3 inch zuccinis turning yellow then rotting - Ask Extension
when my baby squash get about 3 inches long, they start turning yellow on the ends then rott, why
Knowledgebase
3 inch zuccinis turning yellow then rotting #140634
Asked July 14, 2013, 6:58 PM EDT
when my baby squash get about 3 inches long, they start turning yellow on the ends then rott, why
Lincoln County Oregon
Expert Response
Sounds like the female flowers are not being fertilized.You need male and female flowers for pollination.You might not have male flowers yet.The male flowers look like a stem with a flower on the end.The female flower has a swollen base behind the flower--a baby squash.Be patient,the male flowers will come.
You could try your hand at pollinating them yourself by taking a q-tip or small paintbrush and collecting pollen from the male blossom and transferring it to the female blossom. Both blossoms (male and female) need to be open for it to work good.
Blossom end rot should not be confused with fruit abortion or inadequate pollination although the symptoms may appear similar.
The onset of blossom end rot occurs only after the fruit is well on it's way to development while insufficient pollination problems terminate the fruit while still quite small.
Blossom-end-rot has more to do with a calcium deficiency and little to do with the amount of water/moisture, unless you have an excess of calcium, in which case a lack of water will help it form too.
Happy pollinating.
You could try your hand at pollinating them yourself by taking a q-tip or small paintbrush and collecting pollen from the male blossom and transferring it to the female blossom. Both blossoms (male and female) need to be open for it to work good.
Blossom end rot should not be confused with fruit abortion or inadequate pollination although the symptoms may appear similar.
The onset of blossom end rot occurs only after the fruit is well on it's way to development while insufficient pollination problems terminate the fruit while still quite small.
Blossom-end-rot has more to do with a calcium deficiency and little to do with the amount of water/moisture, unless you have an excess of calcium, in which case a lack of water will help it form too.
Happy pollinating.
