You don’t need two squash plants to grow squash successfully. I’ve grown squash with just a single plant and had a decent harvest. However, having multiple plants can definitely increase your chances of a successful pollination and a higher yield.
When it comes to squash plants, there are male and female flowers. The male flowers produce pollen, while the female flowers have the potential to develop into the fruit. In order for the fruit to form, pollen needs to be transferred from the male flowers to the female flowers.
If you only have one squash plant, there is still a possibility of getting both male and female flowers on that plant. However, sometimes the plant might produce predominantly male flowers or might not have them at the same time as the female flowers. This can result in poor or incomplete pollination and lower fruit production.
Having multiple squash plants increases the chances of having both male and female flowers available for pollination at the same time. This ensures a higher likelihood of successful pollination and fruit development. Additionally, having more plants can also attract more pollinators like bees, increasing the chances of successful pollination even further.
In my experience, having multiple plants has definitely helped in getting a better yield of squash. I’ve noticed that when I have only one plant, I sometimes have to manually transfer pollen from male to female flowers using a small brush or by gently shaking the flowers. While this can work, it can be time-consuming and not always as effective as natural pollination.
So, while it is possible to grow squash with just one plant, having multiple plants can greatly improve the chances of successful pollination and higher yields. If space allows, I would recommend planting at least two squash plants to increase the chances of a bountiful harvest.