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Hand Pollination

Well here in PA summer is half over and the growing season as well. It has
been more or less routine here in PA in that there was the usual good news
and bad news as far as the weather. I think we are breaking even, not great
and not horrible. I feel like I am about half way to weighoff and I have some
pumpkins, not as large as I would like but the fat lady hasn't started to
sing yet. At the very least, my compost pile is doing well. This morning the
internal temperature was 105 degrees and rising.
Pumpkins are "on the vine" and receiving water and nutritional elements,
probably not the same diet received by those of Paula Zehr unfortunately.

The idea passed on by someone, whoever thank you, about covering the female
blossums just before hand pollinating with a small styrofoam coffee cup, was
one of the better things I picked up so far this year. If you cover the
female the night before it opens it actually grows enough to fill the cup. In
the morning, you pollinate the blossom, close it with one hand and, excuse me
please, sort of screw the cup back on in order to cover and protect it from
bees etc. This was very functional and the cups can be used again and again.

Onward and upward.

Marv Meisner in Central PA
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