The ideal time to pollinate squash is in the morning as soon as your squash blossoms open (and temperatures are mild). They tend to close up by early evening, so you might spend several days pollinating by hand if you want to get to them all.
1. Identify a male flower on the squash plant and make sure it’s fully open, or the pollen won’t be ripe. (You’ll know pollen isn’t ripe when you rub the anther with your fingertip and no grains come off.)
2. Pick the male flower; you’ll be using it as your “tool” to fertilize the female flowers.
3. Peel back (or strip off) the flower petals to reveal the anther. Gently rub the anther onto the entire surface of the stigma (of your female flower) until it’s sufficiently pollinated. Be sure to work quickly, as pollen only remains viable for a few minutes after it’s taken from the anther.
4. Repeat with as many male flowers as needed to pollinate all the female flowers.