Live from the Vegetable Trials!

Live from Veseys Vegetable Field Trials featuring Cody, Veseys Horticulturist and Tara, Veseys Trials Team - August 8, 2024
#veseys #vegetablegarden #vegetables #canadiangardening

[@donnalavoie4950]

Nice to see you in the field. I'm trying butternut squash from seed and though my two plants had flowers, I only have 2 squash on them. Don't know much about pollinating. Should I have done something to ensure that?

[@veseysseeds]

When did your plants start flowering? It's possible you may get more flowers. To pollinate, begin by identifying the male and female flowers. Only the female flowers eventually bear fruit, while the males are needed for pollination. Remove a male flower from the plant, and notice the pollen on the anther, which is the middle part of the flower that sticks up. You can then take this male flower and brush it to the female stigma, which is the middle part of the flower, a few times, and the female flower should then be pollinated. You can also do this by using a q-tip and taking the pollen from the male anther to the female stigma. How to know if it worked? If it was successful, the blossom on the female will wilt and fall off, leaving the baby fruit on the stem to grow to maturity. Otherwise if it did not work, within a few days the baby will start to turn yellow, then brown, and it will eventually fall off. Don't worry if it didn't work, just try again!