Another gardener friend , Mac ask me a keen question about the female flower and the timing of the pollination so I imagine I ’d give you all some more information .
When you spot a distaff pumpkin flush that you require to hand pollenate subsequently , you necessitate towatch it dailyas it grows . The optimal position of a distaff flower will be on the independent vine and at least10 feet out or longeralthough I did cross-pollinate one this year at 8 feet out for insurance in case no others ‘ took ’ . I will also pollinate every distaff blossom on the junior-grade vines that develop out from the main vine on the sides . This is all for insurance in pillow slip something fall out to the best one . later on , after I feel positive which one of these pumpkins is farm the fast , I will cull all but the first and second fastest agriculturist . So each plant I care about , will have 2 gargantuan pumpkins grow on them . The first and a reliever .
Here is a distaff blossom NOT READY . The blossom is still very green although getting big .
Here is a female blossom that will be ready to get to the next morning . So how do I get laid when the distaff bloom will open ? I watch the female flush closely ( they are the ones with the baby pumpkin attached to the base of the flower . I always look for the blossom to get boastful ( still shut ) and thenthe mean solar day before , the blossom will get the slightesthint of yellow green on the crest . That ’s when I know it willopen the next morning . work everytime . I shroud the distaff flower the night before after the color alteration and get out in the maculation early the next morning .
We have 4 hours from the meter the blossom afford which is always first thing in the morning . This is usually between 6 am -10am . So I wrap up the female bloom the Nox before with a small-arm of row covering and get out in the plot of land early on before the beez take all the pollen from the male flower . Many times I traverse three male flower that will be ready the next Clarence Shepard Day Jr. as well ( they have n’t open up but look like they will the next sidereal day ) so I have piles of pollen on them . The beez get out too soon too and will take it all of their pollen if not covered . The pollen is nutrient for the bees . It is protein for them . Beez will go after the nectar and the pollen on these plants . I ’m sure the beez are attracted to the heavy efflorescence and terrifically sweet smell the blossoms emit . Someone should make a perfume out of this smell - it is wonderful . What would that be ? Parfum de fleurs de citrouille ( scent of pumpkin flowers ) ! ! If I know I ’m pollinating , I will get up early . Generally between 6 - 8 am is when I pollenate them but I have block sometimes and die hard out at 10 am to cross-pollinate .
Then after pollination be certain to shut up the female person with a twistie tie-in or opus of string for 24 hour as shown here . After 24 hour , you’re able to let the flower open up cause it will either be successful or not and you wo n’t get it on till after at least mean solar day 10 ( that is the benchmark ) if it was successful . The female flower shrivels up and drops off ( like an umbilical cord ) and the baby pumpkin will get larger and larger . If the pollination did n’t take it could be because of several reasons . One reason is because it was too hot the day of pollination ( over 90 ° fluorine ) . This might cause some pumpkins to abort later . The second reason is because we did n’t get enough pollen on the stigma part of the distaff blossom . Either way , you ’ll see the pumpkin start to grow and then suddenly stop . It looses it shininess , getting duller and softer and usually spot show up as it disintegrate which is a ego abortion . If this happens , cut it off . That is why we pollinate more than we need because sometimes the plant self abort its infant if something is wrong - variety of like a stillbirth for us .
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