Squash dying when small

by CLARKE DEAS
(ga.)

My squash plants are large and healthy looking, but the squash are not getting bigger than about 1 1/2 inches long. about 2 weeks now - some are rotting on the vine.

Comments for Squash dying when small

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Jul 08, 2010
 calcium or pollenation problem
by: Anonymous

I had the same thing happen to my butternut squash last year. The advice that I got from people who also grow squash, is that they might have had a calcium deficiency. Bone meal has a good source of calcium, or try soaking egg shells in water for 24 hours, then using it to water your garden.

I have also head that it can be a pollenation problem. This can be caused by a lack of bees or a cross-pollenation issue (i.e. mixing squash with cucumbers or certain varieties of pumpkins). Try using a paint brush or Q-tip and transfer pollen from flower to flower.
Apr 13, 2011
 Squash
by: Kathy

If your plants form small squash that then fall off or rot, the most likely explaination is that the fruits were not pollinated. Your yard may lack the pollinating insects that perform this job, expecially if you've been too quick to use pesticides. You can perform this task yourself by getting a small child's paintbrush, then rubbing it over the male flower's inner parts to collect pollen (the male flowers are the ones without the tiny baby squash behind the flower), then rub the pollen off onto the inner parts of the female flowers. Rub gently, don't bruise the flowers, and you should get plenty of squash.

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