I have read that if the ground is not fertile enough, the plants will not produce female flowers. I have the same problem with my butternut-I have been feeding it and it is getting a few female flowers.

Here's a question I posted in Texas Gardening, but haven't gotten an answer to.

I had considerable success with butternut squash this year. Got a half-dozen big fruit out of just two or three plants. Due to their natural resistance, with a little help from an occasional dusting with Carbaryl, I managed to keep the vine borers at bay. But in the last few weeks, hit with 103+ temps, the plants just faded, even though they were well mulched, I watered them about every other day, and even gave them some shade. The symptoms looked like borers, but I didn't see any burrows.

What's the strategy for seeing squash, and cukes for that matter, through the hottest times of the year in the hottest parts of the country? I've seen people suggest watering every day, which seems a bit excessive.

In Central Texas we get several summer weeks over 100F, and several months with highs in the 90s and lows in the mid 70s. Y'all up north need not respond.

Whoops. I meant to start a new thread. Sorry about that ...

Penny, I have no female flowers on my pumpkins, either. Plants are not growing as fast as last year, I think the weather has just been too hot. Hopefully all will change when it cools down this week-end.
Sandi

I think heat is a factor. We were in the 100+ in early august, and I did not get any female flowers to set. The few that appeared would just shrivel and die before they even opened up. But as soon as the temps got into the upper 80s and lower 90s that past 2 weeks, the female flowers have come more, and I now have some small pumpkins and some nice acorn squash growing.