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Rhode Island

POLLINATIONS AND HAPPY ENDINGS

TIMING is critical. the night before the " big event" put a zip lock bag over the soon to be pollinated female. you can tell the night before shes ready to open because the flower will be swelled up and a bit of orange/yellow color will show on the side of the flower.
ditto to bag three males that you have choosen to be the pollinator. why three? why not.

we pollinate around 9 am. then we after peal off the male flower pedals allowing the exposed stamin to sit in the sun for a few minutes.

rub the pollon around the females segments or hold the male stamen above the segments and flick your finger on the males stem allowing pollon to drop onto the segments.
(no wiseremarks needed -lol )

after pollinations are complete cover the pollinated female with the same baggie for a couple hrs and then remove.you could also just use a zip tie to close the flower tip but we prefer to jusr cover with a baggie.

on extremely hot days you may need an ice bag or fan ( or both ) on low next to the pollinated fruit for a few hours.pumpkins do not pollinate well in hig heat.

a small screen hoop ( with towel laid over the top )over the new pumpkin for a few days helps keep the critters from having a tasty lunch.an old plastic lawn chair with a towel draped over it also helps shade the new fruit and also good for critter control.

after a couple days remove the remaining female flower pedals because if you dont they just rot and drop ontop of the segments causing mold problems.

that will do it

pap

2/22/2010 7:50:58 AM

Anchorage, Alaska

Pap, when would you start putting sand and stuff beneath the pumpkin?

2/22/2010 8:41:31 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Pap, curious as to why you choose 9 am as pollination time...is it relative to temp, humidity, sunlight??? It get's a lot hotter, earlier in the am here in Kentucky. Any thoughts? Peace, Wayne

2/23/2010 12:33:13 AM

Rhode Island

wayne
nine am is just a good time where we live. the air temp is warm but not hot as it would ne later in the morning. everyone needs to adjust to there own climate id say.

newman
we put mill fabric under our pumpkins at around 50-75 pounds. if you dont and wait they will grow to fast you could blow out a nut or your back lifting the pumpkin while someone else slides the fabric underneath,
later on at about 800 + pounds we spread sand around the bottom to stop soil from splashing onto the sides when it rains.

2/23/2010 2:57:26 PM

Sacramento, Ca

Pap, I was thinking about using cheese cloth bags that you strain paint with do to the heat here. Do you think that will work?

2/23/2010 9:51:33 PM

Rhode Island

yes cheese cloth over the open female will work to keep the bees from contaminating the pollon.
i would however if it really hot early a.m.( 88 degrees and up ) consider a fan on low for that day.

2/24/2010 6:31:38 AM

Belmont, NH

I use the "ankle high" nylons to cover the blossoms. If rain is in the forecast, I will put a small paper/plastic drinking cup on top of that to help keep it dry.

Bruce

2/24/2010 7:30:28 PM