Topic: Flowers?

[return of the mac]

Planting out tomorrow, wish me (or rather my pumpkins) luck. One last query- should i remove its flowers- they have male and female flowers right? So what should i do about flowers as i think it might be too early for them?

[honeybee]

You need to break off the male flower and take it to the female flower to pollinate.
First thing in the morning is always a good time to do this when the flower is at its best as they can soon wither and you have lost the chance to pollinate if that happens.

[honeybee]

Sorry , return of the mac, ive not been following this thread so am not sure what stage you are at so please forgive me if i am barking up the wrong tree.

I grew pumpkins for the first time last year and i had a fantastic time doing so, but at first i got so confused  :-\

So just to help you along, ive found pics of the flowers for you

Heres the male (this is not such a clear pic but easily recognisable by the long stamen)


And the female




You will soon identify them with ease.
As soon as you have a male and a female flower, take the male to the female and pollinate. Either by giving it a very gentle twist and turn, and sometimes after that i would leave it in the flower if there didnt seem too much pollen on the flower.
The flowers can soon wither and die so i got into the habit of doing pollination patrol at 7am each morning when flowers were at their best  ;D

I hope that is the info that you were looking for and that it is of some help to you  :)

[honeybee]

Did you see this, return of the mac?
Was it any help to you? :-\

[westsussexlottie]

was of help to me - thanks.

[return of the mac]

Thanks, unfortunately me only pumpkin has keeled over deed, so ill know for next year anyway

[Gadfium]

Helped me, too.

Question.... is this to aid natural insect pollination, or do you have to do it manually otherwise you get no pumpkins?

[honeybee]

Awe sory to hear that return of the mac  :'(

Well glad at least it helped you two, westsussexlottie and Gadfium, because i know i was so confused before i got to grips with the understanding of the pollinating, and identifying the flowers.

Gadfium i am no expert, i just grow pumpkins for fun, but i tended to do it manually to be certain of pollination, as i believe most pumpkin growers do.

[westsussexlottie]

But I have a big problem - there is only one flower flowering today - and it is female!!!!

So what now?

[honeybee]

Wait for the lady, shes probably pampering herself.....lol

How many pumpkins do you have WSL?

Its best to use male and females from different plants, don't worry about it, given time, more flowers will show and you will get a rhythm going so to speak  ;) :o ;D

[westsussexlottie]

Only one pumpkin plant of that variety. More buds coming though (both male and female).

Have several different pumpkin plants but scattered all over the lottie wherever there was space.

[Andy H]

I have never pollinated ,just happens.......

I wanted to let the vine go to 20ft before a fruit but they are appearing all over the place! cutting loads off to keep the big one growing..........where is the expert advice!