Most of our lawn was taken over by moss a few years back and now it just dirt with weeds so I decided to dig a small patch, filled it with 4 to 1 soil/manure and planted some Dill's Atlantic Pumpkin Seeds and a Butternut squash plant from the local grocery store. On the pumpkin I can see several flower stems with a bump underneath but I cannot find any male flowers. Did I miss the boat - is it too late in the season to try and grow these now?
It is pretty common, that Cucurbits have different timing for beginnig of male and female flowers. I grow cucumbers, pumpkins, marrows, watermelons, melons and cantaloupes, and must often use one male flower to pollinate several female watermelon flowers, because lack of male flowers. Quite often some first female flowers remain without pollination, because of total lack of male flowers, in the beginning of season. But as the season proceeds, it brings balance between flower sexes. Your plants seem still young and in the beginning of rapid growth and development. Wait a week, and you definitely see male flowers.
Butternut squash question. I have been monitoring this wee little one for the last week - this the beginning of a baby butternut squash or a failed one? As for the pumpkin - I am waiting for this female flower to open, right or has it already been self polinated?
The butternut squash has dropped its petals after blooming. In this state (so small) it is not clear yet, if the "berry" will grow or fail. Sometimes it takes time for a plant to "decide". Maybe pollination was poor, maybe weather is not optimal. The pumpkin flower has not opened yet and is not pollinated.
