Question: My squash plants flower, but I don't get any fruit. What is the problem?

Answer: The first flowers on a squash plant are always male. You can recognize male from female squash flowers by their stems. Male flowers will have straight, pencil-like stems, while the female flowers will have swollen bases where the fruit will eventually develop. You'll also see pollen in the male flowers. The second reason for failure to set fruit comes when the female flowers do start to form. If you do not have good bee activity the female flowers and primordial fruit may abort a day or two after the flower has closed. You may need to pluck off a male flower, removing its petals and exposing the pollen. You can then daub the pollen directly onto the sticky female flower parts. This technique works on squash, pumpkins and other melons.