What to Do About Flower and Fruit Drop in Zucchini? Cause Analysis and Control Methods

Zucchini is an annual plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. Many friends who grow zucchini know that during the stage when zucchini begins to flower, it can show signs of flower and fruit drop. The zucchini grows well but just won't hold on to its fruit; before it has even grown large, it turns yellow and drops off. So how exactly can flower and fruit drop in zucchini be prevented? Let's take a look together below!

1. Temperature control

Zucchini is a warmth-loving crop. If zucchini does not reach the required temperature during its growth process, it will very easily show signs of flower and fruit drop. When zucchini begins to flower and set fruit, the most suitable temperature for daytime growth is around 25, and around 16 degrees at night. Increase the day-night temperature difference inside the greenhouse; this allows zucchini to accumulate nutrients and promotes growth.

2. Light control

Zucchini is also a light-loving crop, with an average daily light duration of more than 6 hours. Light enables zucchini to carry out photosynthesis and promotes metabolism within the plant. Light intensity determines the intensity of photosynthesis. Pay attention to cleaning stains off the greenhouse film, improve the film's light transmittance, increase light duration, and raise the temperature inside the greenhouse.

3. Fertilizer and water management

If during the flowering and fruiting stage of zucchini the leaves are found to be dark green, thick and large, and the plant only flowers without setting fruit, then boron fertilizer should be applied as a top dressing immediately. When flower buds appear, spray foliar fertilizer about once a week for a month. This is to prevent abnormal flower and fruit development caused by insufficient trace element content, which leads to flower and fruit drop. At the same time, it is also necessary to prevent excessive vine growth and ensure nutrition for the flowers and fruit.

4. Ensure pollination

To increase the chance of successful pollination and fertilization in zucchini, artificial pollination and hormone treatment can be used to ensure the fruit-setting rate of zucchini. At around nine in the morning, pick off the male flower and remove the corolla, then gently dab it onto the female flower. At this time, pay attention to the force applied; the style of the flower is very fragile, and if the style breaks it will make pollination impossible. This method is meant to prevent pollination failure in zucchini that leads to flower and fruit drop.

5. Prevent and control diseases

All crops have pests and diseases, and zucchini is no exception. Pests and diseases are also one of the main causes of flower and fruit drop in zucchini. Pay attention to checking the growth conditions in the garden, prevent and control pests and diseases, and immediately remove diseased plants when disease is found to ensure ventilation inside the greenhouse. Clean up fallen flowers and diseased plants in the garden in time. You can also apply a layer of carbendazim powder on the petals to prevent pathogen invasion.

The above are the solutions for flower and fruit drop in zucchini. I hope they can help friends who have this phenomenon. However, there are many causes of flower and fruit drop in zucchini, so everyone must treat the root cause accordingly. Also, do not apply pesticides blindly, otherwise it may backfire. The above content is for reference only!