Hand Pollination of Courgettes.

If you have a variety of courgette you are particualrly fond of, why not save some seeds for planting next season? You can't just take the seeds from a mature courgette because there is no telling what its cross-pollinated with and you may get a surprise when the new courgettes begin to grow.  However, if you intervene early enough you can ensure a pure variety by hand-pollinating the female courgette flowers. 

The following gallery gives a simple introduction to the hand pollination of courgettes which can also be used on marrows, pumpkins and other squash.

Courgette Plants.	Female Flower.	Male Flower.	Flower Picking.
Remove Petals.	Open Female Flower.	Pollinate.	Repeat.
Tape Shut.	Label.