From

Location

Message

Date Posted

California

The last three years I have only grown one pumpkin. I was not manually pollinating. Okay, I am getting a late start, but how much pollen is enough and where exactly is the pollen supposed to go?

This is what I have been doing: Now that I have learn the difference between the boys and girls, I have been remove the petals as I learned on this page (from the how to guide on hand pollinating) from the male and gently rubbing the pollen over the 5 or 6 lobes in the female. Since I have been rubbing the pollen on the perimeter or outside of the lobes, I have been running out of pollen when I am half done. So, I find another male and proceed to finish up. Since a little pollen if left over, I put it in the middle of the nodules also. Is it okay to use two separate males from the same plant? Since I have several females almost ready to pollinate, can I use a male flower where the petals have dried up a bit but the stem and pollen seem to be fine.

Is this city boy on track?

7/23/2001 12:22:53 PM

Mid Michigan

Hey GB.....I use 2 males for every female. I cover them all with zip-lock baggies ( males included) the night before i know they're gonna open...( the baggies have holes punched thru for air flow). I have been starting at the center of the lobes and working my way out in the pollination process, and all but one fruit set. Cant say for sure that i'm doing it exactly right, but it's working. After the pollination process, i cover the females back up for the rest of the day so the bees cant contaminate it with any foreign pollin. I keep them covered the night before they open for the same reason.
If the pumpkin sets, it'll start growing.......if not it'll start shriveling in a day, or so. I'd pollinate as many as possible now, and start prunning vines, and burying them so the water, and nutrients get diverted to pumpkin growth, and not leaf, and vine growth.
At least, that's what i've been doing, and i'm getting good growth to all the fruit that set.
Hope this helps........good luck.
Cuzbiker

7/23/2001 1:04:26 PM

Mid Michigan

Oh...by the way, This year i'm pollinating all the females from all 4 of my plants with males from my 896 Wells plant since it's the only plant i have growing with known genetics.

7/23/2001 1:06:28 PM

California

Thanks cuzbiker.

I have one vine that is "broken". I guess the arm got too heavy for itself and it collapsed. The vine is still living, but I would think it would be best if I pruned it back. How do you prune a pumpkin plant when the vine is as thick as a thumb? I am concerned about disease.

7/23/2001 3:27:41 PM

Mid Michigan

If the break in the vine is close to a growing pumpkin, i'd just cover it with black dirt......especially if it seems to be doing ok. If it's not close to a female, just cut it, and bury the end with dirt........the burying prevents water loss, and diseases from getting in easy.

7/23/2001 9:28:04 PM

Mid Michigan

I've been cutting with my wife's pruning shears. Seems to make a nice cut. Like i said......haven't had any problems so far.......knock on wood!! hahahaha

7/23/2001 9:29:40 PM