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Black Beauty Summer Squash Seeds Reviews
19 reviews
Buttery and Sweet
5 out of 5 stars
Jul 26, 2018
Brian NED from CA
Flowers but no fruit
2 out of 5 stars
Jul 31, 2019
Jenny Dreaden from KY
Owner Response: Hi Jenny,
Thanks for contacting us about this issue. I think I can be helpful. Tomatoes have "perfect flowers" with both male and female parts and do not need pollinators to produce fruit, a little nudge or some wind does the trick. Melons, cucumber, and squash all have separate male and female flower on the plant. Generally, the first couple weeks of flowers are just male flowers, presumably to attract pollinators to the area, then the female flowers emerge. If the bees haven't noticed the plant flowering, or if you primarily see honeybees (which aren't as focused on getting to every flower on a plant as native bees) these plants just need a little hand to be pollinated and produce fruit. Bees form foraging paths and tend to follow a routine, which is why it can be helpful to add early flowering plants to the garden, making your garden part of their regular routine. The poor pollination doesn't have to do with the seed or the cultivar. Your experience is becoming quite common, as we see native bee populations decline. We created an article and video about hand pollination that you may find useful, https://www.botanicalinterests.com/product/Hand-Pollination-for-Squash-Cucumber-Melon-and-Watermelon. This is also available in the learn more tab of the product page. Please feel free to contact customer service or our horticulturist anytime you have growing questions.
Delicious!
5 out of 5 stars
Jan 24, 2020
Grace Wright from CO
Update from July 31 review
4 out of 5 stars
Jan 25, 2020
Jenny Dreaden from KY
Owner Response: Anytime, Jenny! Happy gardening!
Black Beauty Summer Squash
5 out of 5 stars
Jul 12, 2020
Linda Thomson-Clem from MA
good consistent squash
5 out of 5 stars
Aug 15, 2020
Cambria Devoy from CO
Growing The Wrong Squash
3 out of 5 stars
Aug 27, 2020
Tayler Dube from CA
Owner Response: Hi Tayler,
Thank for making us aware of this issue. Quality is very important to us. A customer service agent will be with you shortly to help.
Abundance!
5 out of 5 stars
Sep 11, 2020
SLK from OR
Disappointed
1 out of 5 stars
Oct 17, 2020
Deborah from CO
Owner Response: Hi Deborah,
We are sorry you had a disappointing experience with this popular variety. The key to squash fruiting is good pollination, something that has become a bigger issue as our native bee populations struggle. As you noted the plants had abundant blossoms however if there aren't pollinators to move pollen to the fruit-producing flowers (which takes 4 visits) you can hand pollinate the flowers. You can find instructions for hand pollinating in the "Learn More" tab of this product page. Sowing flowers in the garden can also help invite more bees to visit but keep in mind European honeybees aren't as skilled at pollinating squash as native bees. I hope this helps explain that the issue was pollination and not anything to do with the seeds. Happy gardening!
Great plants ruined by vine borers
5 out of 5 stars
Jun 2, 2021
Greg from TX
Owner Response: Hello Greg,
Thank you for your review and we are happy to hear the seeds produce well for you. Vine borers are the worst! You can deter them by covering the base of the stems near the ground with soil, mulch, foil, or fabric material. Here is a link to our Squash: Pests and Diseases article with more information on how to prevent and manage these common pests and diseases. https://www.botanicalinterests.com/product/Squash-Pests-and-Diseases
Not what I expected
3 out of 5 stars
Sep 11, 2021
mark from NY
Owner Response: Hi Mark,
Thank you for sharing your experience. We would love to know what was disappointing about the seed or was the disappointment just pest pressure? Covering plants with row cover until they begin flowering and burying the stem up to the first leaves really helps with squash vine borers. In some areas, you can plan your sowing around their migration too. Scouting and smashing squash bug eggs as they appear is the most direct way to prevent an outbreak. Happy gardening!
Black beauty summer squash
5 out of 5 stars
Sep 27, 2021
Katherine from CO
Tasty and prolific
5 out of 5 stars
Oct 9, 2021
Joshua from MO
Zucchini
5 out of 5 stars
Nov 5, 2021
Keri from CO
Bad luck year?
2 out of 5 stars
Nov 23, 2021
Nicole from IN
Owner Response: Hi Nicole,
We are sorry you had a hard time germinating these seeds. Rest assured, our seeds are tested frequently to ensure germination rates meet federal and our own standards. As for fruit production, many growers are having issues due to pollinator decline. There is a link to hand pollination information in the learn more tab on this page. A customer service agent will be contacting you by email to see how we can help.
GAP
5 out of 5 stars
Jan 29, 2022
Geneva from NJ
Prolific
5 out of 5 stars
Feb 6, 2022
Cynthia from NM
Owner Response: Hi Cynthia,
Thank you for sharing your experience. If there is ever a question we list a plants' typical size inside the packet (outside for flowers) and on the products' web page. Happy gardening!
Non viable seeds
1 out of 5 stars
Apr 13, 2022
Gosia from FL
Owner Response: Hi Gosia,
We are sorry you are having difficulty with these seeds. A customer service agent will be reaching out to you by email. Rest assured, our seeds are tested by a third-party laboratory regularly to ensure germination rates meet federal and our own standards. We will be in touch.
A must try!
5 out of 5 stars
Jan 23, 2023
Luci from CO