Winter squash can take as long as 120 days. Squash relies on bees for pollination. But if you think you're short of bees, you can pollinate by hand. Carefully break off a male blossom, tear off the petals and dab the pollen-carrying portion around the inside of the female flower. The male blossoms usually appear first and always outnumber the female flowers.
Male flowers are narrow and straight and have longer stems.
The smaller female flowers show a swelling at the base that will develop into fruit if the flower is pollinated. The cardinal rule is to check the zucchini and other squash every day without fail, and pick the fruit when the squash are small and tender. Allowing them to remain on the vine until they grow larger will cause the plants to bear fewer fruits. Keep in mind that at the height of the season, summer squash can grow an inch a day. The information you receive on-line from Mercury Center is protected by the copyright laws of the United States.