Empty flower on zucchini: what to do, whether to cut off if not tied

Often, gardeners are faced with such a problem as an empty flower on zucchini, not many people know what to do in this case and how to fix the situation. Sometimes you can solve the problem yourself or prevent it from appearing at all. The main thing is to know in advance the reasons that lead to the appearance of empty flowers on zucchini.

Normally, the plant should have an almost equal number of barren flowers and inflorescences with fruits. Empty inflorescences are called male. They are necessary for pollination of female flowers. Distinguishing the two species is easy: the male flowers have a long and spiked stem, while the female species has a short and smooth stem.

Reasons for the growth of barren flowers on plants

There can be several reasons for the appearance of an empty flowering of zucchini: improper care, unsuitable weather conditions, various pests and fungi, as well as dry and expired seeds. In order to fix the problem, you need to know exactly the cause that led to its appearance.

The first and most important condition for the productive growth of fruits is the pollination of zucchini. Pollen from empty inflorescences should fall on female flowers. Only under this condition will the ovaries on zucchini be obtained. Since barren flowers are necessary for pollination of female flowers, it is not worth plucking them from the bushes. If there are no male inflorescences on the plant, then the harvest from this bush should not be expected.

In addition, you need to properly and accurately water the plants. You need to try not to get on the inflorescences, so as not to stick them together and not wash off the pollen. Moisten zucchini with water at settled and room temperature. It is poured carefully and only at the root.

The cause of the barren flower is plant disease

Pests and diseases can lead to empty buds. Most common reasons:

1. Powdery mildew - leads to the withering of the plant. Leaves and stems are covered with a white bloom, as if sprinkled with flour. Bushes gradually stop fruiting. The leaves turn yellow and dry up. It is typical for a disease to cover a bush with empty inflorescences.
2. False powdery mildew - also leads to the withering of vegetable crops. The leaves become covered with dark spots and dry out over time.
3. White rot is a fairly common virus among vegetable crops. Often it occurs at a time when a lot of fruits have already set on the stems of plants. Not only leaves and branches are affected by the virus, but also the root system.
4. Spotted mosaic. Almost all vegetables are often affected by this fungus.It is easily spread around the site by insects, in particular, bees. When the first signs of fungus appear, leaves and stems should be removed immediately. Indicative is the appearance on the plant of a large number of male flowers and white spots on the foliage.

Other reasons for barren flower formation

Sometimes the care and conditions for productive crop growth are the most suitable, but the reason why zucchini sometimes has an empty flower can be harmful insects.

This phenomenon is caused by aphids, spider mites and sprout fly. Each type of pest acts differently, but the way to deal with them is the same.

If you treat the squash culture with special preparations in time, insects that cause harm will practically not appear on it. It is important to remember that pests start up most often in a humid environment, where there are errors when growing a plant.Many pests are recommended to be controlled with regular care:

1. Timely preventive spraying of bushes will prevent harmful insects from appearing on them.
2. Regular weeding and mulching of holes with dry sawdust will not allow moisture to stagnate in the soil.
3. Water should be timely. Too much moisture causes dampness and the development of fungi. Deficiency - leads to loss of strength and withering.
4. It is important to pick off damaged plants from the bushes or completely remove damaged plants from the beds so that the infection does not spread throughout the garden.

Another common reason for the appearance of empty inflorescences on zucchini is unsuitable soil. Too wet soil causes the formation of male flowers on the bushes.

It will be possible to correct the situation by introducing ash into the soil. The solution is made as follows: 500 g of ash is taken for 10 liters of water, everything is stirred well and the beds are poured with this liquid.

Too depleted land can cause such an undesirable phenomenon as empty flowers. Fertilize the soil with minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.

How to help zucchini during the ovary?

There are many ways to fix the situation. The main thing is to know the cause of the problem.

If pollination does not occur naturally, you can do it yourself - manually, pollinating by hand is not difficult, you just have to follow the recommendations of gardeners.

During the flowering period, you need to take a male flower and remove the petals from it, exposing the stamen covered with pollen. She needs to rub the stigma of the female inflorescence.Thus, artificial pollination occurs and the difficulty can be corrected, situations are corrected in this way, most often in bad weather conditions and heavy rains.

You can always have time to get rid of the problem, you should not rush to get rid of the empty flower on zucchini, because this can disrupt the natural process of pollination and will not allow plants to make a new ovary.

If the soil is depleted, zucchini will develop inadequately due to a lack of trace elements. It is recommended to enrich the soil with complex mineral fertilizers. They can be purchased at a special store. It is good to fertilize with organic substances, especially manure, then empty inflorescences leave the plant. The balance of female and male flowers returns to normal.

Often, gardeners use boric acid in the fight against empty flowering. It nourishes the plant and gives it the necessary push to activate the ovaries.

Plants are sprayed with a solution of boric acid. The preparation is prepared as follows: 2 g of boric acid are taken for 500 ml of warm water and stirred well. Then the solution is adjusted with settled water to a volume of 10 l.

Properly selected fertilizer allows not only to correct the situation with barren flowers, but also to improve the quality and quantity of the crop. Too much nitrogen fertilizer can lead to overgrowth of leaves and stems.

Preventive measures for intensive flowering

For the productive growth of zucchini, it is worth taking preventive measures:

1. Watering is carried out only under the root and exclusively with settled water. If cold water is watered, then there was the appearance of empty inflorescences on the bushes for this reason.
2. Flowering will become uniform and intense if you follow the basic rules, squash are unpretentious plants, therefore they do not require special care.It is important to monitor the soil and prevent the appearance of pests. After all, a lot of effort goes into fighting all sorts of fungi and pests.

Advice from an experienced gardener

Zucchini blooms with a barren flower due to acidic soil. It will be possible to correct the situation with the help of ordinary lime, scattering it at the rate of 1 kg per 10 m².

Often, folk remedies also come to the rescue - experienced gardeners who have used various methods of dealing with barren flowers on plants for years reveal their secrets.

Recommended