squash blossom question...

[MommyHawk]

I have tons of squash blossoms...TONS! But only 3 actual squash are growing so far...what am I doing wrong?

do some flowers just flower while others turn into squashes? how do I tell which ones?

[tayndrewsmama]

I am sure someone will have a much better explanation than I will, but I think it is because of the male vs. female and pollination. I had one heck of a time last year with my squash. I kept getting all these blooms, but no squash until later in the summer. It was because they were all female (I think ).

[Owen'nZoe]

Some squash flowers are male and others are female. Male flowers have a thin stem. Female flowers have a bulge in the stem just at the base of the flower. That's what will become the fruit.

When a plant first starts flowering, most of the flowers will be male. As the plant matures, there will be a better balance between male and female flowers.

[tayndrewsmama]

Okay, so then last year I had mostly male, not female.

[MommyHawk]

so if I pick some of these male blossoms to fry up and eat them as my Grandmother insists I should do, will I damage my chances of getting actual squash later in the season?

[Greenmama2AJ]

You can pick the male flowers, it wont damage the plant.

Usually squash get male flowers before female flowers. You'll know the female flowers, they have tiny squash beneath them. If you don't have a mix of female and male flowers the squash wont grow into bigger squash, they'll shrivel up and fall off.

If you want to get both flowers at the same time, trying pruning back one stalk. It should separate into two new shoots with more flowers.