One of the most popular vegetables grown by home gardeners is squash. Many years, it produces and produces in such great numbers, that it is frequently a popular giveaway.
However, some years, production is not so good, and this year may be one. Some local gardeners have complained that while plants are producing flowers and seem healthy, there have been no vegetables.
The problem is a lack of pollinators  in part due to the drop in the number of bees, said Alicia Boor, Barton County Extension Agent. Each plant has male and female flowers, and the problem is that the female blooms aren’t getting fertilized.
Female squash flowers have a little baby squash behind it by the time it flowers and is located close to the base of the plant. If it doesn’t get pollinated, the flower withers and dies. The male flower has a long, narrow stem.
Boor has some answers for those anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby squash.
“You can take a paint brush and spread the pollen,” from the male flower to the female flower, she said. Each male flower can fertilize five female flowers.
Not only can this pollination method work on squash, it can be used on all curcubits. Tomatoes, with a more open flower, can be fertilized with a broom, shaking the plant, and getting the pollen to move, Boor said.
She also said that  pesticides and herbicides used to control any other insect issue could kill bees, so to carefully check labels, research what kind is used, and use according to directions.
Boor also emphasized the importance of good gardening habits to maintain the health of all plants, including squash plants. This will help decrease pest infestation, including squash bugs, which not only attack squash but other curcubits.
Squash bugs, if they are caught early enough, can be dropped into a coffee can of soapy water, she said.
In the fall, dead plant foliage should be removed, composted or tilled into the soil. If it is composted properly, it will reach temperatures high enough to kill any pests. Boor advised against leaving foliage on the ground which can provide winter homes for insects.
She also encouraged home gardeners to have their soil tested in the fall. The cost is $15.95, and then the soil can be amended in the fall, giving it time to meld together in time for planting in the spring. The Extension office will send the sample to K-State for testing.
“Fall prep is more important than spring prep,” said Boor.
Another important aspect of healthy gardening is crop rotation which is the “best practice for any plant,” Boor said. “Changing your garden on a yearly basis will cut down on regular diseases and pests.”