How to Pollinate Squash By Hand

I've heard many people say that each winter squash plant will only produce 2-3 squash per plant. I personally have never experienced that. The plants in our garden seem to be close to 6-10 squash per plant. Now that we have an established garden (4 years running), we have inherited a plethora of insects to pollinate the plants for us. However, the first year or two we needed to give the plants a helping hand. We still hand pollinate the first couple squash of the year to ensure sooner production. By hand pollinated, you know you will get squash and can also ensure each and every female blossom gets pollinated.

Male/Female Blossoms: What's the Difference?

Male Blossom (Left) Female Blossom (Right)

Male blossoms have a longer, straighter, and thinner stem than female blossoms. They have a noticeable stamen covered in pollen and also tend to stick out farther from the plant.

Male Squash Blossom

 A female blossom will have a noticeable bulge at the base of the flower (this is the ovary or start of a new squash). If pollinated, the bulge will develop into a squash. If not pollinated, this will wither and fall off the plant. The female blossom also has a thicker stem and tends to form closer to the center of the plant. 

Female Blossoms

 In order to hand pollinate you will need to use a scissors to knife to trim the male blossom (leaving about 1" of stem on the blossom).  Gently fold back the petals and wipe the pollen inside the female blossom on the stigma. You can also do this with a Q-tip or paint brush if you prefer. You can also leave the male flower in the female flower or toss as you see fit. 

You have just pollinated your first squash, now sit back and wait a few months for the squash to develop.

Want to make more use of the male blossoms? Check out our post on harvesting squash blossoms for more uses!