The courgette plant has male and female flowers, but the chances of natural pollination are not very high, so it’s better to pollinate them manually to enhance the chance of getting fruits.
Since the courgette flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon, pollination needs to be done in the morning. Normally they flower only one day, so we have to check them every morning to see whether there are female flowers open.
How to tell the difference between female and male courgette flowers
The image above shows the bud of a female flower. The female flower is the one with the courgette (zucchini) fruit formed underneath.
How do female flowers look when they are open? This is a photo of a courgette female flower. In the centre of the flower is the pistil, which is a collection of several round pieces.
This is a male flower. The stamen in the middle of the flower is a single, straight protuberance.
How to pollinate courgette flowers
When you find the female flowers open, pick off the male flowers and pollinate them.
Rub the pistil in the female flower with the stamen so that the pistil is covered with pollen.
Pollination is now complete. You just need to wait for the courgette fruits to grow.
These are the ones we pollinated a few days ago. I think they will be ready to eat this evening.
<<< Previous Post: Making garden salad with the vegetables we harvested!
