Experience Downtown Effingham

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

If your zucchini keeps dropping tiny yellow fruit before it develops, the problem is almost certainly pollination — not disease, not watering, not fertilizer.

Zucchini produces two types of flowers on the same plant. Male flowers open first on thin straight stems with no swelling at the base. Female flowers open a week or two later on shorter stems with a small immature zucchini already visible at the base — that's the o***y. Pollen has to travel from the male to the female flower, carried by bees. No pollination, no zucchini.

When pollinators are scarce — early in the season, after pesticide applications, in an enclosed patio garden, or during a cold cloudy stretch — this transfer doesn't happen on its own.

The fix takes fifteen seconds:

🌸 Go out early morning — zucchini flowers open at dawn and the pollen is freshest in the first few hours. In summer heat they often close by mid-morning.

✂️ Pick a fully open male flower — the one on the thin stem with no swelling at the base.

🌼 Peel back or remove the petals to expose the anther — the yellow pollen-covered central structure.

👆 Rub the anther gently against the stigma of a female flower — the sticky raised structure in the center of the female bloom. One or two passes is enough.

📅 Check in two to three days — a successfully pollinated female will begin visibly swelling at the base. An unpollinated female will yellow and drop within one to two days. This is normal — the plant is eliminating unfertilized flowers, not sick.

One plant produces far more male flowers than female. You'll never run short of pollen — only of pollinators. Hand-pollinate every female you can reach and your harvest multiplies accordingly. 🥒🌿

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

06/08/2026

Summer travel plans? Follow these tips to ensure your meds are ready to make the trip!
- Store in carry-on
- Keep in original containers
- Pack an extra supply
- Contact pharmacy for refills

06/08/2026