Prevention of the appearance of empty flowers on zucchini

The reason for the low yield may be the barren plant in zucchini. If its quantity is small, then this will not harm the plant. But it happens that there are a lot of male flowers in the mouth. In order not to waste time growing the crop for nothing, it’s worthwhile to find out the reasons for this and take measures to prevent the problem.

Prevention of the appearance of empty flowers on zucchini

Definition

Zucchini have female and male flowers. The latter do not bear fruit, that is, the ovary does not form on them. They are called empty flowers. But they have pollen, with the help of which female flowers are fertilized.

For this reason, it is impossible to completely cut off the empty flower, especially only after flowering has begun. In a short time he will not have time to fulfill his main function – pollination.

It is wrong to consider that the plant is weakening due to the presence of male flowers. They do not take a lot of food and do not interfere with the development of the fruit. Flowering zucchini is fast. The flowers fade and fall in a short time – it takes only a few days.

You can break off the empty flower after the ovaries have formed. They do this if there are more such flowers than necessary. But such manipulations will no longer increase the harvest.

Various factors influence the enhanced development of male flowers.

Bad seeds and soil

When the seed was stored for a long time time, its germination is reduced. This happens if the temperature was low. Old seeds and those collected in the previous year also form plants mainly with male flowers. The resultant crop is scarce.

The high acidity of the soil provokes the appearance of a barren flower in zucchini. The site should be placed in a sunny place, because insects do not fly in the shade. Diseases also develop on a shaded bed.

If it rains in the summer for a long time and it is cool outside, then there are no insects that are needed for pollination. Even in such weather, pollen soon becomes gray. Fertilization becomes impossible.

Diseases and pests

The emergence of a hollow flower provokes various ailments. These include:

• mosaic virus – first affects the leaves (this manifests itself in the form of yellow and brown spots), and then the whole plant. Bushes are stunted. They do not produce fruit;
• white rot – the disease manifests itself in the form of a whitish coating, which darkens over time. Because of this, the fruits begin to rot;
• powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects leaves and cuttings. As a result, they are deformed. The plant gives a lot of energy to fight the disease, they do not remain to set fruit.

Zucchini often affects such insects:

• spider mite;
• melon aphid;
• sprout fly.

They damage leaves, stems and flowers, sucking the juice from the cells. The plant spends a lot of energy on protection and restoration to the detriment of the formation of ovaries.

Leaving errors

Reason

The culture can grow well when optimal conditions are created for it. Such errors in the care can lead to the appearance of a void flower:

• improper watering – do not excessively moisten the soil. Otherwise, pollen sticks together or is washed away from the flowers. Pollination will not occur. The plants will start to hurt because a wetland is an ideal environment for the development of fungi;
• excess fertilizer – due to excess nitrogen in the soil, the plants bloom profusely, but do not form ovaries.

Preventive measures

The problem of the appearance of some male flowers can be prevented if the cultural requirements are taken into account.

Proper planting

It is optimal to select seeds for planting 2-3 years ago. Keep it warm. If there are only fresh seeds, then you can make them form ovaries. To do this, it is recommended to suspend watering for 1-2 weeks.

Fresh seed before planting can be specially prepared.To make the zucchini less void and more ovary, it is worth doing the following:

• steal the seed in a thermos at a temperature of 60 ° C for several hours;
• place it in a damp cloth and cover with polyethylene;
• plant in the ground when the sprouts appear.

The acidity of the soil selected for squash should be 6-6.8 units. The recommended planting pattern is 70 × 140 cm, then the site will not be thickened.

Help with pollination

Garden ants mainly participate in pollination of zucchini. If they are not, it is worth trying to attract bees. For this, the bushes are sprayed with honey water. If even then no insects appeared, you can treat the plants with the Ovary preparation.

In bad weather, zucchini need to be pollinated independently. To do this, the male flower is leaned against the female so that the pollen is transferred to the stigma. You can also use a soft brush for pollination. Pollen should not be crumpled.

To better ripen it in the cold, plants are covered with lutrasil. They should not be kept under the material for a long time, because insects will not have access to the flowers.

Under the influence of high temperatures, another problem arises. Pollen becomes unable to fertilize plants. You can prevent this situation by watering the bushes often with warm water in small quantities. You also need to spray with a solution of boric acid – 1 g per 1 liter of liquid.

Pest and disease control

It is necessary to fight diseases as soon as possible

It is worthwhile to start the fight against illnesses in a timely manner. To do this, you must perform the following actions:

• if you are affected by a viral mosaic, the damaged parts of the plant must be removed. If the bush is completely covered by the disease, it is worth destroying it. Slices need to be burned with colloidal sulfur;
• zucchini should be properly treated if they become infected with white rot. It consists in the timely removal of weeds and harvesting. It is important to properly feed the culture. Among the fertilizers should be such substances: sulfuric zinc, copper sulfate and urea;
• with powdery mildew – treat with disubstituted sodium phosphate or isophene. Colloidal sulfur is also suitable.

To control insects, you must follow these rules:

• spider mite – treat the plant with infusion of garlic, onion husks, potato tops. Of the chemicals, you can use karbofos, acartan, phosphamide;
• gourd aphids – spray bushes with infusion of tobacco, yarrow. Intavir and Iskra preparations will also help. It is still necessary to weed the beds, because the pest propagates in weeds. It is necessary to remove fallen leaves and ovaries;
• sprout fly – weeding and collecting plant debris. Dig deep into the ground.

Good care

When the amount of nitrogen in the soil is excessive, the plants stop creating ovaries. In this case, it is worthwhile to arrange a “stressful situation” for them – to pinch the growth point. The introduction of nitrogen-containing substances is stopped. Zucchini at this time feed the ash infusion of non-resinous tree species. It is prepared as follows:

• 1 bucket of water mixed with 1 liter of ash;
• insist half an hour;
• shake before use.

For fertilizer, potassium-phosphorus top dressing is also suitable – 1 tbsp. l of substance on a bucket of water. The solution is applied under the root in moist soil. Consumption – 1 liter per bush.

You need to water the plants, given the weather conditions and the stages of development of zucchini. In the heat, the rate of water consumption is increased, with prolonged rains, watering is stopped. In order not to swamp landings, it is worth making 9-10 liters of liquid per 1 sq. m. Water should be warm – 20 ° C. These actions will give impetus to the formation of fruits.