Tormato wrote: ↑Wed Apr 03, 2024 12:48 am Generally, I get loads of all male blossoms to begin with, then much fewer female blossoms.

If the same occurs this year, I read about a tip to cut off more than half of the male blossoms to increase germination rates. It possibly makes sense, if bees are mostly visiting all of the male blossoms. With the pruning, bees would likely visit both male and female more equally. But, low germination, for me, usually happens much more with winter squash rather than with summer squash.

Beautiful squash! Waaahhhh! I want some! Not even in the ground yet.

Now that seems to make sense, karsto! Let me know how it goes and I might try it too. You're right about all the guys showing up in numbers before the gals do. Wow. That triggered a memory of a scene in a long ago movie where a bunch of construction workers were ganged up along the chain link fence, whistling and getting a good look at two pretty girls walking down the sidewalk outside the construction fence. LOL!

Planted summer squash today. 8’x10’ bed, East to west, Dixie Yellow hybrid, Pic-N-Pic yellow hybrid, Sunny Supersett yellow hybrid, and Gelber Englischer Custard (scalloped type) Summer Squash.

Dixie, 41 DTM, Pic-n-Pic 50, Sunny Supersett, 40, Gelber 60.

Today, I direct seeded Benning’s Green Tint and the Patisson Golden Scalloped squash along with more Pic-N-Pic yellow and Sunny Supersett yellow summer squash.

Benning’s is listed at 50 dtm. Patisson is 60dtm.

OK, I've got three squash plants growing for fall, two straightneck and one Early White Bush Scallop. The two straightnecks are setting fruit.


The scallop is just now starting to bloom. All were seeded on Aug 12. Hoping all the SVBs have done their things and are gone for the season!

Yellow squash getting close.

The squash harvest has been pretty strong, but with challenges.

First challenge is some sort of Caterpillar. Those came on strong and fast and wrecked a number of new leaves and more than a few young fruit. I smashed a whole bunch of the nasty larvae, but felt compelled to finish the rest off with Spinosad.

Some unidentified vertebrate has also been taking bites out of a few squash.

Thankfully, I planted extra squash so with the challenges and reduced yield or losses, there’s still been enough for us. Nothing much to share, hopefully that improves. Weather has been about squash perfect.

After reading your posts about fall squash I decided to try some and planted two hills of straightneck and one of that early white bush scallop. The straightneck produced well and are still setting fruit but now with the shorter days the squash are a lot smaller when ready. They're getting that darker yellow color. These are in the 4-5" range.


The bush scallop produced one nice 4" wide one and has set more but they're about the size of a silver dollar and don't seem to want to get any bigger.

Hmmm, I think I spy a pickleworm hole in that second one from the left....

I tried in the fall for a couple years, some nice healthy zuchini, but small to very small.

I planted some Patty Pan squash in August. They produced nicely for me. The top leaves are gone due to frost but there are still squash and blossoms coming along the main stem. I like this. Not a squash bug in sight.

4 summer squash started today.
Two Dixie Yellow H.
Tempest
Rugosa F. (Italian type C.Pepo) a warty type.