When I think of zucchini, I think of abundance. You plant one zucchini plant and it produces so much fruit, that you end up giving it away to family, friends and all your neighbours.

Thanks to changing climatic conditions and a lack of pollinators, zucchini plants aren’t producing as prolifically as they once did.

What does zucchini need in order to produce lots of fruit? Sunshine, heat and regular pollination.

Zucchini is not self-pollinating. It has male and female flowers that require the assistance of bees and bumblebees to fly from male flowers, collect pollen, then disperse the pollen to the pistils of female flowers.

What doesn’t zucchini need? Cool temperatures, persistent rain and absent pollinators.

Unfortunately in today’s conditions, if you’re looking for a bumper zucchini crop, you’ll need to step in and carry out the pollinator’s role.

Watch this video, where I show you how to easily hand pollinate your zucchini plants, in order to have a much larger harvest. All you need is a paintbrush!

Happy Gardening!