Summer Squash Rotting - Knowledgebase Question

Virginia Beach, VA (Zone 7B)
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Question by beachn8tve
June 25, 2007
Currently my zucchinni and squash are started to develop though they are rotting. Why? Is it from overwatering, or a insect issue?

What do I need to do to stop this?


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Answer from NGA
June 25, 2007
It sounds like your squash problem has more to do with lack of pollination than anything else. If pollinating insects are not visiting your plants, the unpollinated fruit will wither and die. You can't force bees to fly and pollinate squash, but you can plant flowers such as salvia to attract them. Also you can hand pollinate the squash blossoms yourself by taking a small artist's paint brush and rubbing the pollen from the male flower into the female flower (male flowers have straight, thin stems; female flowers have a swelling directly behind the petals - this is the potential fruit). This should work!

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