I don't know much about squash except they are much better with butter and salt.
JPS, this might help you somewhat. I did a little digging, and got this info from http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/peet/profiles/botsquas.html:
Flowering
Squash plants produce male flowers 3 to 4 days before producing female flowers. Usually three male flowers are formed for each female, but temperature and photoperiod can change this ratio. Female flowers are open for only one day and only from dawn until 10 a.m. Pollination is most successful before 9 a.m. It is important to ensure adequate pollen is deposited on female flowers. One strong hive of honeybees per acre is recommended for squash pollination. The number and weight of seeds and overall fruit shape and size is determined by the amount of pollen deposited on the stigma. In summer squash, if pollination and fertilization are incomplete, the small fruits turn yellow, shrivel and fall off within a few days or are small and misshapen. Squash pollen is large, and not easily moved by insects. The native squash bee does the best job of pollination but is usually not available commercially. Honeybees are too small to easily carry the heavy pollen sacs and generally are most active in late morning when many squash flowers have already closed. In addition, they may leave the fields for nearby crops or wild species.
Who would have thought that you need more muscular honeybees? Given the size of your garden, you might consider hand pollination. With a little study, I'll bet the female flowers are easy to identify, and all you will need to do is get up early and spread some pollen around!
Last edited:
