A question for home gardeners

[PJMcK]

My wife is trying to grow zucchini in her green house. She's grown this fertile plant many times before but this year is the first time she's tried growing them in a green house.

The plants are Jurassic! However, they haven't spouted any flowers which indicate the beginnings of the vegetables. In the past, there'd have been numerous squashes by now.

Does anyone have any idea what's going on?

Thanks, in advance.

[walkingman]

1. Sounds like too much nitrogen (N)..lay off the fertilizer and give it some time.

[PJMcK]

3. Good point

I'll have to ask her how/if she's using fertilizer.

Thanks, walkingman!

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Summer Squash need lots of sun. Also, are they getting too much

nitrogen? Be sure they are getting enough Pand K as well.

[PJMcK]

4. The greenhouse gets lots of sunlight

But your points about the nitrogen and fertilizer are very good.

Thank you, NRaleighLiberal.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. the other big concern once flowers arise is the need for bees

unlike tomatoes, beans. eggplants and peppers, squash have female and male flowers...bees need to bring pollen from the male to the female blossoms

[PJMcK]

8. Excellent point

We're not sure if bees are going into the greenhouse. Another poster suggested that she'll have to hand-pollinate the plants.

Thanks again for your help!

[Mr.Bill]

9. I had the same problem with tomatoes last year.

This year, on the advice of a neighbor, I have been shaking the plants every day to pollinate them. My plants are full of tomatoes this year.

[alittlelark]

5. Epsom salt will help

Once they flower u will likely need to hand pollinate.

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. Mg is just a micronutrient, good to color up the leaves,

but probably not a big factor in fruit production

[mopinko]

10. agreed.

i just recently learned about pruning and trellising for squashes.
long story short, any leaves below fruit at not doing anything and you should cut them at the stems. this keeps the mildew out.

a good pruning should get it to get down to business, and take back the greenhouse. hack it back to size, trellis it up.
if those leaves aint working, i would feed them to my chickens.