Squash not producing fruit

[toolmania1]

I have squash that are doing great. But they are not producing many female stems. When they do, some of the female stems lose the baby fruit and it falls off. Others won't open their flowers even in the morning. There are many male flowers. I was able to hand pollinate one fruit so far.

More info...I use neem oil with garlic to keep pests away. I don't see many bees. I do hand pollinate. I know this is part of the problem though.

Any advice?

 

[toolmania1]

It's summer squash by the way

 

[Meadowlark]

Summer squash production begins to fade above 85 deg F. You don't indicate your growing zone location, but your problem could well be high temps.

Here in Texas, my "summer" squash is most always gone by late June because they just don't tolerate temps we get. It has nothing to do with pollination or pests...high temps will do exactly as you describe.

 

[toolmania1]

Sorry, yes, zone 6. We did get highs in the 90s. This explains it most likely.

Can I keep them going if the weather cools a little upcoming? Or are they toast already?

 

[Meadowlark]

If it cools enough to set fruit, the plant can carry that fruit to maturity even if it gets hot again.

 

[Soiled]

Two points. Firstly, squash generally produce more male than female flowers. Secondly, immature plants produce male flowers first. Female flowers are more expensive for the plant to produce, so it pumps out male flowers first to attract pollinators. Many plants do this.

I have to gently disagree with Meadowlark about heat and productivity. My Tatume and Kabocha are going great guns, with lots of foliage, flowers, and fruit, and our temps (Central Texas) are mid-90s. Watered properly, I've always found squash to be heat-loving. There are occasional posts online that are skeptical about heat and squash, but I have to assume that's because of the challenge of keeping them well watered.

Squash blossom drop is a known problem and is usually interpreted as lack of pollinators. You do say that you don't see many bees. Hand pollination is the right approach.