Hand Pollinating Squash

Question

I’m growing Bush Delicata squash in a large pot on my balcony. I don’t have enough space to have more than one squash plant. I’m familiar with hand pollinating techniques (read the article on this site) but the plant almost never has both female and male flowers at the same time. I managed to pollinate a couple but at least 10 females didn’t get pollinated and grow fruit.

My question is this: if I cut off a male flower just after it has opened and then store it carefully in a plastic bag (say in the fridge), how long might the pollen remain viable while I wait for a female flower to open? Or is this a ridiculous idea?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Really great question!

You can store pollen in the refrigerator for a few days. Tap the pollen into a clean container and cover. Then brush onto the female flowers as they appear.

It’s worth a try!