GETTING EARLY ZUCCHINI SQUASH.... Honey bees don't like to visit squash flowers. Solitaire bees do, but they don't emerge very early in the year. Do your first few squash shrivel up and fall off the vine? Mine used to, but not anymore. Early in the day, each morning, I hand pollinate my squash. I also do the same with tomato plants to get early tomatoes.
It is May 4th and the squash and tomato garden in our front yard is doing very well.
But the solitaire bees are not out and about yet. Regular honey bees don't pollinate squash.
Father Nature comes to the rescue with a brush made of pheasant tail feather barbells.
The top flower is a female flower with large bulbous heads in the center.
The bottom flower is a male flower with a pistil with pollen on it.
The top flower is the female flower with a tiny squash behind the flower.
The bottom flower is a male flower with just a stem behind the flower.
Father Nature to the rescue. Here is the pheasant tail feather brush loaded with pollen.
I have first loaded the brush with pollen from a male flower. The pollen sticks to the brush.
I merely brush the pollen on the center of the female flower and Voila, the job is done.
Now the tiny squash behind the female flower will develop into a mature squash.
Good Hunting... from Varmint Al