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Jefferson, Ohio

pounding rain this a.m.... and my best prospect was suprisingly open to pollenate (it had looked a couple days away from opening last nite). I took a couple males in the house and baked them dry... I put a plastic chair over the female and pollenated. Have any of you had luck in the rain?

6/30/2009 11:46:22 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Two comments- first, you baked them? You probably sterilized the pollen. Second- it sounds like the flowers were not protected from bees the night before so you shouldn't consider the cross to be controlled if that was the case. I recommend cutting the males and bringing them inside the night before, this will keep them dry and at the same time protect the integrety of your cross. By tying the female flower shut the night before you also isolate the flower from unwanted bees, and keep the inside of the flower dry. Best of luck - Jim

6/30/2009 1:36:22 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

I like to use a ziplock baggie over the female and males the night before if there is rain in the forcast. When you remove the bag in the morning the flowers open up and away you go. Very simple and reliable.

6/30/2009 2:52:35 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

I agree with Donkin. In addition I replace the baggie after pollination to protect from rain on the day of pollination. Only problem is if the sun comes out it can act like a mini greenhouse and cook the flower.

6/30/2009 3:42:46 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

I don't think the baking part is a good idea.

6/30/2009 5:56:36 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

How hot was the oven?

6/30/2009 6:20:37 PM

Rhode Island

no need to bag pumpkin after pollinating. as noted above bagging or sealing the pumpkin can do harm be it rain but mostly heat if its a sunny hot day.
we just use a twist tie or other means to seal the flower tip closed for the ramainder of that day,
the next day we GENTLY PEEL AWAY THE ENTIRE FLOWER from the pollinated fruit.if you dont the flower just rots and thats not good around the blossom later on.BE CAREFULL NOT TO BREAK OFF ANY OF THE LOBES

in the future if you cant get the males bagged the night before? id suggest just taking the males into the house early a.m.,keep in a warm area for a hr or so and the pollon should dry.
if on the other hand the flower was wide open and filled with rain water ? its never going to be any good.

ps-------------we all mess up from time to time . live and learn .

6/30/2009 7:14:38 PM

Jefferson, Ohio

Thanks for the tips! The plastic baggie is a simple useable idea.. As I said , the female actually was green and showed no signs of preparing to open. As far as "baking", all I did was put on a cookie sheet, left the oven door open and let them "dry" for 10-15 mins. I hadn't thought about 'sterilizing" the pollen. The biggest lesson I suppose is , dont relax yet! Thanks again for the encouragement and advise. Jim R p.s another female only a foot or so further out the main vine, we'll get another chance next week!

7/1/2009 12:08:45 PM

Westford, MA

After peeling off the flower, do you treat the fruit with a fungicide/clean solution/etc.?
Then Protect from the sun.
When do you put it on something Baseball/beach ball?
Probably should be in New Growers Forum.
Thanks
Kevin

7/1/2009 2:52:53 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Kevin, I put sand under the pumpkin just before it is too large to lift anymore. In my patch I guess that would be around day 20-25 depends on who's helping you.

7/2/2009 2:04:14 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Pap, question about this..."be careful not to break off any of the lobes"...how long before lobes fall off, or are broken off is it safe to have them be gone? Peace, Wayne

7/2/2009 11:13:08 PM

Rhode Island

wayne
lobes will stay on indefinately unless you accidently brealk them off. we leave them alone.thats the reason you take the flower of the day after pollinating.if you did not remover then the flower will rot and lay on the lobes and that could then rot as well.
kevin
during the season we spray the blossom at the same time we spray the fruit. early on when its very tiny id advise just a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water and spray once a week.

early on ( from baseball size) we put a small piece of anything flat approximately 1ft x 1ft square under the fruit.once we know what the keeper will be we then go with a very thin piece of plywood approx 4ft long x 3ft wide and a piece of belting approx 4ft wide x 5ft long over the wood,

7/3/2009 12:41:30 PM

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

Pap's advise on not covering the female after pollination seems like very sound advise. The past couple years I recovered my females with the baggy and my success rate was near zero. So far this year I used the twist tie method and am 5 out of 7 successful.

7/4/2009 7:16:25 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

Covering the female with a baggie after pollination is an exellent idea depending on weather conditions and temperatures.

7/4/2009 10:09:44 PM

Tinykinville

sorry pap hate to disagree but a wet female will pollinate. If you asked my last year i would have said no, but this year for some reason i used a sock instead of my usual white plastic bag wraped completely around female. so female got wet when watering the day before when she was cracked but for some reason she still took. i don't get it but it worked.

7/30/2009 4:37:44 AM