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is the pollen from a not so healthy plant grown in not so good soil as good as the pollen from a healthier plant grown in more balanced soil (both being from the same seed?)
thank you

david

1/25/2009 11:49:09 AM

Germany

its only the genetic what matters

1/25/2009 5:32:19 PM

it's interesting that we put such an amazing amount of time and energy into growing the pumpkin but we don't have to do anything to the pollinator plant. thanks for the reply kurbisfreak.

david

1/25/2009 6:33:15 PM

Minnesota

I was wondering is it possible to damage the pollen, is it damaging the pollen say if you touched it?

1/25/2009 11:12:03 PM

Rhode Island

if you touch it you may go blind

1/26/2009 9:40:00 AM

Anchorage Alaska

lol... pap thats funny

1/26/2009 11:49:50 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Pap, can I touch it just till I need to wear glasses? LOL!! Peace, Wayne

1/27/2009 12:52:22 AM

Eastern Washington

Newbie here. I notice when hand pollinating field pumpkins this year our second wave of female flowers had much smaller stamens than our third wave, and didnot mature as well as the third wave. OK I spent alot of time in my patch this year but we weren't sure how the pollination would go. Has anyone noticed the effect of stamen size on the size of giants? Oh, a No. 8 paint brush works great. Just don't stick IT in your eye!

1/28/2009 10:45:38 PM

Rhode Island

it may not matter but i always prefered when possible to grow out the pollinator plant/pumpkin to see what potential i may have created with my cross.

1/29/2009 7:30:01 AM

Eastern Washington State

Pap I think your instincts are spot-on here as well as in probably every other facet of this sport. Who would have known? (Everyone lol). Knowing if the pollinator can perform gives you an info edge in deciding what to plant. People here often refer to every seed out of a given pumpkin as if they were more or less equivalent. I don't know about you but my sister and I don't weigh the same, even though we are a lot alike in some respects!

1/29/2009 3:45:42 PM

Minnesota

I mean, would taking the flowers and scraping the pollen out with a knife and putting it in a holder of some sort and then put the pollen on the flower with a brush, would the pollen be damaged that was in contac with the knife.

1/29/2009 5:33:44 PM

Rhode Island

when at all possible i would not advise scrapping pollon off into any container.it may mean nothing but why take a risk?

we just peel the flower back, make sure the pollon is dry
( on morning where heavy moisture is present we let the flowers after picking ,set in the sun for a short while)
then rub or flick pollon over the females lobes

sometimes we will also take male flowers into the house for an hr or so if needed. wet pollon is ng and could cause incomplete lobe pollination and a defective looking pumpkin.

pap

1/29/2009 11:03:01 PM

bliss,n.y.- heart of Wyoming County

Pap
Maybe thats why my glasses are so thick..lol..
I finally know why..whew..such a relief!

2/2/2009 11:21:39 AM