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I'm aware that it involves elastic bands and hand fertilizing flowers, but what I want to ask is, what effect does it have on the rest of the courgettes? My plants have just started fruiting and they're very nice - I'd like to save seeds from them. If I do it straight away - or as soon as I've figured out which are the male and which are the female flowers - and leave that courgette to grow big and seedy, will the plant stop bothering with more fruit? Should I wait until later in the season to select my flower for saving seeds from?

I haven't the foggiest. I'm watching this one with interest.

If you only have the one courgette variety and no squash plants, then it's a case of either leaving nature to do it's thing, or hand pollinate to be sure, to be sure (to be doubly sure as they say in Ireland). Surely I don't have to tell you how to identify male and female flowers ? (Hint, male flowers DON'T have a miniature courgette behind the flower.)
Then wait for the courgette to turn into a marrow and then go yellow (probably) and then wait for it to start to rot, about December.
That takes quite a time so do it sooner rather than later.
Yield will probably stay the same if you only allow one to grow as the plants aim in life is to produce as many seeds as possible.

You will end up with several hundred seeds, so I hope you like courgettes.

Odsox wrote:If you only have the one courgette variety and no squash plants, then it's a case of either leaving nature to do it's thing, or hand pollinate to be sure, to be sure (to be doubly sure as they say in Ireland).

I also have two varieties of squash and a cucumber in the greenhouse. I don't know what my neighbours have.

Surely I don't have to tell you how to identify male and female flowers ? (Hint, male flowers DON'T have a miniature courgette behind the flower.)

Oh, of course! I was being a bit dim. I thought I had to examine the flowers themselves.

Then wait for the courgette to turn into a marrow and then go yellow (probably) and then wait for it to start to rot, about December.
That takes quite a time so do it sooner rather than later.
Yield will probably stay the same if you only allow one to grow as the plants aim in life is to produce as many seeds as possible.

Thanks, that's what I wanted to know

You will end up with several hundred seeds, so I hope you like courgettes.

Probably not that much I wonder if the seeds are good to eat, like squash seeds.

It was peas that made me think it might be worth waiting. I believe you have to keep picking them to encourage the plant to go on producing more... or have I got that wrong?

If you have 2 courgette varieties then obviously stop bees from pollinating willy nilly.

Zech wrote:It was peas that made me think it might be worth waiting. I believe you have to keep picking them to encourage the plant to go on producing more... or have I got that wrong?

I don't think peas stop producing, but then I never leave my peas to get old. My saved pea seed is from the ones that I missed, and I must be useless as a pea picker cos there's always enough left for seed.
I think it might be sweet peas you're thinking of, those have to be regularly picked or they will stop flowering.

Odsox wrote:If you have 2 courgette varieties then obviously stop bees from pollinating willy nilly.

Yes, that's what the elastic band's for.

I think it might be sweet peas you're thinking of, those have to be regularly picked or they will stop flowering.

Ah, that was it! I just assumed it applied to eating peas (and possibly also courgettes), too.

I just made this video for a seed bank I founded. You may find the technique useful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdCVC52 ... load_owner

Thanks for that! I'd read about it, but it's nice to see a video of how it's done. Out of interest, why cut a hole in the flower rather than pulling it open? Is it really difficult to do that without tearing it?

I have to say that's a lot of buggering about.
All I do is pick a male flower, pull the petals off and poke it into the female flower, then put a stone on the ends of the female flower to stop it opening. It's quicker than it takes to read this.
Plus I don't think masking tape would stay stuck on a wet flower petal.

I hand pollinate all my squash flowers as the plants are growing in my mesh doored polytunnel, and if I had to faff about like that every morning I don't think I'd grow them.