Episode Details

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Your plant is covered in flowers.

The bees are visiting.

Everything looks as though a bumper harvest should be just around the corner.

Then the flowers fall off...

...and nothing follows.

No tomatoes.

No courgettes.

No pumpkins.

No fruit at all.

So what has gone wrong?

In this episode of The Messed-Up Gardener, Esther Williams takes a closer look at what actually has to happen between a flower opening and a fruit beginning to grow - and the surprisingly large number of places where that process can stop.

Because flowers are only the beginning.

Pollination still has to happen.

Fertilisation has to succeed.

The right kind of flower needs to be present.

The weather has to cooperate.

And the plant needs enough water, energy and healthy root function to support the developing fruit.

In this episode you’ll discover:

🌱 Why seeing flowers doesn’t necessarily mean fruit will follow

🌱 The important difference between pollination and fertilisation

🌱 How to tell male and female flowers apart on courgettes, pumpkins, cucumbers and squash

🌱 Why bees visiting your flowers doesn’t always mean successful fruit set

🌱 How heat, cold, rain and wind can interfere with pollination and fertilisation

🌱 Why inconsistent watering can cause flowers and young fruit to drop

🌱 Why adding more fertiliser may not solve the problem - and can sometimes make it worse

🌱 How incomplete pollination can lead to misshapen strawberries, poorly filled corn cobs and courgettes that begin growing before stopping

🌱 Why some fruit trees need a compatible pollinator flowering at the same time

🌱 A simple flower-to-fruit check to help you work out where the process may be failing

If your garden is producing plenty of flowers but very little fruit, this episode will help you stop guessing and start looking at what is actually happening.

Because a fallen flower is only the visible result.

The real cause may have happened hours - or even days - earlier.

🎧 Press play above to listen.

🍄 A Little Gift for NZ Podcast Listeners

Many of you know that growing food is a big part of my world. Alongside the vegetable garden, I also grow gourmet mushrooms through Mushrooms By The Sea.

If you’ve ever wanted to try growing your own gourmet mushrooms at home, I’d love to give you 10% off your first order.

Simply use the code:

🍄 SHROOM10

at checkout.

🌐 www.mushroomsbythesea.co.nz

Discount applies to full-priced items only and cannot be used on products already on sale or discounted.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with another gardener or leaving a review. Every share and every review helps more people discover the show.

I’d also love to hear...

What is flowering in your garden right now - and is the fruit actually following?

📩 themessedupgardener@gmail.com

🌐 www.themessedupgardener.com

🌐 www.mushroomsbythesea.co.nz

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🌿 The Messed-Up Gardener

🍄 Mushrooms By The Sea

🌱 Helpful Garden Resources

If you’d like to keep learning, you can explore some of my practical gardening resources:

🌱 Create Your Own DIY Self-Watering Planters

A step-by-step guide to building simple systems that help your garden thrive.