From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Liberal Ks.

when pollinatng should i use more than one male or several males and all from same plant or males from two diferent plants

6/26/2007 10:51:36 AM

Georgia

Sevaral males if ya got them and all from the same plant if your trying to make a specific cross if not let the bees have at em.

6/26/2007 11:38:15 AM

Liberal Ks.

i had one set on but it didnt make but i onley used one male i will use more next time thanks

6/26/2007 12:11:10 PM

Georgia

Yeah try to use more then one male that way your getting more polen transfered.

6/26/2007 1:11:30 PM

but be sure to close the flowers before and after hand pollinating. I saw you asking about closing the flowers in the post below this. Good luck!

6/26/2007 6:17:56 PM

Liberal Ks.

come in bridget close the females or the males help i dont know whyto close the males

6/26/2007 9:19:49 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

homer, bees fly into the male flower, pollen sticks to them, then they fly to other flowers, males and females and spread that pollen all over...if you do not close up male AND female flowers, you DO NOT have a controlled pollination, and it should be listed as OPEN!!!! I pick males the night before a pollination will be done and keep them inside the house. A few minutes in the sunlight thru the window will make them open and the pollen will bloom. Hope this helps. Peace, Wayne

6/26/2007 9:42:39 PM

[email protected]

Like Wayne says, if the males open on their own in the field & you use them, it is an open pollination. So rather than trying to tie them all up, pick them the night before, place them in a vase & keep them in the refrigerator over night. I have found that early AM pollination's are tough on cold males. The pollen bracts don't flush right up. To get the pollen up, you can put the vase on an open over door with the heat set low for an hour or so to get all of the pollen to rise.

6/27/2007 12:16:14 AM

C N Y

well, i hate to try to improve on anyone's idea or opinion whom i respect and think so much of, as are most if not all of you, but if it helps, here is the way i do the male
and female flower thing and it works 100% and i will do it forever:
when i have selected a female, i use a drawstring nylon mesh baggie that is made of the same basic material that
is used to make the baggies of candy and mints on tables at
a wedding reception to bag the female with. yes, i did
mention this in an earlier post yesterday and it may be called "tool" and might be available at a
craft/sewing/fabric store....
man, have i got to get to one on my lunch today!

the baggie is long enough to extend from the STEM of the
pumpkin-to-be to the tips of the flower and additionally
long enough to allow the flower to open fully in the morning. the drawstring, if so used, will provide an
insect-proof barrier that we no longer have to worry about
from any insect crawling UP THE STEM AND INTO THE FLOWER,
as i have had happen before when i USED TO
(for ONE day, lol) use a small paper bag to cover my females with when i first started growing AGs.
you will notice that a ZipLoc bag does have a small
opening on each side of the stem of any flower it is used on.

okay, female is bagged. the ONLY thing to worry about is if it is going to rain and get the flower wet;
there is usually a large leaf right there that can be
positioned over the flower with a bamboo stake to protect it if rain is a likelyhood. otherwise, the bagggie is open
and AIRY and does not pose any threat of heat to the flower.

6/27/2007 12:35:40 PM

C N Y

MALES
i get males from almost as many plants as i have time for.
i fill a gallon jug with water and keep it near a 75-100 quart plastic storage container.
i fill large, clear plastic party
cups half-full of the water, put 3-4 pre-cut-to-a-decent-length male flowers in those cups with label stake(s) indicating their origin(s), keep them as far apart as possible and cover the whole group of them with the storage container.
in the garage. with a brick on top of it. at night.
i may end-up using several containers, depending on
the number of prospective males available.

anyway, in the morning, the males have bloomed. SIMPLE.
the female has bloomed and is FULLY open.
no damage, insects, and hopefully no rain, occur to the
female in question.
i select the males for the pollination(s),
label a plant stake accordingly, and if not swatting-away the bees too much, i carry-out my pollination(s).

then comes the ZipTie. i think the 4- or 6-inch work well
for the females. I simply ZipTie the female flower itself shut and right about then, it's time to go to work!
later--eric g

6/27/2007 12:35:49 PM

Liberal Ks.

thanks to all of you homer

6/27/2007 1:02:34 PM