Native Plants
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Sunday - September 07, 2008
From: Buchanan, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Propagation
Title: No female, hence, no squash.
Answered by: Damon Waitt
QUESTION:
This is not a wild flower but. My grandchildren left a squash outside in a corner of a flower bed. This spring it grew. There are only male flowers, many of them, but no female, hence, no squash. Why? I separated the seedlings because there were so many but can not find any female flowers anywhere.ANSWER:
Squash, like other members of the Cucumber Family (Cucurbitaceae) have unisexual (male and female) flowers. In most squash species the male and female flowers are on the same plant (monoecy) as opposed to being on different plants (dioecy). The separation of the sexes into different flowers helps promote outcrossing between individuals. In squash, maturation of the male flowers before the female flowers (a condition called protandry) often occurs. Keep an eye on your plants as they grow older and the female flowers should start to appear.More Propagation Questions
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January 28, 2008 - I have an assignment for school that requires that I get two indoor plants. One has to grow in water and one has to grow in soil. Each plant needs to grow at a fast pace, and at about the same pace....
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