Grow Your Own Magazine

Help. I am trying to grow butternut squashes but they are failing to ripen. I have tried to ferterlise them like i do my pumpkins but male flowers are few and far between. The leaves are also turning yellow and dying. Not sure what to do!!

Hi Sassie

Welcome to the vine.

I too am having a problem with my Butternut Squash plants. Mine are 'Cobnut', I wonder if yours are the same?

I have 2 plants but only one of them has a single squash on at the moment. I have had loads of male flowers but no female ones. I have given them plenty of water and fed them as well but all I get is more male flowers

Sorry, that's no help to you but I'm sure someone here will be able to help us.

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Lilli M

Thanks. Was very pleased when i discovered this site...

All i know is mine are an early butternut. Got them of an ebay site.. Was wondering if it could be the seed.

I've had problems in previous years but this year I've got quite a few happily growing cobnuts. I also had female flowers but no male flowers so I pollinated them with courgette flowers and gem squash flowers. I used both on each flower to double the odds. It seems to have worked. I know that if I keep the seed to grow next year I could get anything.
I do have one plant that has loads of male flowers and no female ones but I've noticed you often get the male flowers first on squash and pumpkins.

Thanks. Awoke this morning and have 2 females waiting fertilisation and one lovely male flower. Fingers crossed. If it doesnt work i'll use my courgette. great advice. thanks again.

I'm growing squash too, and if I remember correctly they are cobnut variety. The plants themselves are doing really well and have just got a couple of flowers on them. I'm really confused, which bit is female and which bit is male? regarding the pollination of the flowers - can anyone give me a very basic, idiot proof guide? many thanks dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

The female flowers have a tiny butternut behind them while the males are on a stem. Pick a male flower and break the petals off them 'wiggle' it in the female flower's stamens. The female flower has about four stamens in a circle while the male has one or two big ones so it all fits quite nicely. I think I'd better stop there...

thanks black kitty - will have a look tomorrow, now i know what i'm looking for i feel a lot happier! thanx dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Also, on my cobnut, the female inner i bit os orange but the male yellow...

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

I think we may be having beginners luck with ours by the sounds of it, so far we have 3 plants with 20 good sized cobnuts between them. No hand pollinating done (too be fair didnt even know about hand pollinating until I found the vine!)

Hi, my butternut squash are growing big with lots of healthy looking leaves and there are tiny buds in between, but they don't seem to be turning into flowers let alone squashes, any clues on how I can get the flower to grow, they are in the veg patch at the bottom of the sweetcorn?

Mine are much the same. I think they just need time. I was late planting mine out. The pumpkin is the same

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God Bless
Bill

http://drbillsveggies.blogspot.com/

I think we're all talking about time with the squash. Mine have little squash on but the flowers haven't opened. I didn't plant the seeds till May so think I might run out of growing season. Will plant much earlier next year. Hoping for a long, lingering summer to see if I can get them to fruition. Good luck guys.

Started my squash in April indoors then just after planting outside,had all that bad weather.Mine are no better then may planted ones,and all are only at first flower stage!The plants are big and healthy looking but no fruit!Just my'supermarket seed'pumpkin plant has 1 fruit the size of a cricket ball,and loads of flowers.