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Okla

What is the best way everyone had found to pollinate melons? What type brush do you use if that is the way you do it. What time of the day do you find it best to pollinate melons? I have compared melons to pumpkins and notice that there is a slight difference in the times they both open. What other info can you provide in pollinating melons. So far I do not have much success in being able to get melons pollinated right. Don't know if it has to do with our extreme heat or not. It does effect the pumpkins greatly in trying to get them to set.

7/21/2009 2:34:02 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

I directly use the male as the brush, by pulling the petals off. I lightly touch the flower to see if there is pollen, and then I use that to pollinate the female flower. I will use more than one flower from the male plant to increase the amount of pollen in the transfer, and then I tape the flower shut lightly.

7/21/2009 11:01:05 AM

southwest MO

Hey Thomas,
About every melon I've gotten this year has been pear shaped... I thought it was a pollination problem and suspect I'm still right. With that said I decided to use a small paint brush. It seemed to me like most of the pollen stayed on the brush and didn't transfer very well to the female. Don't no if the female pollination parts have some natural moisture to them or maybe a bit of some sticky substance that got on the brush?? It was nice and dry on my attempts and did it over several days but the results were the same. Pear shaped. I think what melon man says is the way to go. I've also heard of using a Q-tip to transfer pollen, but this may not help either if the female still gums up the pollen. I am letting them open pollinate and still I am still having trouble getting a good one.

7/21/2009 12:06:57 PM

sevierville, Tn

I do the same as Minnesota Melon Man.

Boy genius, all mine start as pear shape or even. those are good, the pears always even out as they grow. The fat stem end in the beginning are the bad ones.

7/21/2009 2:00:10 PM

sevierville, Tn

thomas, i have found that melons open later after the sun has been up. Mine are still closed at 8am. I get sun after 9am on my garden. I had some not take this year, may have been the heat, it was hot at that time. Now that its cool i can't stop em !!!!!

7/21/2009 2:02:59 PM

southwest MO

Thanks for the info smoky... I think I've probably been throwing off some good ones! You look for a nice blossom end right? How big do you let them get before you know they will have a good shape??

Thomas I have found the best pollen to be about 9:00-9:30 here. In your heat I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to shade them for a couple days to take the edge of the sun off.

7/21/2009 3:11:28 PM

sevierville, Tn

Boy genius, i have a good idea by the way they grow by day 10-12. At least i think i do ( LOL ), this is only my 2nd year at melons ! I wish i knew at the begining of the year what i know now .
This year i have 2 that are neck & neck in size, 1 started nice shape, 1 started pear shape.

7/21/2009 4:00:30 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

Yes, some of the melons do exhibit pear shape and still recover, but that is only the very early stages. After a few days I have found that some have what I will call an extreme pear shape that will not recover. That is a pollination problem, so I cull them.

7/22/2009 4:19:38 PM