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Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

I pollinated two fruit today on the 291 Kent, unfortunately I cannot figure out how to close them up to make them a controlled pollination...I tried to do what I normally use for pumpkins, but on a very much smaller scale and it didnt work out.
I am open to advice.

6/25/2011 10:39:30 PM

sevierville, Tn

You can use a styrofoam cup with notches. They work good if it rains. I also use ,if its dry, a piece of a sheet to cover the fruit, with it kinda poofed up so as to not crush the flower.
or both.

6/25/2011 10:47:45 PM

sevierville, Tn

The flower is too brittle & small to close like a pumpkin flower.

6/25/2011 10:50:34 PM

Bowdon, GA

I use the stryofoam cups too. Make notches in the sides for the vine and pin it down with a piece of wire. Males I put the stems in a straw and put the straw in a cup of water up to the bottom of the stems, then bringem in the house over night. Saves having to cover the males.

6/25/2011 11:21:19 PM

Bowdon, GA

Tom I seen the pic of the pumpkin female in your diary. How do you do that?

6/25/2011 11:23:25 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the info!

I started looking for more efficient ways to pollinate when I first started growing, I just wasn’t fast enough to beat the bees, or if it was raining, I couldn’t seem to go fast enough. I decided that I would take the males inside the night before as a lot of growers do, and put them in a glass of water, the following morning the flowers are open and I peal the petals back, using a paper clip that I’ve opened up to get a straight edge, I scrape the pollen off, rubbing the paper clip back and forth over the male, into a little pill jar or container, I then walk to the patch, take the plastic baggie off of the female that is now opened (and therefore sealing the baggie), open the pill jar and pour the pollen into the female, I seal the female with a binder clip and gently tap on the fruit to move the pollen into the female.

6/26/2011 8:49:45 PM

Bowdon, GA

Thanks Tom

6/27/2011 11:58:51 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Curious? Will Tom's pollen collection & delivery method, combined w/the melon males in straws, work? Don't know why it wouldn't?! Peace, Wayne
Have always collected males(pumpkins) the night b/4 and brought em inside. I would, the next am...peel off petals, and brush pollen into female, w/small paint brush. Worked well as a pollen delivery system!!! Tom's idea of collecting pollen into container sounds even more accurate way of putting awl the pollen where it needs to be!!

6/28/2011 1:45:11 AM

Deep South, USA

I know it's not wise to be too rough with the flowers, but if the female flower takes damage to the petals during pollination, will that interfere with the fruit setting?

6/29/2011 2:16:55 PM

sevierville, Tn

yoshi, no, the petals don't matter. just dont do anything to the melon part, very tender.

6/29/2011 2:31:40 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

I've made a few controlled pollinations covering males and females (with the notched styrofoam on female method and laying pieces of row cover over males).
Wayne, I am not even going to try harvesting pollen from watermelon flowers!

6/29/2011 6:22:57 PM

Jamul

Jake or anyone who can answer, are the male flowers saved overnight supposed to open the next day like normal? How long do you leave the styrofoam cup or other form of protection on for?

Also, what distance from other plants would be considered safe for purity. I have the Mountain hooisers about 100 feet min. from everything else. Will the unprotected ones be the same as what was planted?

Thanks to all the experienced growers posting on these threads.

6/30/2011 1:29:53 PM

formerly RGG

A safe distance would have to be as far as a bee can fly.100' would not keep your Carolina Cross protected from other watermelon pollen. It would just make unintended pollination a lot less likely in my opinion.

6/30/2011 1:37:45 PM

sevierville, Tn

Yes. the male open in water the next morning. Mine do between 9-10am. a sunny window helps.
I leave the protection on till the next morning.
Agree, they would be open & probally crossed with the hoosers.

6/30/2011 2:24:07 PM

Cleveland, Tenn

Tom, Iuse a short piece of Scotch tape to hold petals closed. Very easy to do, holds well.

6/30/2011 6:02:07 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Cap, thanks, very interesting!

6/30/2011 8:03:13 PM

Jamul

I did have some open and some didn't. The flowers that opened were puffy on the plant when I picked them, and I was wondering if they had been opened during the day and then closed as dusk settled. The ones that didn't open might have needed another day on the plant. Anyway, the tips on this thread and a little trial and error will do it. I like the straw idea a lot. Thanks!

6/30/2011 11:22:35 PM

Bowdon, GA

Russell look for the ones that are just starting to look yellow. If their puffy they've already opened. Also like Chris said make sure the stems are in the water. I didn't get the water far enough up the straw one night and they didn't open.

7/1/2011 12:24:09 AM

Jamul

O.K. Jake, I probably was in too big of a rush as we had to get out of the house a little before 10:AM today. I cut the straw length as needed to get them in the water, depending on the length of each flower stem.

7/1/2011 12:48:16 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

Small pieces of Remay blanket work to keep other pollinators out. Just pollinate and cover it, and dirt in the edges.

I do that, and have even started putting small bags of ice cubes next to the flower in hopes of dropping the temperature to set the pollen.

7/1/2011 11:05:09 AM

sevierville, Tn

If you find a male that opened, the next one down the vine should open the next day. As Jake said, they show a little yellow the day before, but their petels will still be closed. Or cover them as MMM does, either or works.

7/1/2011 3:17:52 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

great info, thanks!

7/1/2011 8:42:58 PM

Jamul

Yep, good stuff, thanks!

7/1/2011 9:28:43 PM

Jamul

It worked great this time! All males and all four covered females are open and perky. Funny tidbit...they open earlier, by the clock, due to the time change. Everyone was ready to go by 7:00 A.M. up and at'em.

7/2/2011 11:38:47 AM

Bowdon, GA

That pretty cool, wish mine opened early. I wouldn't have to beg someone to do it while I'm at work. Or hear that hers look better than mine LOL

7/2/2011 1:15:22 PM

Jamul

Jake, it was fun.It got in the mid 90's with no ice today...so we will see.
I wonder what would happen if you just open the blooms and tried it before going to work? Maybe you could put the males on a light and timer and wake'em up? Sharing the hobby like you are sounds better all around though. Just curious if one would take.

7/2/2011 9:45:04 PM

El Paso TX.

Rustico - I sometimes help the Female along early in the AM. (Around 5:30 -6AM) so that I can get it done before heading to work and have had them take (the males I put under a light source that I turn on when I first get up) they usually get the hint once the light source is on and open up then I go outside with them and assist the Female flower open and pollinate and then close her back up. Figure that way the pollen is already in the flower when it comes time for the Female to be ready for pollination and I have had pretty good success doing it that way since it also is a bit cooler that time of morning.

7/3/2011 10:27:12 AM

formerly RGG

JDFan, that sounds like the cleverest yet simplest method of pollinating I have heard so far.

7/3/2011 12:02:57 PM

Jamul

Thanks for relaying your success on that pollination strategy, JD. That's neat.

7/5/2011 1:19:50 AM