Do I need to pick off the flowers of the zucchini that have started. Why are zucchini not tied. What is the reason for the appearance of empty flowers
There are many who complain about the barrenness of zucchini and the meager harvest, even despite the care and apparent reasons. What to do? Many people are used to thinking that zucchini is the simplest and most undemanding culture among the rest of the inhabitants of the garden. Especially those with which you have to tinker even before planting in the ground (seedlings of vegetables, flower, berry). Poked a seed into the ground and forgot; in a couple of weeks, look, and she is already unfolding the leaves: no worries, no hassle. Maybe this is the case for many gardeners.
There must be care and compliance with the rules, so as not to puzzle over why there is no ovary in zucchini.
What is an empty flower
First of all, let's deal with the very concept of an empty flower. What does it mean? And are empty flowers so dangerous?
An empty flower is a unisexual flower (masculine), which, due to the absence of a pistil, is not able to form an ovary.
On the other hand, the staminate form of a barren flower cannot be called useless, due to the fact that it forms pollen grains on its anthers, without which, in turn, there will be no fertilization of female flowers. It often seems to summer residents that the barren flower on zucchini prevails too much and they try to remove them so that "the juices do not pull on themselves." But this is a big misconception and there is an explanation for this:
- The life span of an empty flower is very short: they bloom, fade and crumble almost immediately, not having time to drink the nutritious juices from the plant. Therefore, picking empty flowers is not worth it. In addition, mechanically removing them, the summer resident inadvertently injures the plant.
- Tearing barren flowers before the time of their withering, the summer resident violates the fertilization process laid down by nature. His "good" intervention only reduces the yield even more.
- Without empty flowers, there will be no harvest, no matter how paradoxical it may sound. They are essential for pollination!
It turns out that empty flowers are not dangerous and there is nothing wrong with them, but why is there no crop or is it very low? And there is an answer to this.
Reasons for the appearance of empty flowers
The fact is that the percentage of sexes may not be in favor of female flowers, the number of males can exceed their number several times, then the plant only does what it blooms at idle. You look, zucchini burn with yellow flowers, but there is no harvest: when - never a couple of fruits and that's it. Normally, this should not be: females should dominate. This imbalance explains a number of reasons. Let's consider each of them in more detail:
- increased acidity of the soil;
- poorly chosen place for planting: zucchini can not stand shady places and with drafts. Bees and bumblebees rarely fly here, but for pathogens the most successful place, especially if there is excess moisture;
- incorrect planting pattern also causes zucchini to bloom with yellow barren flowers; non-observance of the interval between the bushes: the plants are crowded, the young fruits begin to wither and fall off;
- unsuitable weather conditions: zucchini are especially unhappy with long daylight hours (hot and dry summers), when barren flowers form the most;
- pests: spider mites, aphids and sprout fly;
- a number of diseases on zucchini retard the growth and development of plants: powdery mildew, mosaic virus and white rot. The plant spends all its strength on fighting them, and they simply do not remain for the formation of fruits;
- sowing unripe (as a rule, last year's ones are considered just that) or old seeds;
- improper storage of seeds (at low or sub-zero temperatures);
- the absence of insects that pollinate zucchini, especially during flowering (bees, bumblebees);
- fatal mistakes in caring for zucchini;
- overfeeding with fertilizers, especially nitrogen, leads to "fatting" of the vegetative mass of zucchini and a riot of barren flowers;
- watering with too cold water;
- excessive watering of zucchini or too much humidity.
In the last two cases, the cause can be determined by the withering female flowers of zucchini, the rotting of the plants themselves, the ovaries and young fruits: when they start growing, they wither and fall off. In addition, excess moisture leads to dampness of pollen and its dumping, which greatly prevents insect pollinators from transferring it.
How to deal with the causes? What should be done if there are no ovaries?
There are many reasons, but all of them are not critical and make the situation correctable. There are many ways to deal with them: try to correct the situation in the current season or in connection with gaining a lot of experience, taking into account all possible reasons, next year to prevent them. Learn from mistakes, as they say!
Consider ways to eliminate the above causes:
1. Disease control is essential. Otherwise, under favorable conditions for their development, the plant will only have to be torn out and thrown away without receiving a single fruit from it. A year without zucchini will be provided.
- the mosaic virus especially loves zucchini, but it can also be fought if it has not yet infected the entire plant: cut off the affected leaves, apply colloidal sulfur to the cut point;
- powdery mildew on zucchini is also afraid of treatments with a solution of colloidal sulfur and isophene;
- white rot is destroyed with zinc sulfur, copper sulphate (ready-made solutions), combining treatments with proper care (timely weeding, fruit picking, feeding with urea, moderate watering with warm water).
2. Harmful insects on squash. Of course, it is not desirable to treat with chemistry during flowering, but sometimes there is no choice left. Then effective preparations with a high hazard class (Aktellik, Fastak, Aktara, etc.) can be replaced with biological agents (dusted with ash, sprayed with a solution of wormwood).
3. In rainy, cold summers, the flight of insect pollinators over long distances is usually limited, so you can pollinate zucchini by hand, transferring pollen from barren flowers to female flowers. You can also do exactly the same with damp pollen. Only in this case accuracy and caution are important, you can use a dry soft brush. Or apply spraying with drugs that stimulate fruiting, Ovary, Pollen, etc. There is another way - the use of parthenocarpics - hybrids (Kavili) and varieties.
4. The intense heat also makes itself felt, provoking the formation of sterile pollen grains, which again leaves the gardener without a crop, with a large number of barren flowers. What to do in this situation? Prepare a warm solution of boric acid (based on settled water) and spray zucchini often. To do this, 5 g of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water.
5. Store seeds at room temperature in a dry, dark place, in airtight bags or jars. Freshly harvested seeds and very old ones have a very low germination rate and a predominant number of male flowers. The most optimal strong material is considered: 2-4 years.
6. A well-chosen place for sowing seeds should meet the requirements of a crop that loves a warm, sunny open area. That will also attract bees and bumblebees.
7. Although the zucchini loves moisture, watering should be moderate. Roots need ventilation. In the early stages of development, with an abundance of moisture, it lays mostly barren flowers. Therefore, tough measures must be taken: stop watering and dry the ground, which will provoke the ovary of female flower stalks.
When watering, you need to take into account the characteristics of the soil:
- on sandy - relatively often;
- on clay - moderately, dosed and only with warm water, in order to avoid rotting of the roots, which will also lead to an abundance of barren flowers.
If measures are taken, but the result is not visible, then you should pay attention to overfeeding zucchini with fertilizers.
8. Zucchini are very fond of nitrogen fertilizers and respond with gratitude to their introduction. Life is Beautiful. With such feeding, the zucchini stops thinking about offspring, and therefore drives empty flowers. But there must be a measure. In case of overfeeding zucchini, it is necessary to “shake”: pinch one or more points of growth. This will stimulate the growth of lateral lashes and the consumption of excess nitrogen for the formation and laying of female flowers. That's what our grandmothers did. Or create a truly Spartan life for them. To do this, include food for growing up in the diet: potassium and phosphorus, which will teach him the mind and make him continue the race. To provide these macro elements, you can cook:
- a solution of ash from tree plantations poor in resin, for example, willow: 1 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water, leave for an hour and pour under a bush;
- prepare a solution of mineral RK fertilizers (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water): pour 1 liter. under the root after watering with plain water or carry out foliar feeding (spray the leaves), but be sure to do this in the evening so as not to poison insects - pollinators.
How to care for zucchini so that there are always ovaries
Summing up, it becomes clear from the article that in the fight against barren flowers, the complex of agrotechnical actions should basically be aimed at choosing high-quality seed material, regulated watering, fertilizing and protection from harmful objects.
It is also important to note the acidity of the soil, which should be in the range of 6.0-7.0 units. On acidic soils, during the preparation of the beds, since autumn, it is necessary to apply lime fertilizers.
For the well-being of zucchini and the laying of female flowers, it is important to fertilize the soil well since autumn: add full complex fertilizers (nitroammophoska, nitrophoska - 50 g per m2), manure, compost (1 - 1⁄2 buckets per m2). Baking powders will not interfere in the holes when planting on heavy soils to provide the roots with oxygen, performing loosening and drainage functions.
Planting pattern square-nested: 70x70 cm (i.e. 2 seeds for every 70 cm, to a depth of 1.5 cm). The sprout, which is weaker, is then removed or transplanted into place in a hole with fallen seeds (not sprouted).
The high osmotic pressure of the liquid fraction of the soil is very important for the life of the vegetable, as well as for other melons. It also determines good growth and return of the crop from the bush. Osmosis can be increased by introducing appropriate salts into the irrigation solution. So, to increase the concentration of the liquid fraction of the soil by 0.1%, which in turn allows you to increase the osmotic pressure by 1 Atmosphere and harvest zucchini by 30% more. In this regard, on low-osmotic soils, after 7-10 days after germination, table salt (5 g / 1 m2) must be added to the aisles of zucchini, avoiding close proximity to the roots, and watered. Then, a month later, repeat - do everything according to the same principle.
Zucchini are tasty and healthy fruits, so all gardeners are engaged in their cultivation. Today, there are many recipes in which this fruit is the main ingredient. Another advantage of zucchini is their low calorie content, so they are recommended for people who want to lose weight. But, during cultivation, certain problems may arise, for example, an empty flower on zucchini, experienced gardeners will tell what to do in this case.
What is an empty flower?
The term barren flower speaks for itself and means a flower that will not give an ovary. He will not be able to contribute to the formation of the fetus. But, despite this, empty flowers cannot be called unnecessary or harmful. And even in this case, they do not need to be cut off. Their role is to produce pollen for the female flowers, which actually bear fruit.
Some believe that flowers take away the strength of the plant, so to avoid this, they need to be cut off. But, in fact, after some time they themselves wither and fall off after pollination occurs. If the ovaries have already formed, and the barren flowers have not fallen off, in this case they can be helped. Before picking off all the flowers, you need to determine whether it is an empty flower. The actual presence of the ovary indicates that it belongs to one of the sexes.
What is the reason for the appearance of empty flowers?
The appearance of empty flowers is a natural phenomenon that is not a problem as such. In some cases, the number of male flowers far exceeds the number of fruitful ones, in which case certain actions will be required, but first you need to understand why this happened.
The reason for the formation of empty flowers on zucchini may be as follows:
- unfavorable weather conditions for the formation of ovaries;
- incorrectly selected landing pattern or place;
- high acidity of the soil does not contribute to the formation of the ovary;
- barren flower may be the result of a disease;
- care mistakes made;
- lack of pollinators for female flowers;
- sowing last year's seeds.
Why zucchini do not tie and what to do, you can learn from the video of experienced gardeners.
Common zucchini care mistakes
The formation of empty flowers is often associated with improper care. Often there are problems that gardeners themselves provoke are as follows:
- Abundant watering. Despite the fact that zucchini is moisture-loving, abundant watering can cause pollen to shed. Due to the lack of pollinators, male flowers appear. You will also need to pollinate by hand, as shown in the photo. In addition, waterlogging of the soil is an excellent condition for rotting plants and fruits.
- Wrong watering. In order for female flowers to form, the water must be warm, at least 16 degrees Celsius. At the same time, a week before harvesting, watering zucchini is not at all worth it. If you use cold water, the result will be a lot of empty flowers.
- The absence of an ovary is often associated with an excess of fertilizers.
- Neglect of the need to pinch zucchini.
- Empty flowers also appear if the place for zucchini is chosen in the shade or if there is insufficient distance between seedlings.
Some reasons for the "infertility" of zucchini should be discussed in more detail.
Diseases of zucchini
Various diseases are another reason why a lot of empty flowers appear on zucchini. The most common ailments that lead to "infertility" of melons are:
- White rot - is a plaque that has black blotches. Over time, mucus appears, which provokes decay.
- Downy mildew is dark spots on the leaves. At the same time, from the underside it appears with a touch of a gray-violet hue. Causes the plant to dry out and fall off.
- Powdery mildew on the plant looks like a white powdery coating. It spreads not only on the leaves, but throughout the plant. As a result, it causes yellowing of the leaves and their drying.
- Anthracnose is a disease that covers the entire surface with spots, orange pads, while provoking wrinkling and rotting. Most often found on greenhouse plants.
- If white and green small spots are observed on zucchini, then these are signs of a spotty mosaic. Causes leaf curl.
Pests on zucchini
Do not forget that pests can also be behind the appearance of barren flowers. Many insects want to profit by eating a plant:
If pests were found during the inspection, then the remains of diseased zucchini must be removed so that later they do not cause the spread of insects further.
Unsuitable soil is the reason for the formation of barren flowers
If the soil is not fertilized and is rather depleted, then this is not at all conducive to the growth of zucchini. Too dry or, conversely, too wet terrain is not suitable for the ovary. Also, if the soil has been over-fertilized, this can also be a problem.
Not the best place would be depleted land on which one crop was planted for many years. In this case, you need to change the location. Experienced gardeners recommend changing the location of seedlings of various crops to avoid soil depletion.
Empty flowers also appear if land with high acidity was chosen for planting zucchini. In this case, before planting, it is better to cultivate the land in the fall, so that next year the land will become suitable for growing gourds.
Weather
Often, a decrease in yield can be associated with rainfall. Since pollination by bees is necessary for the appearance of fruits, the weather blocks their way. If this happens, insects can be attracted by spraying the plant with sugar or honey.
High humidity, especially when zucchini is in the shade, also provokes the formation of barren flowers. But do not get carried away with watering on especially dry days, the leaves need time to absorb the moisture received and return to normal.
Cold night dew is also a common cause. Zucchini is a thermophilic plant, so only warm water should be used.
How to get rid of empty flowers on zucchini - useful tips
On the question of whether it is possible to cut barren flowers, the opinions of experts are very divided. Many people think that cutting off is the best way out. But there is no reasonable justification for such an act, since in this case the natural process of pollination becomes impossible. But, since some hybrid varieties do not require pollination, since they only have a female color, empty flowers in such cases are a pathology. If such a situation has developed, then they must be removed and finding the cause is a perfectly reasonable choice.
If insects are not able to pollinate the color, since there are no suitable conditions, then the use of additional agronomy tools, various stimulants and other things is required.
To reduce the number of empty flowers, do the following:
Reasons for falling flowers
Falling flowers in zucchini can be due to many factors. The most common reasons are.
Inexperienced gardeners experience a lot of negative emotions if they find empty flowers on squash what to do in this situation, we will talk in this article. The main reason for unrest is not just the presence of empty flowers, but their excessive number.
Biologists know the causes of barren flowers, and have developed ways to combat this phenomenon. In addition, there are folk remedies that will help if the zucchini refuse to bear fruit.
Required Information
An empty flower in this case is a male flower that lacks a pistil. Due to their structure, such flowers are generally not able to form an ovary. But staminate flowers cannot be considered completely useless, since they produce pollen grains, without which the fertilization of female flowers is impossible.
Often, an inexperienced gardener believes that barren flowers are completely useless and simply consume the resources of the plant, therefore, as soon as possible, they seek to remove such flowers that, in their opinion, do not play any role in the development of the zucchini. But this is a misconception, it is not necessary to do this for several reasons:
- An empty flower lives for a very limited time. After such a flower blooms, it will quickly wither and fall off. There is absolutely no point in making efforts to destroy them and inflict injury on the plant.
- When barren flowers break, fertilization processes are disrupted. This significantly reduces the crop yield.
From the foregoing, it becomes clear that zucchini vitally needs flowers of this type. A problem can only be considered if there are a lot of empty flowers on zucchini. It sometimes comes to the point that only such flowers are present on the plant. But even in such a situation, it makes no sense to remove male flowers, since the essence of the problem lies in more serious circumstances. It is important to determine why do zucchini have an empty flower, to remove the cause of their formation.
Reasons for the formation of barren flowers
The formation of male flowers can be considered normal. True, in some cases their number is much larger than female flowers. In order to overcome the problem of empty flowering with effective measures, it is important to determine the root cause of this situation.
Among the factors influencing too much empty flower, it should be noted:
- Unsuitable weather conditions.
- Wrong landing pattern, bad place on the site.
- Too high acidity of the soil in the place of cultivation.
- Possible diseases.
- The use of last year's planting material, the so-called "fresh" seeds.
- Low activity of pollinating insects or their absence.
- Improper planting care.
Watch the video! About zucchini and empty flowers
Ways to solve the problem
Weather affecting pollination processes
In cold summer, in rainy weather, pollen in male flowers does not mature enough. It becomes damp, sticks to the stamens.
Important!! It is quite possible to increase the yield of zucchini. Plants should be covered with lutrasil at night. Pollen grains can be transferred to the pistil of a female flower yourself, using a soft brush made of natural material.
In extreme heat, pollen grains become sterile, they are completely unable to fertilize female flowers.
Choosing a landing site and layout
Zucchini is considered an undemanding crop. The landing site does not have a special effect. Plants just don't need to be planted too close together. And in a strong shade, zucchini is very uncomfortable, this stimulates the formation of an excessive amount of barren flowers. In order for the harvest to be plentiful, it is better to plant zucchini in a site with good lighting. The soil needs neutral or slightly acidic. The distance between landings should be at least 0.7 meters.
Diseases
Like all plants, zucchini can infect microorganisms. When affected by the cucumber mosaic virus, zucchini may not bloom or form solid barren flowers. To overcome the virus in the first stages, Aktelit or means are used. They are really quite effective and will help slow down the development of the disease.
Attention! If the zucchini is affected to a large extent, the treatment will no longer help. In order not to infect healthy plants, all affected zucchini should be dug up and destroyed away from the garden.
Another unpleasant disease is powdery mildew, which often affects squash. It can cause infertility of plants. The cause of the disease is a fungus, which is important to destroy. For this, an ash solution or the chemical preparation Carboran is suitable.
seeds
If you sow seeds that were collected in the year preceding planting, then the plant usually produces more male-type flowers. A much better result is obtained by planting seeds 2 or even 3 years old.
Lack of insects for pollination
Pollination of squash is usually not done by bees. This work is done by garden ants. Sometimes they are not in the garden. Then you have to pollinate by hand. You can lure bees if you treat the plantings with a solution of honey and water.
Soil quality
Poor soil can greatly interfere with the formation of female flowers. The earth may be too wet or too dry, depleted, not fertilized. On marshy ground, the ovary occurs very rarely. Plants are deficient in boron, which ensures fruit set. Appropriate top dressing Macrobor will help. You can water the plantings with a weak solution of boric acid in warm settled water and spraying with the same solution of boric acid helps:
- 10 g of funds;
- Dissolve in a bucket of water.
Such a solution activates the formation of ovaries.
Wrong care
It is important not to over-fertilize the zucchini with nitrogen, as this leads to active leaf growth and the absence of female-type flowers.
You can fix this situation:
- stop fertilizing with nitrogen;
- the introduction of exclusively ash infusion;
- or the use of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Prevention to ensure flowering
Some techniques will ensure high planting productivity:
- It is worth planting hybrids that provide an abundance of female flowers.
- A good way is to stress landings. It is necessary to stop watering for a while. It is renewed when the leaves fall and begin to wither. Then they are watered abundantly.
- You need to water only under the root and use only settled water. When used for irrigation of cold water, barren flowers appear in abundance.
- Excessive acidity of the soil is harmful. The situation will improve after lime is applied, 1 kg of lime is scattered per 1 sq. meter of soil.
Following simple rules will ensure uniform intensive flowering. Zucchini is very unpretentious, caring for them is not too laborious. It is important to maintain the soil in good condition, to fight harmful insects and fungi, which will require strength. If zucchini not tied must act decisively.
If the reason for the formation of empty flowers is determined, you need to take all the necessary measures and get a good harvest.
Useful video on the topic! 3 ways to increase the yield of zucchini.
Zucchini is a fruit not only tasty, but also healthy. Therefore, almost all gardeners grow such a product. After all, as soon as the squash season begins, all housewives strive to cook different and very tasty dishes from this culture, which also has a minimum supply of calories. But it often happens that instead of a generous harvest, the gardener receives an empty flower on zucchini.
As a result, it is not possible to harvest the crop due to its absence. It is about the barren flower that will be discussed below, how to organize in order to avoid such a problem.
What does the term empty flower mean?
An empty flower is a squash flower that does not have an ovary. In other words, such a bud will not be able to form a fruit in the future. But at the same time, if an empty flower is detected, this is not a reason to get rid of this bud. As a rule, such flowers are male and form pollen, which means they are necessary for pollination of female buds.
You can often hear that the barren flower takes away strength from the entire squash bush. Therefore, it is urgent to get rid of it. In fact, this is not true, flowering, even without further ovary, does not interfere with the entire shrub.
The squash bud will wither pretty soon when the pollination process is complete. And if you pick fruitless flowers ahead of time, then the natural process of pollination can be disrupted, as a result: the harvest will be negligible.
What is the reason for the formation of an empty flower
As described above, a barren flower is a normal phenomenon, which is even necessary for fertilization. But it happens that male buds are formed several times more than those who are able to further form the fetus.
Often sprouts are affected by a mosaic virus, which delays its natural development. With such a defect, not only leaves, but also buds are affected. As a result, the squash culture does not bear fruit, but only barren flowers. And in order to prevent the spread of infection, it is necessary to excise all diseased squash bushes, otherwise the entire garden bed will suffer from this defect.
Another most dangerous defect that can provoke an empty flower is powdery mildew. Such an ailment damages the entire bush, leading to its irreversible deformation. Powdery mildew can retard the growth of zucchini. As a result, you can forget about the harvest.
Sharp changes in temperature indicators strongly affect the fruiting of zucchini. As a rule, rainy and cold summers are the main factor in the large number of barren flowers. But such a problem can be dealt with.
If the weather is cloudy for days and there are no insects, then it is necessary to carry out the pollination process manually. To do this, you will need to carefully pluck the male bud and transfer its pollen to the female flower.
In this case, one point should be taken into account, the male bud is enough for exactly three female flowers. Therefore, such a procedure is carried out taking into account this factor.
Another factor in which the buds bloom with an empty flower is the planting of old seeds that have grown for more than one year. At the same time, the seeds may be fresh, but were stored without observing the appropriate conditions, as a result, only male buds are produced. Therefore, if you are not sure about the quality of home seed, then it is better to purchase it in a specialized store.
Often an incorrectly selected area for planting a squash bed can also cause a barren flower.
As a rule, this variety is not whimsical to care for, but if the sprouts are planted in the shade, then powdery mildew will begin to attack it, and the insects that perform pollination will not appear at all in such a zone. Therefore, the choice of location should be taken responsibly.
Another problem that may raise the question is why zucchini is not tied. No matter how trite, but too painstaking care can play a cruel joke on the gardener. If you overdo it with watering, then the pollen necessary for pollination can be washed off with water or stick together. Moisturizing is necessary, but in everything it is necessary to observe the golden mean.
The most common pests are the sprout fly and spider mite.
As can be seen from all of the above, there are a fairly large number of factors that provoke a barren flower. But this does not mean that there is no way to deal with them, on the contrary, you can avoid such troubles by following a few simple recommendations, which will be written below.
Is it possible to grow a squash crop without an empty flower
What to do to prevent the appearance of a large number of barren flowers. First of all, it is worth emphasizing that this variety does not require much attention and does not take much effort when caring for it. Therefore, if you take into service a few recommendations from experienced gardeners, getting a generous harvest is not difficult.
The first thing to understand is that it is strictly forbidden to keep squash bushes under polyethylene or in a greenhouse.
It is important to understand that zucchini needs to get fresh air and be pollinated, because insects will not penetrate under the film.
The next thing to remember, if you decide to collect the seed material yourself, then follow all the storage conditions for the seeds. It is not recommended to keep them in low temperatures and in a damp place. Absolutely all pumpkin crops love warmth and dryness.
And, of course, it is worth remembering that although the squash culture loves shade, excessive thickening will not work very well. It will be best to thin out large sheets, allowing the rays of the sun to look at the squash buds.
Another important point, defects and. And as you know, they fight mercilessly with enemies. So, in this case, if the plant is struck by a defect, then all sheets must be thoroughly treated with a special preparation. Colloidal sulfur is considered the most effective, or you can use isophene.
If the first signs speak of an attack of white rot, then it is defeated with the help of timely weeding, proper feeding and regular watering. As for the mosaic infection, it can also be defeated; zinc sulfur or copper sulfate is used for this.
And, of course, do not forget about the regular inspection of the vegetable garden. If spots of yellow color were noticed on the foliage, then they must be urgently excised, and the places should be cauterized with colloidal sulfur. In the case when the squash bush is completely affected, and it is not possible to partially remove the affected areas, unfortunately, the diseased bush will have to be completely destroyed.
And in this case, such a manipulation should be carried out as quickly as possible, otherwise you risk losing the entire crop.
Conclusion
Zucchini not only has useful vitamins and minerals. This culture also refers to dietary fruits. Moreover, it will not be difficult to grow such a fruit on your own, since the plant is not whimsical to care for.
The only thing that needs to be done is preventive measures that will later help to harvest a rich harvest of this crop. Follow a few of the simplest recommendations above, and there will be no barren flower on your squash bed.
Zucchini is a wonderful seasonal vegetable that decorates almost every table in the summer, it is difficult to overestimate them. Growing them in your own garden is not difficult, because this culture is quite unpretentious in its care.
However, sometimes gardeners are faced with the fact that too much is formed. void flowers on squash and, as a result, the harvest is rather meager. To avoid this, you need to know what a barren flower is and how to prevent the appearance of an excessive amount of it.
What is an empty flower
Empty flowers are zucchini flowers that do not form ovaries, that is, fruits do not form in their place. At the same time, they cannot be called completely useless and harmful to plants, so cutting them off is not recommended. Barren flowers are the so-called "male" flowers, they produce pollen that pollinates the "female" flowers.
Some gardeners believe that the empty flower makes the zucchini weaker, as the plant spends energy on the formation and growth of flowers. However, in fact, flowering does not interfere with the development of fruits at all and does not have a negative effect on them. In addition, zucchini flowers themselves fade and fall off very quickly: a few days after pollination, before the appearance of the ovary. It should be remembered that if the empty flowers are cut off too early, this will disrupt the fertilization process of the “female” flowers and then the crop will be very poor.
You can get rid of empty flowers only if the ovaries have already formed, but there are much more empty flowers than necessary. However, even in this case, cutting off the flowers will not give the desired result, because the problem appeared even before the flowering of zucchini.
Reasons for the appearance of an empty flower
The formation of empty flowers on zucchini is a normal phenomenon, since they are needed, as already noted earlier, for pollination. It is read as a problem if there are much more such flowers than necessary for the fertilization of "female" plants. To prevent this phenomenon in the future, it is important to know what provokes the formation of empty flowers and negatively affects the yield of zucchini. A number of reasons for the abundant appearance of "idle" flowers are listed below.
Diseases
Cucurbits are often attacked by mosaic virus, which leads to a slowdown in plant development. It is sick zucchini that give only empty flowers or do not bear fruit at all. Vegetables infected with this virus should be removed and destroyed to prevent spread. In addition, the defeat of zucchini, a fungal disease that leads to the deformation of cuttings and leaves of plants, leads to the abundant formation of barren flowers.
It also slows down the development of vegetables, since their main forces are spent on fighting the disease, and there is no longer any potential for the formation of ovaries. The absence of fruits can also provoke white rot, which causes rotting of plants.
Adverse weather conditions
Zucchini may not produce ovaries even if the weather is very rainy or cool for a long time. During such a period, there may be no insects that are necessary for pollination of flowers, which leads to the absence of fruits. Also, in a too humid environment, pollen can become damp and fall off, which prevents insects (if any) from transferring it from flower to flower. In this case, you need to pollinate zucchini artificially.
bad seeds
The reason for the appearance of an excessively large number of barren flowers on zucchini may be old seeds. The seed material of pumpkin seeds does not retain its germination for a very long time, so if it is stored for more than a year or has been in unsuitable conditions for a long time, then as a result, the plants produce many "male" flowers. At the same time, "female" flowers are also formed, but there are too few of them and the harvest is poor.
Unsuitable place to land
In general, zucchini is quite unpretentious to the soil, but you should still carefully choose a place for planting them. So, if you grow them in dense shade, then the plants can be affected by powdery mildew. In addition, insects that pollinate flowers do not fly into such beds. As a result - the absence of ovaries and no chance of a rich harvest.
Wrong watering
Zucchini are very fond of moisture, however, gardeners should be careful not to overdo it with watering. If you moisten the beds too much, then the pollen can stick together or even wash off from the flowers and then the zucchini will not be pollinated. Also, waterlogging of the soil leads to rotting of plants and their defeat by various diseases.
Pest attacks
Insect pests can infect squash at different stages of development, damaging their leaves, stems and even flowers. As a result, plants spend their potential on the struggle for survival and the renewal of tissue integrity, and not on the formation of ovaries. Most of all in this regard, zucchini suffer from attacks of spider mites, aphids and sprout flies.