbers

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Raf's Kitchen Garden Hi Raf. I find they work well on the smaller flowers too. Hope you get a decent harvest mate. Rob.

[@TheNorthwestForager]

Great tutorial! Makes sense to leave the paint brush behind. Once the male flower has done its job, doesn't really need to hang out on the plant anyway {:

[@RobsAquaponics]

+TheNorthwestForager Have used a brush in the past but I think it ended up in the compost :-D :-/ I nibble on the petals sometimes but most the time they end up in the chook pen. Hope your fall isn't to chilly mate. Rob.

[@XPookieplaysMM2X]

That's cool & it actually works! I tried it on our pumpkin plant...works every time!

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Dale Moseley Hi Dale. Glad it's worked well for you 👍 Have been busy pollinating our pumpkins now the fruit flies look to be leaving the fruit alone. Cheers & all the best.

[@XPookieplaysMM2X]

You get fruit flies over Ipswich way huh? I'm on the gold coast, no fruit flies to speak of just grass hoppers!! my poor lemon tree is getting hammered. They don't seem to touch anything else in the patch close by for some reason though... weird. Have a good one bud

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Dale Get the fruit flies really bad at times Dale. Lost all the fruit on our dwarf lemon to the flies & the hoppers got most of the leaves 😃 😩 The plant's looking very sad at the moment. Cheers mate.

[@XPookieplaysMM2X]

+Rob Bob's Backyard Farming we put 3 potatoes in 1 of those root pouches from the Ipswich garden show, they have sprouted and are looking good! Question, can you "over do it" & damage plants with seasol on plants? Also, how do you go buying seeds from companies in the US? Are there any quarantine issues? Hope you still have that "DJM" magnet I gave you from the Ipswich show, let me know when you need a hand.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Dale. Sorry I missed your response mate. I haven't seen any damaged by overfeeding them seasol but only gave plants a feed of it every 3-4 weeks. Most of the major seed suppliers follow the rules & add the botanical name for the customs folks to check. Every saved seed that folks say they've sent me never turns up though so I think they are very thorough on what they let in. Still have the magnet on the fridge 👍

[@melodyhapner8044]

This is the exact thing I needed to see. None of mine are getting pollinated, and it's been frustrating. Thanks so much for the fantastic explanation!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope you get some fruit set now Melody. 👍

[@DaleCalderCampobello]

Very well explained Rob I do this to all squash varieties but never stop to think about the whole process and what is happening.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Dale Calder Hi Dale & thanks mate :-) Hope alls well with you sir.

[@nicolleknight6829]

Helpful video Thankyou I’m just starting my gardening journey properly

[@juanwentz]

Thank you! Short sweet and to the point. Very informative!

[@mellh7547]

What a amazing video thank you so much! This is the most vivid and detailed video I have found! And so important I needed to know.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Am glad it's helped some Mell.

[@jessm2170]

Thank you very much! Very informative 😊

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem JM. 👍 Cheers & happy growing.

[@deakemarschall2992]

Brilliant video. Short and to the point. And what a great idea about getting the kids into the garden to learn.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+DW Marschall Hi there & thanks. I think a lot of kids would learn more efficiently if it was more hands on. Cheers & all the best.

[@Helveteshit]

@RobBobs Backyard Farming You should get a Bumblebee hive set up. They can't sting you and can deal with most stronger/hard pollinated flowers.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Helveteshit Hi there. Don't get bumble bees here but get loads of different types of native stingless bees here. Hope to be getting a native bee hive from a mate at some point as well as a hive of Italian honey bees. The flowers on this plant are also full of ants normally & they tend to do an OK job at pollinating for us. Cheers mate & all the best.

[@derekmitchell2076]

The clearest explanation of the birds and the bees! Congratulations. I’m off to your other videos now, and subscribing too. Thanks so much.

[@lawrencedunn1955]

The step by step visual is fantastic! Thanks for the instructions!

[@LolitasGarden]

Excellent 101. Lolo and I will watch this video together and then try to do some pollination on the melon still growing in our greenhouse. Thanks for the clip!

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Lolita's Garden Hope you both have fun playing bees Ian :-) Who will be wearing the bee suit I wonder ;-) Cheers mate.

[@terrikelly2762]

Thank you. Good video.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope it helps you to get more fruit Terri. Cheers & happy Harvesting.

[@STBgirl]

Thank you 😊 never grown one before and your video was very helpful.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful & your plants produce well for you. Cheers.

[@altchang]

Brilliant! So easy

[@RobsAquaponics]

It really is. 👍 Cheers Al C.

[@WhenHeather]

Thank you!! This was perfect! Going out to see if I can fix my patch now

[@LindaPenney]

Awesome update Bob have a blessed day

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Linda Penney Thanks Linda. All the best to you & yours.

[@jamesbracken1767]

Excellent! Thank you

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you enjoyed it & hope it was helpful. Cheers James.

[@robertbarnes7871]

Excellent,excellent video .... thanks....

[@texansoul78]

Just what I was looking for. Great video!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad I could help TS.👍 Happy growing.

[@roblink4781]

Very informative, this spring I'm planning on growing squash, two types of pumpkin, two types of cucumbers and watermelon all are heirloom varieties, I've never grown these before so your video is very much appreciated! :)

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Robert “for the love of chickens” Kelsey Hi Robert. Same method works for all the cucurbits, some are just a bit more fiddly due to size I've found. Cheers Robert & hope they do well for you next season mate.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Great tips, Rob!

[@RobsAquaponics]

+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Cheers Patrick. Have a great weekend mate.

[@vegannursepractitioner9629]

Thank you! Easy to follow demo!

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Vegan Nurse Practitioner Thanks :) Hope it comes in handy down the line. Cheers.

[@pradipcalcutta]

Greetings from Canada 🍁. 👌👌👍👍👍👏👏👏

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi there Pradip. 😁 Greetings from a slightly soggy SE Queensland Australia. Have a top one mate.

[@annberylcox9849]

Thank you so much💖

[@RobsAquaponics]

You are very welcome Ann. Happy growing.

[@eyahsmixvlog4569]

Wow watching here

[@eileensimpson3725]

Thank you that was an excellent explanation.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@danrhomberg1663]

great vid Rob...I had yields of about 20 fruits or so per plant this year hand pollinating with your exact technique shown here....Had almost no bees until last 1/4 of summer here in Southern CA in the states....Worked great. Thanks again. ;-)

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Dan Rhomberg Hi Dan. Always had so so pollination rates here before using this method but the yields have improved since I do the job myself if I catch the flowers in time. You growing through fall & winter where you are or is water an issue ? Cheers mate & all the best.

[@danrhomberg1663]

+RobBobs Backyard Farming Hey Rob, water is deffinately an issue here in Southern California. I offset by using drip irrigation and have pretty much let the lawn die...lol. First year seriously growing but studied hard for a few years before even getting my hands dirty. I hear my yields have been amazing as a rookie but I really don't know. Seems like I learned just as much getting the hands dirty. I only waited as we were expecting relocation to a more rual area but things change and I got tired of waiting...Having a blast. Some days I just can't wind down unless my arms are wrist deep in soil. Love it. Winter growing seems pretty easy here as there's not a true frost date...I just Harvested some corn as an example...lol. Zone 9 here for me....Cheers Rob. Thanks again for your videos....

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Dan Rhomberg Have you had a look at wicking or self watering beds to save water? Takes a bit to set up but once the'y sorted they save a load of water & only need to be topped up every week or so depending on how you build the reservoir. They've allowed us to grow during water restrictions where we could only water 2 days a week for a few hours. We don't go by zones much here but by looking at a chart it looks like you have much the same growing climate as us. Cheers Dan.

[@danrhomberg1663]

+RobBobs Backyard Farming ya, starting to play with wicking now. again don't want go too deep as I'm in a rental but deffinately on the agenda for future experience. ;-) thanks again Rob...

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Dan Rhomberg No problem Dan. Cheers.

[@ddcuttie1]

wonderful! thanks

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you liked it & hope it helps you get a great harvest. 😁

[@jimnorlem6802]

Nice video Rob, thanks for taking the time to video , edit and post, enjoy them very much

[@RobsAquaponics]

+jim norlem Hi Jim & thanks. Does take a while but I really do enjoy the process. All the best mate.

[@neverlostforwords]

Thank you as I have lots of flowers and very few fruit. I will give it a try tomorrow. I'm in Melbourne.

[@neverlostforwords]

I could only find one female flower so I tried this approach. I will see what happens.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Did you have any luck ? Cheers.

[@neverlostforwords]

Hi Rob, I was able to fertilise female flowers this way however I did not get many female flowers. Since then I heard that I should cut off male flowers until female flowers appear as the male flowers will take all the flowering energy and nutrition of the plant. I am considering doing that next summer. I spent an awful lot of time checking the flowers only to be disappointed. What are your thoughts on cutting off the male flowers until female flowers appear?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I haven't tried it myself but it could be wort trying. 👍

[@neverlostforwords]

Ok thanks. I will give it a try (if I remember). Cheers!

[@Selfsufficientme]

What a rippa explanation and images/video of male and female zucchini flowers plus how to manually hand pollinate - best I've seen anywhere! BTW Rob, are you having any probs with fruit fly strike on your yellow zuccs? I have to pick mine early otherwise they get stung badly at this time of year - as you say though, the smaller ones are still great to eat. Cheers :)

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Self Sufficient Me Hi Mark & thanks for that Mate. I had a few at the start that were stung but none since. I think they found the capsicums & left the zucchini be :/ Do you have any issues with them hitting your cap's ? Cheers mate.

[@Selfsufficientme]

RobBobs Backyard Farming Yep, fruit fly do sting my caps alright :( Not always, but the longer I leave the fruit develop the more chance they'll get stung. If I grow them through winter in a good sunny spot (like the large banana or big reds) they don't get stung or if I grow smaller "mild" chillies to use as substitute for caps they don't usually get stung either.

[@RobsAquaponics]

They're hitting ours just as they form at the moment. I think l just need to get creative with the netting.

[@Selfsufficientme]

RobBobs Backyard Farming Yes, netting is such a pain though... I'm trying to come up with ideas to make netting beds and trees easier. Creative is the word :)

[@mzpem]

This was brilliant thanks!!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@deannededemarievogel-hampt9954]

Hi 👋, new subscriber here in Northern California, USA 🇺🇸 I thank you very much for sharing your experience, I am going to try this with my Zucchini.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope it helped out with some extra fruit setting DeAnne. Happy growing.

[@theoriginalsmidge]

Super helpful. Thanks!

[@RobsAquaponics]

You're welcome!

[@norman-gregory]

Great and straightforward explanation. I'll be doing this first thing tomorrow morning. All the best for the New Year. Have a great day good people.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Norman & hope 2019 is a great one for you too. Cheers. 👍

[@cherrlyn381]

Thank you. Very helpful.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful Cherrlyn.

[@10yearvet]

Good video Rob. I wish I had been able to get out to do more hand pollinating. There was a serious lack of pollinators this year. 3/4 of my sweet dumpling harvest was from hand pollinating. They were also my largest. Probably because I got to them early. Well worth taking a few minutes each morning as one walks through.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+The Self Sufficient Life Hi Jay. I stopped with this zucchini as it just wouldn't stop pumping out the fruit :-/ The girls started to complain about the amount of zucchini we were having for dinner. Still have been enjoying the morning wander through the patch though ;-) Hope all are well & happy mate. Rob.

[@cathyh1680]

Thank you for this demo. It looks like I'll need to hand pollinate my first ever zucchini plants which are now starting to produce flowers after planting late in the season, and I don't see any bees around at all. Still waiting for female flowers to appear though.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope the method works for you Cathy. 👍 Cheers & happy Harvesting.

[@nicoleci6969]

Thank you for this video. It's very informative in my case as I was wondering why my zucchini plant wasn't growing nice-sized fruits before falling off. Imma try this out with my zucchini and cucumber plants

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joebird1400]

Who's imma?

[@adasain4163]

Very well made thank you

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you liked it!

[@flowerchild777]

Thanks Rob. :-) Helpful, REALLY helpful information. I appreciate it GREATLY

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad I could help Angela. Happy Growing. 🌱🌱

[@jiminiemini]

fantastic video! thanks for actually showing how you do it! :D

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you liked it & happy growing.

[@patriciadumas34]

Fantastic explanation!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@McDowallManor]

Wonderful, simple clip. I shared it instantly. I'm sure it will help a lot of people mate.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+McDowall Manor Hi Andy & thanks mate. Hope it helps a few folks get their kids out into the patch too ;-)

[@HidupAlamialaMomiIke]

Can we keep male flower include the pollen (pick it and keep it inside refrigerator) then tomorrowday we do hand pollinate to female flower on the zuccini plant?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I'm not too sure to tell you the truth. It would be worth trying if it's the only male flower you have on the vine.

[@BobMelsimpleliving.]

Another good tip Rob. Best wishes Bob.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Bob Lt Thanks Bob. All the best to to you & yours mate. Rob.

[@siszam]

Thank you!

[@RobsAquaponics]

You're welcome!

[@1herbsforlifeentrepreneur198]

you are a long way from Canada

[@dayzyrules1]

Great video, Thank-you

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem.👍 Happy growing.

[@1herbsforlifeentrepreneur198]

great info Rob, will try this today, my pumpkins has lots of fruits but no fruit.

[@brawlstarsgameplay754]

1Herbsforlife/ Entrepreneur how does it have lots of fruits but no fruits?

[@1herbsforlifeentrepreneur198]

@@brawlstarsgameplay754 oops it was a typo. Should have said lots of flowers but no fruit. . I know what to do now to stimulate more fruit. Lots of organic matter around the plant.

[@pisageegee2424]

thank you...well done!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@charlottef6105]

thanks very much - you explained that really clearly :)

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem. Hope it helps you out in the patch. Cheers, Rob.

[@LauraEBravo]

Super helpful! Hopefully this’ll help my poor pumpkin plant with its ever dropping buds.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope you get a few fruit to stick Laura. 👍

[@ClassALiving]

Hey Rob it's been a while, glad to see you're still doing good. I have a lot of catching up to do, your garden is spectacular and the system as well, great job!

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Class A Living Hi there & thanks. Hope to post a few more updates on the back patch this weekend as I've been a bit slack lately. Did post an update on the front parch at the start of the week though. Hope all's well with you & yours. Rob.

[@samualiam9981]

Garden looks great Rob. Everything here has pretty much wound down as the autumn months have set in but I got a fair crop from the small garden we have. I have a feeling its going to be a cold winter here in New England. Cheers.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Samual Iam Hi Mate. Things haven't quite started to warm up here yet but am seeing some excellent growth on some plants. The zucc in this clip has given us over a dozen fruit now & the coloured corn has taken off really well. Cheers & stay warm mate. Rob.

[@roshenbudhram3858]

Thank you rob i have learnt something

[@wavescapes]

Cheers. I didn't think you needed a paintbrush, that's how I'll do it.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad I could help some. Cheers.

[@Casscia]

I loved the video!

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Casscia Thanks Casscia. Hope it helps in some way. Have a great one. Rob.

[@ellisonrepair]

Well done

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Double Dog Farm Thanks mate. Have a great one.

[@meehan302]

A great tip Bob

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Patrick Meehan Hi Patrick & thanks mate. Have a great one.

[@purplelavender3249]

Thank you so much for explaining and showing the female & male plants 🙏🙏. This has been so frustrating. There are lots of flowers near these plants to attract bees. At this time, it looks like I just have male plants. Should I cut off the shriveled flowers to encourage new growth? Do cucumbers male & female plants look similar to squash plants?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Purple Lavender. Both the male & female flowers are grown on a single plant so you only need one plant to get fruit. 👍🍉🥒 At the beginning most of the cucurbit family plants (pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, squash etc) only produce male flowers then the female flowers will develop a bit later. I was told that this could be to get the bees used to coming to the plants before the valuable female flowers form. I'm not sure if that's the reason but I have noticed ours always produce a lot of male ones before the female flowers form. Hope that helps some.

[@purplelavender3249]

Rob Bob's Aquaponics & Backyard Farm (Thank you! I was thinking that might be the case, the second batch of flowers might have some females. I guess that was wishful thinking. When I had more land and grew squash and cucumbers, I never had this problem. I wasn’t even aware there were a male & female plants. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. One year we hardly had any tomatoes. We found out later there weren’t many bees in Colorado. This year am experimenting by planting vegetables in large pots and I’m learning a lot and also making a lot of mistakes but that’s how you learn. Thank you for your reply!!

[@lisaf7688]

Thanks!!

[@RobsAquaponics]

You're welcome Lisa. 😁 Happy growing.

[@karimjundi2941]

Great video, and great idea on removing the petals to help using the flower as a q-tip. What types of yields do you get from your plants over the course of their lives/season. For example, how many kilograms of zucchini or peppers or what have you do you harvest per plan on average?

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Karim Jundi Hi Karim & thanks mate. I don't really weigh the produce from the patch as we bring it in. I do know that we've taken off dozens of fruit from the zucchini bush now. Chillies/capsicums/peppers would be hard to measure as they produce nearly 11 months of the year here. We've lost a fair amount of the capsicums/sweet peppers to the fruit flies already this season as I was a bit slow at netting the plants. Hope to get a few kg from them though by july next year when they start to slow down. Cheers mate & all the best. Rob.

[@jeffmitts5363]

Hey Rob Good one. Our Zukes are hit and miss year to year, will give this a go next year for sure. Maybe playing some Barry White might help? Take care Jeff

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Jeff Mitts Barry White & a bee suit is a must mate. Expect to see a clip of you in action come next spring Jeff ;-) Cheers mate & all the best, Rob.

[@jamesdepasquale9602]

And don't forget to harvest the male flowers, dip them in batter, and then fry them up for a tasty summer treat!

[@RobsAquaponics]

I like adding a bit of garlic powder into the mix. 😁

[@jamesdepasquale9602]

@@RobsAquaponics Yes or you can stuff the flower with a piece of fresh mozzarella and a leaf of basil!

[@lillianmorgancbc]

Thank you, Rob, I sadly notice this year just a couple of bees.The power lines are destroying nature.I have noticed wasps eating my cabbage so I have a net over them & is working beautifully.I will go out right now early morning and get pollinating.Love your channel.Sincerely The Green Thumb.)0("Subbed"

[@RobsAquaponics]

Sorry I missed your post Lillian & thanks. 🙂

[@Vlogdedermarak]

Really helpful ..

[@susanwalkergirl]

Thank you...very helpful info. How many male flowers does a zucchini plant produce vs female?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I've seen more male flowers than females on some early on in the season so it might come down to variety Susan.

[@susanwalkergirl]

@@RobsAquaponics We have an abundance of male flowers on the zucchini, squash and cucumber plants. It looks like we were successful in hand pollinating one flower. Thanks for your helpful video and response.

[@christophergould7047]

Great informative clip Rob. 👍

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers Christopher. 👍

[@DavidMorales-nomadtec]

Great video, as always! I learned something new today!

[@RobsAquaponics]

+David Morales Hi David & thanks. All the best mate, Rob.

[@SFarlough]

Thank you so much sir

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you enjoyed it Stephanie & hope it helps with your crop.

[@bobbenner2536]

thanks

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Bob Benner Cheers Bob.

[@jesschappell647]

I had no idea!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Is very easy to do. Hope it worked well for you. PS sorry for taking 5 years to respond. 🤔😁😅

[@serenacampanella9969]

Don't forget to harvest the male flowers once you finish pollinating. You can take some flour, water, and egg to make a batter. Then cut up your squash flowers into pieces and add them to the batter. Now you can take spoonfuls of the mixture and place into hot oil to make squash flower pancake fritters. Sprinkle a little salt n top once they are done and you have a delicious snack!

[@ibm450]

Excellent video rob. any suggestions on controlling PM on zucchinis?

[@RobsAquaponics]

+tolga erok Hey Mate. I've used both sodium and potassium bicarbonate (baking powder & eco fungicide) in the past and found they work the best on small outbreaks. If I get a leaf that is badly infected and just cut it off & dispose of it away from the patch. Works well for small outbreaks like the bicarbonate sprays but can knock the plant around a bit if there are too many leaves taken off. Hope that helps a bit mate and sorry for the slow reply. Cheers, Rob.

[@mumbaibalconygardenerhobbies]

Can you please do a dedicated tomato video - especially nutrition, maintenance, diseases etc?

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Mumbai Balcony Gardener | Avid Life Observer Hi there. I've stayed away from posting one as there a a load of clips out there already. I could do one on how I grow them but it won't be applicable to most folks due to our climate & location. Might help you out though ;-) Here's a few ideas that might help in the meantime. I don't subscribe to adding a lot of the amendments most folks recommend like Epsom salts & only feed ours home made compost/castings or teas made from compost/castings. The trick is to make sure that the compost is nutrient rich so I like to add some eggshells (for calcium) a handful or 2 of rock minerals (if I have some on hand) per layer when making the compost. Having the extra calcium takes care of blossom end rot I've found which was my #1 problem in the past. The only other problem we have is blight on the leaves. I used to battle it with Sodium bicarbonate & Potassium bicarbonate sprays but abandoned that practice with the last few plants. I just trimmed back any badly affected leaves on our last wherokowhai tomato & got months of production out of her :-) I think it also helps if you can trim back any leaves that stop air flow through the plant. That helps to stop the blight spores from settling on the leaves. Hope that helps you out a bit. All the best to you & yours, Rob.

[@mumbaibalconygardenerhobbies]

RobBobs Backyard Farming Thank you for the detailed information. Would you follow the same for container growing of tomatoes? I get a maximum of 6 hours of sun in my growing season, sometimes even less. Also my compost isnt as diverse as yours , just scraps from the kitchen, egg shells and cow manure . So I do use sea weed, neem pellets, epsom salt, wood ash and rock phosphate. But none of these can make up for 8 hours or more of sunlight. I am coming to the realisation that I may have to restrict myself to growing just cherry tomatoes instead of the bigger varieties.

[@RobsAquaponics]

+Mumbai Balcony Gardener | Avid Life Observer Sounds like your compost would be rich enough to keep them going. 6 hours should be long enough too I would think. Maybe some of the more compact determinate varieties might do better with the space you have 👍

[@mumbaibalconygardenerhobbies]

RobBobs Backyard Farming Yes thank you very much. 👍. I have got compact variety seeds from Baker Creek just now, I'll give those a go next season.

[@tuffy005]

Thank you

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem Kathy. Happy growing.

[@eltallerdeelberg....1273]

When they wilt you can still VERY CAREFULLY open the female flower not breaking it,and 90% of the time it still works!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Have done that here as well but find the earlier we get the job done the better the strike rate through our hot summers. Cheers mate. 👍

[@eltallerdeelberg....1273]

@@RobsAquaponics the earlier the better! No doubt about that But its good knowing even if theyre a bit wilted,you still have a chance. At least not all is lost😌 Cheers!

[@BurpeesForBreakfast]

Thank you 🙏🏾

[@RobsAquaponics]

You are so welcome

[@joyargow]

Thank you so much! Would this be also causing the zucchini to rot at the end??

[@RobsAquaponics]

Blossom end rot can be one cause if the fruit starts to swell then it starts to rot. That can be caused by a lack f calcium or incorrect pH of the soil not allowing calcium to be taken up, If it's occurring on the young fruit just after the flower drops off, it's more than likely that the flower wasn't successfully pollinated. Hope that helps some.