RE: needs your help

Rick,

Very interesting to read about the importance of pollination! I have just sown the seeds ( and sometimes also watered).
Could you please explain this section a bit more for me: "There are also many weeds that will pollinate the pumkin,squash plant and only have 12 of the 13 chromosomes needed which will make you think your going to get a pumkin and the die."
Can a squash pollinate a pumpkin?
Will the female abort if pollinated with squash pollen?
Should i avoid growing squash? 
How about other types of pumkins? Should I avoid them also? 
If i giant pumpkin is pollinated with a smaller type will that affect the pumpkin or just the pumpkin seeds? I think that the fruit is depending of the genes of the plant but the seeds is depending of the pollination, am I right?
I hope I'm not beeing too pushy and asking too much? Thank you!
/Anders in Sweden



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pumpkins@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of Rick Wright
Sent: den 19 november 2005 17:20
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Subject: needs your help


If your females are not properly pollinated they will abort early  so not to zapp to much energy from the plant.  Remember that the

Plant wants to reproduce (the survival thing).  The female needs viable pollen meaning that all the chromosomes must be there and the age of the male pollen along with the time of the day the female flower is pollinated.  To assure yourself  some success you need to attract more bees or do the pollinating yourself.  It's not a soil or water or fertilizer  issue so don't go and start changing everything that you are doing.  There are also many weeds that will pollinate the pumkin,squash plant and only have 12 of the 13 chromosomes needed which will make you think your going to get a pumkin and the die.  For yourself , next spring when you

Start to develop some females, if you look at the tip of the flower where the flower petals meet, they will start to separate meaning

The flower will open tomorrow morning after sunrise, you should be there with 2 or  3 male flowers (cut the stem to get the whole male flower). use a small brush to bring the pollen from the male to the female, when your done use tape to close the female flower and sit back and wait. Try to only pollinate on the main vines not the secondary's.  I have noticed that the greatest percentage of abort have come from the main vine,  all in all your not alone.  Good Luck

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