Subject: Re: Shape by genetics & pollination? (Just thinking out loud)

As I've watched the patch and the bees, my wondering has been in pretty
much the opposite direction:  I can't figure out how a flower can get
pollinated with the amount of pollen that the bees get in there.  In
fact, I can hardly see any pollen on the female after a day of bee
activity.  So I'm amazed when one of these pumpkins that didn't look
like it had any pollen on it ends out growing great.  Hmm, maybe you're
right about damaging the female flower when pollinating.  On days when I
forget to tape the male flowers shut (and there isn't much pollen left
when I get there)  I jam the male flowers (5 of them) all over the
place, and probably not as gently as I should.  I probably have damaged
the flower and my chances of success.  On days when I do masking tape
those male flowers, though, I can't see how I could be doing it wrong.
I had so much pollen that I could literally scoop it off the male onto
the female without even touching those delicate parts.  Sometimes I'd
flick the male with my finger and pollen would rain down on the female
and it would be totally dusted.  Isn't this the goal? (I'm asking since
I'm new to this).  I almost wonder if we can pollinate TOO MUCH, but I
don't really think so, I just wonder a little since my ultra pollinated
pumpkins aren't measureably more successful than the ones that the bees
took care of that do just about as well.

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