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Portland, Oregon

I only have room for one plant to fully develop. Should I plant a second one in order to pollinate the first or should I just use a male flower from the first one? The seeds are feed-store variety so perhaps they are genetically identical and it wouldn't matter either way.

5/17/2009 11:05:47 PM

Pataskala,OH

A plant can be pollinated by the same plant.

5/18/2009 7:31:29 AM

Ct

I'm a newbie, but doesn't self pollinating a plant take away some of the potential weight?

5/18/2009 9:45:16 AM

Portland, Oregon

I did some reading last night and it looks like cross-pollinating only affects the quality of the seeds and not the size of this year's pumpkins.

5/18/2009 10:26:03 AM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

You only need one plant. Self pollinating won't hurt anything. The pollen has no effect on the fruit, just the seeds.

5/18/2009 12:37:16 PM

Ct

So in other words, no effect on the fruit but any seeds that come out of that fruit won't be very desireable?

5/18/2009 4:13:06 PM

norway , maine

selfed seeds , sibbed seeds ,"crossed seeds" ... are all undesirable until proven.

5/18/2009 5:48:59 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Selfed fruit can grow just as heavy as anything else. The pollinator has no bearing on color or weight of the same years fruit. However the following generation's progeny will exhibit the inherited traits of both parents. Selfed seeds aren't grown much but there have been a few winners over the years. 735 Pukos for instance.

5/18/2009 7:52:11 PM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

Jeff

let the heavy hitters with acreage worry about the crosses for now, you just learn all you can and do your best to grow the biggest you can, next year you can get almost any cross you want from this years pumpkins.

5/18/2009 8:06:23 PM