What's with my zucchini?

[CathyA]

I usually have tons of zucchini. But this year, it grew 2 little squash at the beginning of the season, which it aborted. Then, it only has made male flowers. I know its been really hot and we're in a drought, but I water the garden every other day, and the other plants are doing pretty well. I used seed from last year, which did fine last year. What's going on??

[Tiam]

I don't do zucchini anymore, I do yellow squash which is easier contained but still not doing well. not sure why.

[SiouzQ.]

I am getting both zucchini and yellow squash, sometimes in the same unit like they cross-bred themselves (they are mainly yellow, but about one third is green like a zucchini, hence a youcchini or squashzinni? It has been very hot here, like everywhere else. I was pretty diligent in watering early on but have slacked off a little lately yet the garden is growing madly! Everything is starting to dry out and slow down a little, except the tomatoes. I have a lot of tomatoes to do something with tomorrow...

[Gingerella72]

Are the leaves wilting and is there spotches of what looks like yellow sawdust along the stem bases? If so you have vine borers. They got mine. I've heard it's a bad year for them. Or rather, a good year for them, but bad for us and the squash.

[CathyA]

No, no apparent borers. I finally harvested the one and only zucchini yesterday and used it on our grilled veggie kabobs! I think that will be the only one this year though. Now all my butternut squash and zucchini plants are covered with squash bugs. eeewwwwwww. I tried to remove all their eggs, but it just got to be too much work.

[Gregg]

Tobacco masiac virus is a big problem here this summer with tomatoes, pole beans and most other vine crops. It can also effect zucchini. Do the lower leaves on the plant get a mottled yellow look then start to die? That is a sign of TMV. There is no cure that I know of.

[Float On]

CathyA - I haven't had good zuc or squash in several years. 2 years I had those borers that eat into the vine just above dirt level. Didn't have those this year but still no activity beyond flowers that fall off. I keep blaiming the treated water. My mom's garden is watered from untreated pond water and does great (all that fish poo in the water I expect) thankfully she has shared a lot with me.

[CathyA]

The zuch plants looked healthy.......just only made male flowers. I have the feeling it was the combo of heat/drought/and only using ground water.
What's funny is that, like I said, we only got one zucchini all summer. My DD was home for a couple days this weekend. So I was able to use that one zucchini for these great
veggie kabobs that she loves. So........seemed like those 4 zucchini plants were able to rally and come up with one zucchini, in honor of my DD being home! :)

[Mrs. Hermit]

I would probably blame the heat too. I know above or below a certain temperature range, tomatoes and peppers don't pollinate; so I would assume that to be true for squash too. Have you tried fried squash blossoms with all the male flowers?

[CatsNK]

You can't seed save squash unless they are from a field of about 1 acre. Squash are notorious for crossing from bees. If you have a zucchini one year and use its seeds, you could end up with anything next year - a pumpkin x zucchini or an acorn x zucchini - both of which are nothings. We allow one "volunteer" squash per year to grow up in the garden, just to see what comes up. This year we have some crazy bright orange gourds. I think they are a x between delicata and pumpkin, judging by the size, shape and color.

Anyway - don't seed save squash. That is probably what happened to you.

[CathyA]

I didn't used saved seed. I think it was the heat. I got 1 zucchini and that was it. Very unusual. One year I did grow some funky thing, since the zucchini and winter squash were right next to each other.
Oh well........there's always next year.........

[CatsNK]

OK, my mistake - when you said you used last year's seed I assumed you had seed saved. What area are you in - has it been unusually hot or cold?