Why do zucchini have barren flowers and what to do about it?
Content
What is a wasteland
A barren flower is a plant flower that does not ovary. That is, it is not adapted to form a fetus later. But this does not mean that the empty flowers are completely unnecessary or harmful, they do not need to be cut off. These are male pollen-forming flowers, which means they are essential for pollination of female plants.
Some sources say that flowers take away the strength of a plant, and therefore it is worth getting rid of flowers that do not give an ovary. But in fact, you should not worry about the flowering interfering with anything. The zucchini color fades rather quickly on its own, some time after pollination, when the ovary appears. If you cut off barren flowers ahead of time, the fertilization process may be disrupted, and then the vegetable yield will be depressingly small.
It's another matter if the ovaries have already formed, but there were more barren flowers than expected. True, even then, picking off flowers is not the most effective way, because the problem appeared before your plantings bloomed.
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Reasons for education
Barren flowers normally form on zucchini: as we have already found out, these flowers are necessary for pollination. But sometimes it happens that there are many times more flowers that do not give an ovary than there are female flowers. It is important to understand why this is happening and why your squash is blooming.
Abundant education can be caused by:
- Plant diseases. Vegetables are often infected with the mosaic virus, which delays the development of plants. In this case, they do not bear fruit or give only barren flowers. Not only leaves infected with the virus, but also entire bushes must be removed to prevent the spread of the virus. In addition to the mosaic virus, the plant is also affected by powdery mildew - fungal colonies that deform the leaf and stalk. This also delays the growth of the culture, the main potential of the plant is spent on fighting the fungus, while there are no resources left for the ovary. Sometimes zucchini are also affected by white rot: a white bloom appears on the fruits, which soon turns black, causing the fruit to rot.
- Weather. In the case when the summer turned out to be especially rainy and cool, the problem may be in insects - they do not appear in cloudy weather. In addition, pollen damp rather quickly. But in such cases, you can artificially pollinate flowers by manually transferring pollen to the stigma of a female flower. In this case, you need to carefully monitor the state of the pollen - it should not be stuck together and matted.
- Old seeds.As a rule, seeds that are stored for too long (more than a year), or stored in unsuitable conditions, at low temperatures, predominantly produce male flowers. Female flowers also grow, but in much smaller quantities. Thus, it turns out that the harvest is rather meager.
- Wrong landing site. Zucchini are not very demanding plants, but on some soil they take root especially poorly. For example, if you plant plants in dense shade, they will suffer from powdery mildew, and insects that should pollinate the crop will practically not appear in this place.
- Excessive plant care. When you water your beds too often, an unpleasant moment can occur - the pollen will stick together or completely wash off the male flowers, and then pollination will be impossible. It is also necessary to take into account the characteristics of the soil. On dense clay soils, excessive watering and lack of ventilation can lead to rotting of the ovaries.
- Pest insects. Pests damage the leaves, stems, and sometimes flowers of the culture. This leads to the fact that plants spend more energy on maintaining their integrity, and not on fruiting. Among the most common insects that harm the growth of a squash culture are spider mites, aphids and sprout flies.
How to grow squash without barren flowers
In order to grow a good harvest, you need to follow simple rules. Zucchini are unpretentious plants, therefore it is not very difficult to care for them. Remembering a few simple rules, you will be able to achieve the desired result - rich beds.
Firstly, what you definitely shouldn't do is to overexpose the plants under a film or in a greenhouse. The culture needs to breathe and pollinate, but under the film, insects cannot transfer pollen in any way. So it turns out that in a closed and refracted space you will find only empty flowers, without ovaries.
Second, remember to store the seeds correctly. Do not overexpose them and keep them at low temperatures. Pumpkin seeds love warmth. Thirdly, it should be borne in mind that the squash culture loves the shade, but too thick shading is good for it. Just like over-watering and fertilizing. When there is too much water, the fruits can rot, and in the case of busting with fertilizer, especially manure, the plants go into greenery, and they do not have enough strength to set the ovary.
Fourth, it is very important to fight plant diseases and pests. So, for example, if your culture is affected by powdery mildew, the leaves and stems should be treated with a special solution. The most effective drug is colloidal sulfur, which is found in the form of a paste, liquid, and granules. You can also use disubstituted sodium phosphate or isophene.
White rot can be fought with regular plant care. Timely weed removal and harvesting, proper feeding, including sulfuric zinc, copper sulphate and urea, will all help keep plants fresh and unspoiled. Mosaic virus can also be fought. The main thing is to choose the right seedlings and monitor the plants.
As soon as you notice brown and yellow spots on the leaves, it is worth removing the affected parts of the plant and cauterizing the sections with keloid sulfur. If the entire plant is affected, and not some of the foci, it should be completely removed to prevent the spread of the virus. Considering these simple rules, you can achieve a luxurious harvest in your beds and delight your family and friends with delicious zucchini dishes not only during the growing season, but also in winter, having prepared delicious preservation.
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