Re: radicchio/chicory
At 11:32 AM 10/25/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi Margaret,
>Thanks for your response.
>I wonder what purpose the bags serve?
>The pollination factor did occur to me, and there don't seem to be many
>bees around this time of year, so I've been using a small paintbrush to
>pollinate the flowers, but so far only on one plant. The second plant has
>buds but now flowers yet, so I'm waiting impatiently to be able to cross
>pollinate. What do you think of the paintbrush as opposed to rubbing two
>flowers together.
>
>I had seen the Seed to Seed book in a catalog some time ago and tried
>without luck to get it from the public library. Perhaps I will try to find
>it again and buy it after all.
>Pat
I guess the bags are to prevent cross pollination with endive, and that can
happen, ruining the chicory, according to Ashworth. A beekeeper is on one
of the garden lists to which I subscribe, and he maintains that bees make
repeat visits to blossoms to complete pollination. If they don't, you get a
curved instead of straight cucumber, for instance (I think watering also
may be responsible for that). I think time of day and temperature is also
important in the viability of pollen. I'd guess before mid-day would be
best. Margaret L
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