Planted my first zucchini this year! Usually just do tomatoes. Got one zucchini and then nothing. Plenty of flowers, but no zucchini. It has been extremely hot here (NC) this year. Does this make a difference? Thanks for any help.

Diann, zucchini plants make male and female flowers, the female ones have the tiny squash on the stem behind the flower. Usually the plants make a few male flowers before they make the first female one, but it sounds like you got a female flower early in the game.

Sounds like your plant is making only male flowers right now, and you're right, it might be stress because of the heat but . . ?? Don't know for sure.

If the plant is otherwise healthy, all you can do is wait and watch. Be sure to water enough for the high heat, too. I'll bet by fall you'll have more zucchini than you can handle.

What Elaine said.

You can easily tell the difference between the male and female flower. The male flower has inside a long, almost arrow shaped stamen while the pistil in the female flower is much broader, flater and has these 'curles'. To me it just looks like a mini brain :p
Also, because of this it's a good idea to put two or more plants next to each other so chances are one of them produces flowers from the other sex. It's not obligatory (is that even a right word?) as zucchini will pollinate itself.

Also if the bees are just not doing their job you can pollinate those flowers yourself.

An easy way to tell those male flowers is that behind there is an empty stem while on the female flowers there is a small undeveloped fruit.

Just take a Q-Tip and brush some of the pollen from the male flowers into the female flowers.

I would like to thank everyone who has sent a reply to my zucchini problem. Thank you all so much!. I have learned a lot and I have my fingers crossed that I get some. I am so looking forward to zucchini bread this fall!!!!😄
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djf915 said:Planted my first zucchini this year! Usually just do tomatoes. Got one zucchini and then nothing. Plenty of flowers, but no zucchini. It has been extremely hot here (NC) this year. Does this make a difference? Thanks for any help.

diann, Welcome to ATP.

Also, we have a Vegetables and Fruit forum, come join us in the discussions.
http://garden.org/forums/view/...

djf915 said:I would like to thank everyone who has sent a reply to my zucchini problem. Thank you all so much!. I have learned a lot and I have my fingers crossed that I get some. I am so looking forward to zucchini bread this fall!!!!😄
..

I've only one plant producing at the moment, but can't keep up with its production. Mainly because we don't find them that tasty. Actually they don't taste like anything at all. Ah well, still fun to grow and anyone who wants 'm can have 'm :p

Are you finding any female flowers as yet?

I check every day for the flowers and at the present time, I have only 1 male flower, but a lot of what look like flowers to be! I just really don't know.

Diann, what are you using as fertilizer? If it's too high in nitrogen, that might be making the plant put on leafy growth instead of flowering.

if you are using pesticides the bees will not pollinate them.
Also they like lots of water, especially when it is really hot outside. they grow really fast and use a lot of water to do that. The soil should drain well though or they will rot.