RE: How do you tell if a female has been pollinated?

Scott Dixon writes:

> My last decent looking female was only open 1 day, I pollinated it then it
> wilted!

This wilting is completely normal.  The female, and the male flowers indeed
only last 1 day each; actually not even the whole day.  By evening, the
petals on all the current-day's flowers will surely be wilting.

I see you've discovered that if you get out there too early, you beat the
flowers opening.  You could easily be there so early that the *pollen* isn't
available yet.  The pollen is held within those ridges on the male "stamen",
and if you're out there too early, the ridges aren't yet split open, and
there just won't be ripe pollen exposed.  You need to wait until the male
flowers open naturally for there to be usable pollen.

and Glenn Needham writes:

> If you intend to save the seeds and be able to verify the parentage -
> keep female covered before and after pollination - keep the bees away.

You also should keep the chosen males covered as well- otherwise, bees could
carry pollen from other plants into your chosen male flowers, and
undesired/unknown pollen could drop off.  Probably not "a lot" of stray
pollen would drop off, but not zero, either.  Then keep the female covered
for the rest of the day of pollination.

I've been covering my flowers with ziploc bags.  They sell some
perforated/breathable ones for freezing vegetables.  The night before they
are to open, the petals of both males and females will get a yellowish
tinge.  Those are the ones I cover for use the next morning.


-Rick Inzero, "plain text" email advocate  :-)
Growing near Rochester, NY

"Did I see bees?  I did."
















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