Why zucchini has an empty flower: what to do and how to avoid it

What is an empty flower

An empty flower is a plant flower that does not produce an ovary. That is, it is not adapted to subsequently form a fetus. But this does not mean that empty flowers are completely unnecessary or harmful, you do not need to cut them off. These male flowers produce pollen, which means they are essential for the pollination of female plants.

Some sources say that flowers take strength from the plant, and therefore it is worth getting rid of flowers that do not give an ovary. But in fact, you should not worry that flowering will interfere with something. The color of zucchini fades quite quickly on its own, some time after pollination, when the ovary appears. If, however, the barren flowers are cut off ahead of time, the fertilization process may be disrupted, and then the vegetable harvest will be depressingly small.

Another thing is if the ovaries have already formed, but there were more empty flowers than expected. True, even then picking flowers is not the most effective way, because the problem appeared before your plantings bloomed.

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Reasons for education

Empty 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 female flowers. It is important to understand why this is happening and why your zucchini blooms “idle”.

The reason for the abundant education can be:

1. Plant diseases. Vegetables are often affected by mosaic virus, which delays the development of plants. In this case, they do not bear fruit or give only barren flowers. Not only leaves affected by the virus, but entire bushes must be removed to prevent the spread of the virus. In addition to the mosaic virus, there is also damage to the plant 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 goes to fight the fungus, while there are no resources left for the ovary. Sometimes zucchini is also affected by white rot: a white coating appears on the fruits, which soon turns black, causing the fruit to rot.
2. 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, the pollen dries out pretty quickly. But in such cases, it is possible to pollinate the flowers artificially, manually transferring the pollen on the stigma of the female flower. At the same time, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the pollen – it should not be sticky and matted.
3. 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 numbers. Thus, it turns out that the harvest is rather meager.
4. 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 hardly appear in this place.
5. Excessive care of the plant. When you water your beds too often, an unpleasant moment can occur – pollen sticks together or is completely washed off from 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.
6. Insect pests. Pests damage the leaves, stems, and sometimes flowers of the crop. 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 squash crops are spider mites, aphids and sprout flies.

How to grow zucchini without empty flowers

In order to grow a good crop, you need to follow simple rules. Zucchini are unpretentious plants, and therefore it is not very difficult to care for them. By remembering a few simple rules, you will be able to achieve the desired result – rich beds.

Firstly, what definitely should not be done is to overexpose the plants under a film or in a greenhouse. The culture needs to breathe and pollinate, but under the film, insects will not be able to transfer the pollen. So it turns out that in a closed and broken space you will find only empty flowers, without ovaries.

Secondly, remember that the seeds must be stored properly. 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 case of too much fertilizer, especially manure, the plants go green, and they do not have enough strength to ovary.

Fourthly, it is very important to fight plant diseases and pests. So, for example, if your crop is affected by powdery mildew, 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 dibasic sodium phosphate or isophene.

White rot can be controlled with normal plant care. Timely removal of weeds and harvest, proper top dressing, including sulfur zinc, blue vitriol and urea – all this will help keep the plants fresh and unspoiled. The mosaic virus can also be overcome. The main thing is to properly select 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 whole plant is affected, and not some foci, it should be completely removed to prevent the spread of the virus. Given these simple rules, you can achieve a luxurious harvest in your beds and delight your family and friends with delicious zucchini dishes not only in the growing season, but also in winter, having prepared delicious preservation.

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