Tromboncino flowering sequence

10 years ago

This is our 2nd year with tromboncinos and we loved them last year but...something odd.

All the other squash we have grown start with a flood of male flowers then the females come along. Both times we lost a lot of females because there were no boys to come to the party.

I don't even have any other C moschata squashes blooming to "steal from" My C mixta cushaw "would" cross, I think, but that one needs its male flowers for its female blooms as they seem to come in 1:1 ratio and I am hand pollinating as the bees are only now starting to show up in low numbers (land behind me was cleared for a new subdivision and it seems I lost my bees). I have an expendable male flower on my C pepo straighneck squash; I hear it is a longshot but ....sometimes takes......

Is this normal or do I have an oddity? Both years I used different seed packets.

Featured Answer

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)

10 years ago

I grew them last year, (and I have a probable volunteer this year that is pretty big and already flowering). Yes, males usually come first, presumably to attract pollinators before the most biologically costly females arrive, but sometimes the plant gets confused. The very first flower out on my Seminole this year was a huge female. I don't think it's an oddity, but just bad luck.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

KLI_6B
10 years ago
Hi Jocoyn

I am growing tromboncino for the 1st time this year. How many days it take to see 1st flower after transplanting?

Info I read from different sources varies and I am just curious.

Thanks

Kate
Related Professionals
Norfolk Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Enfield Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Westerly Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Merced Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Billings Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fayetteville Landscape Contractors · Athens Landscape Contractors · Nashua Landscape Contractors · Binghamton Landscape Contractors · Belleville Accessory Dwelling Units · Hagerstown Accessory Dwelling Units · Asheville Accessory Dwelling Units · Newport Accessory Dwelling Units · Marinette Accessory Dwelling Units · Fort Collins Accessory Dwelling Units
jocoyn
Original Author
10 years ago
I always just plant mine from seed. I put mine in April 17 and got first flower today, June 2nd
digdirt2
10 years ago
I assume you know you can pollinate more than one female with 1 male bloom? A 1 to 1 ratio isn't necessary.

But yes, it is just an oddity often attributed to weather conditions that can affect blooming.

Dave
jocoyn
Original Author
10 years ago
Yes, I do know that. It just seems the my Cushaw (C mixta) does not produce an over abundance of male flowers (hence my 1:1 comment) relative to the females. I would rather make sure the C mixta female got most of the pollen .......

Weather conditions? We had this odd cold spell that I believe is also related to megablooms on my cherokee purples.
jocoyn
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I have 8 planted with the intent of allowing some lateral development. .............. I have had 4 females bloom and not a male even close to ready yet though I must have 30 of them in very early developmental stages.
jocoyn
Original Author
10 years ago
Well it is amazing how quickly the boy flowers have developed. So not I have a ton with more to come. Of course getting some aborts with unusually HOT days and nights ahead but I am prepared that that will happen.