I have tons of Acorn Squash blossems,but they keep withering and dying,no squash? Am I doing something wrong?

Question

I have tons of Acorn Squash blossems,but they keep withering and dying,no squash? Am I doing something wrong?

Answer 1

Open up the flowers by had if they haven't opened by themselves and then use a fine paint brush (from a child's paint set would do) to transfer pollen from one flower to the next.  Just keep transferring pollen between several flowers and you should soon have fruit.

I hope this helps.

Dave.

Answer 2

Here's an easy remedy:  pollinate them yourself!  We do that with our butternut squash after the bees neglected several flowers that dropped off.

Most squash have separate male and female flowers.  The male flower is the one without the "bulb" behind the flower.  It will be just one long stem and a yellow flower.  Cut one off and pollinate the female flowers.  You can pollinate up to four female flowers with one male flower before you run out of pollen (Flower s***n).

Do this as soon as you find male and female flowers because the flowers don't live for long.  And male flowers seem to open up first...most likely because they can't wait to pollinate female flowers.  (hahaha...)

Within a few days you will see the bulbs grow into squash!  It's really amazing.  I showed my husband how to do this and now he does it himself every day.

Answer 3

you need bees. plant some bee balm to attract them.

Answer 4

All squash put out male blossoms for 2 to 3 weeks before they put out female blossoms..the males will bloom and fall off the same day or the next only to put more out..this is the same with all squash,melons,cucmbers,cantaloupes etc..The way to tell male flowers on all of these plants is that the males grow on long skinny little stems..and the females  grow right off one of the main vines..and a little squash will be right behind it..I will post this and go find you some pictures..if I canot find acorn squash i will show you another variety but they all do the same thing..These are female blooms notice how they come out of the main stem..with the little squash behind it..?

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/vi...

The ones on the left here are male..notice the small skinny stems they are growing from? I will try to find a better picture..but go look at your plants..the blooms will all eb on a stem like this....

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/vi...

notice the skinny stem on the flower to the right here??a male..and all the females are at the main stem with little squash on them

http://www.fotosearch.com/CSK013/ks11077...