How to Hand Pollinate Zucchini and Squash (Prevent End Rot, Increase Yields)
Learn how to hand pollinate zucchini to prevent end rot and increase yields, including how to tell the difference between male vs female zucchini flowers. These tips apply to all types of summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, yellow, etc), winter squash (like butternut and pumpkins) as well as melons and cucumbers!
Equipment
- squash plants
- small paint brush or q-tip (optional)
Instructions
- First identify both an open male and female flower. See tips in the notes below if you don't have both types open a the same time.
- A female zucchini flower has an immature squash fruit attached at the base of the flower. Additionally, there is a bulbous, curvaceous stigma inside the flower.
- A male zucchini flower has a plain straight stem at the base of the flower rather than a small fruit. Inside is the anther: a straight appendage with a pollen-covered tip.
- Next, transfer pollen from the inside of the male flower to the inside of the female flower. We like to use a small paint brush to collect and transfer the pollen. Other options include a q-tip, or plucking the male flower off the plant, peel back the petals, and rub it directly inside the female.
- It's best to hand-pollinate squash the first time the flower opens (often in the morning) so check your plants daily!
- You can use flowers from different plants or even different varieties of squash to hand-pollinate one another if needed.
- Each flower only needs to be pollinated one time, and now a squash will develop as expected.
Notes
If there isn't a male and female flower open at the same time, you can gently peel open flowers that have already bloomed and closed again (within a couple days of blooming) to access their insides for pollination. Growing at least two squash plants will also help increase pollination odds and flower availability.
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