RE: hot weather pollination

If you're going to ice, do it for 4 to 7 days after you pollinate. We have consistent temps in the high 90's in VA; we generally use at least two 2-liter bottles frozen solid, each day. This year I'm testing a custom-made box that can accommodate more bottles and is thicker.

-----Original Message-----
From: rk kolb [d*@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 11:23 AM
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Subject: hot weather pollination

  I was wondering after reading about keeping the female blossoms cool after pollination in hot areas ( like here), if anyone knows for how long to use ice, how much? Also on a new tangent, has anyone ever investigated the idea of cooling off the blossom BEFORE it opens. Does the same heat that can cause aborts have an affect on the still forming female? Seems strange that the heat only has a bad affect after pollination. Would a light cooling be beneficial a day or two before?

  We already have overhead shadecloth @ 30% and use a misting setup...
It routinely gets in the 100's f  during pollination here so we use stryofoam huts over the females for a day or two with ice #'s depending on outside temps. Anyone interested at looking at our setup can see picts at www.bigpumpkins.com  in the growers diaries under
the name C @ R Kolb.  

 Robert in Chico, Ca

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