From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Hayward, CA

OK, we now have two females for sure on one plant. How long until the female flower is ready to open. and for that matter, how long before the males are ready? We are going on vacation for four days and I dont want to miss a thing if I can be here.
Puter

7/19/2007 12:00:30 AM

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

Most times the females open about 7 days from the time they first appear (give or take a couple days).

7/19/2007 12:40:33 AM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

puter, no worries, just go on vacation, and let the bees do their job, ask a neighbor to water for you

7/20/2007 12:27:03 AM

Hayward, CA

Thank you, Both of you. I have seen the very first male flower open up this am. They are awesome looking flowers, the pumpkins are. I was pinching the males until a thought about the females crossed my mind. What if came into play and I decided to leave them...good thing cause now the other plant is producing 3 females. I will not be leaving until wednesday next week so perhaps we will get to see the female open up. (3 days of working on sister in laws place and 1 travel day for a vacation) I again would like to thank all who have answerwd and helped us get these plants this far. I know the odds of the pumpkins and the plants in general are kinda already stacked in natures favor, but it helps when you ease the minds of the people that are new to this!!!
Puter

7/20/2007 3:36:59 PM

Hayward, CA

That was fast, I came home 10 hrs later and the male flower was spent??!! Is that it? If it is, I will really miss alot of the flowers opening up. That's a bummer!
Puter

7/20/2007 8:35:32 PM

Delaware, Ohio

You will have plenty of males, once you get a pumpkin set, you will be tired to cutting the males off. You can tell when the female is about to open, the flower gets kind of crinkled the day before it opens and the next morning it will open, same with the males, but you can cut the males off and put them in water overnight. Are you going to let the bee's do the work or are you planning on pollinating yourself? You need to really watch if you are going to do "it" for them.
~CG

7/21/2007 12:31:43 AM

Hayward, CA

It has been really strange here this year and last year. There have not been alot of bees here. Our avacado tree blooms twice a year and then skips a year. This year we had alot of blooms, more than the previous season due to fert. and watering by hose. No fruit. No bees seen in the area. wife saw the first bee here in a long time this am and ran over to get me to put it in the patch. (she meant well) One thing I have is an abundance of the male flowers in various stages of growth. Is there the same look to the female flower as there is on the male just the day before it opens? Gets real tall and not as green on the end? Only had one male open so far, but real excited!!!
Puter

7/21/2007 3:22:38 PM

Hayward, CA

Oh, all my neighbors yards are full of flowers and they have notice the same thing. so to answer your question, yes I will try to make sure I put forth all efforts to assist mother nature. Will the feamales usually open before or after sun up? The male was already open before the sun came up.

7/21/2007 3:29:34 PM