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Subject:  one female flower

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kruger

should i be concerned that my plant only has one female flower..is there something i can do,or should be doing to promote the growth of female flowers..as of lately i'm just using neptunes harvest as fert...and another question,will the female flower be about the same size as the male when it opens..had my first male flower open today,and i would not want to miss out on pollinating a female flower..since theres only one..any responces would be greatly appreciated..john

6/27/2002 5:36:02 PM

huffspumpkins

canal winchester ohio

Don't worry the females will show up. The males "generally" start to open up about 5-7 days before the females do. I'll give you a example of how quick the females show up. Last Wednesday all I could see was 1 small female in the ball of leaves at the end of the vine. Today I counted 5 females total coming out on my Welty 744. And G, they are all green.

6/27/2002 5:59:38 PM

kruger

i just came in from the patch from pruning a broken secondary off..my daughter and i where pulling the end apart and inside were not one, but two tiny female buds, so you are right and i need to be patient..we're having a blast growing this plant and we don't want anything to go wrong that we could avoid..hey thanks for the advice paul..

6/27/2002 7:22:06 PM

Stunner

Bristol, ME ([email protected])

Hey lobsta..fear not..my guys are only out about 8 feet and 'moose' has shown 2 females on the end of each secondary in the last 2 days. Pollinated 1st female on 'squirrel' 2 days ago..we will know soon. Trouble is it's only out 5 feet. Will be pollinating 1st female on 'moose' tomorrow or maybe next day.. I've been taking each days males and scuffing off the pollen into plastic tubs and putting them in the fridge because males are opening day before or day after females..
You'll be fine..the 'golden period' is nearly upon us..
I am worse than a new father with these darlins'..Even got the wife fretting over them..hehe..plus for me..

6/27/2002 8:15:16 PM

kruger

lets see, tonight when i was telling my sweetie about the new growth,she says ..whatever floats your boat..so i haven't gotten to fretting over yet..i leave for work at 4:30am get back at five pm..i need a pollinator..my daughter says she will take care of it though..see ya..

6/27/2002 9:05:34 PM

huffspumpkins

canal winchester ohio

If you want to get pollen early before you leave for work it's easy ( I work odd hours also)
All you have to do is take the males you know will open tomorrow & cut them off & place them in water. About a hour to a hour 1/2 before you leave for work place the males under a lamp & turn it on. Then you can scrape it off into containers before you leave for work.

6/27/2002 9:11:38 PM

kruger

i still have the question about the size of the female blossom before it opens..will they be the same size as the males or a little smaller..from when they appear,to when the female opens will that be roughly the same amount of time as the males..i only ask because i don't want to miss this first one opening,i like the spot its in..

6/28/2002 3:45:31 AM

gordon

Utah

The females are the ones with the little pumpkin under
it. the males do not. do some searching through the
photo's here at Big Pumpkins and i'm sure you will
run across some. If not i'll email some.

6/28/2002 12:03:17 PM

gordon

Utah

sorry i missread your post... the best way to tell
when a flower will open is by experience.
i still have a hard time getting the right day.
check every day just to be sure...

6/28/2002 1:48:48 PM

hey you

Greencastle, PA

John,
The day before a female flower opens it will be very large and will be orange (the flower part). After you pollinate a few it's easy to tell when they will open.
Tom

7/1/2002 3:16:49 PM

peepers

Tacoma, WA

Not always, Tom! I've been fooled several times this June!

Stan

7/1/2002 3:59:51 PM

kruger

i have a female that will open tomorrow as far as i can tell..my only problem is that there will be no new males opening with the female..luckily i saved some pollen in the fridge..i've just got back from town where i picked up a small brush to apply the pollen..i have a question for someone..do i have to wait for the flower to fully open,or can i open it up a little so i don't have to wait..is there a maturing process the flower goes through as it opens on its own..

7/1/2002 6:53:59 PM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Lobsta, Bruiser is having a problem with his females opening fully read his diary this year (last year's was funnier) I guess he's gettig serious with the new yuongun. Although the frog shot is good. Obviously the more natural the better but you leave before the pumpkin gets up. From what Ive been reading here it looks like they rotate the male polllen daily. Pick five males keep a day pick another five males etc. label the containers so you know which plant and day they came from. and sometimes the female never opens and falls off....AHHH and you thought you just had to plant a seed!!!! Chuck

7/1/2002 7:47:08 PM

kruger

pick five males,keep a day..pick five more the next day..your not paying attention,i don't have one ready to pick..but i do have one in fridge..what did you do with that elephant dung..

7/1/2002 8:08:11 PM

floh

Cologne / Germany

Chuck, you made the point. Some strange things to happen this year - flat and double vines, mutated lobes (had them on both of my plants), flowers that open at any stage (now covering ANYTHING that is beyond 10 inches)...can´t remember that from all of your 2001 diaries (well, not that frequency).
Do we need to think about some decrease of that genetic potential from the seeds? I´m courious because I´m trying it far away from you getting similar results.
Don´t like to tell a "Dracula story" - just a question to the experts.

7/1/2002 8:10:37 PM

floh

Cologne / Germany

wrong male flower body length - meant 5 inches..)

7/1/2002 8:28:08 PM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

oops...sounds like a reverse Pappy to me. Last year he only had females couldn't get a male on the plant. Are you saying you have no male flowers or none ready to open. Have you switched to a different fertilizer yet like 20-20-20 to see if you can get more flowers going. I switched about a week ago and the flowers started coming. went from no females to three the last two days and the males are opening all over. I also put some superthrive on and that might have helped but can't tell ya. Your gonna have to go with the one ya got in the fridge for now. Don't get wise elephant dung is still a touchy subject here!!! LMAO. Chuck

7/1/2002 9:24:18 PM

kruger

i just set a latern in the patch hoping the light will help the flower to open..glad i don't have any neighbors..night gardening. i could'nt imagine why a bag full of elephant dung in the car on a saturday night would be a touchy subject...

7/2/2002 3:36:41 AM

jeff517

Ga.

LOL Lobsta,,,you are glad you have no neighbors?? LMAO!! I got my wifes $60 fan on G as I speak...Second time I have had to do this...And you say la you aint got no neighbors..LOL...And I live in Georgia too,,,these people down here are gonna have me put in rubber walls....2 years ago I would have just looked at someone with a fan on a pkin,,,,and thought,,"That Dummy"...LOL...

7/2/2002 8:10:31 AM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

OK so I gotta a little dung at a circus..This guy gardens at night!!! YIKES!

7/2/2002 8:17:24 AM

kruger

the flower I pollinated this morning in the dark had six lobes! when will i be able to tell if it took? it seems to have grown a little bit while i was at work,lobsta...

7/2/2002 5:17:14 PM

huffspumpkins

canal winchester ohio

They will grow a bit if they took or not, but if it gets REAL shiney ( looks like it's been waxed) there's a good chance it took.....

7/2/2002 5:53:06 PM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Lobsta hope that takes looks like the stem is in good position with a good 90 degree angle. Our fingers are crossed for ya!!!

7/2/2002 8:58:15 PM

thefunnydad

Mineral Virginia

how long do the females continue to open after you pollinate them? I was waiting for one to open on a nice looking punkin bud, did the day before yesterday with 4 beautiful lobes; I hand pollinated it quite heavily, I have a million males, then yesterday and today the female didn't open. Actually looks wilted. I'm out there around 6:30, sun up is 5:45 or so. Should I be worried?

7/3/2002 10:23:47 AM

gordon

Utah

funny dad-
if you pollentated it and did a good job then you don't
need to worry about it opening any more after that.
What you have sounds pretty normal to me.
gordon

7/3/2002 10:33:14 AM

jeff517

Ga.

I have never saw a female open for a second time..

7/3/2002 11:35:14 AM

LIpumpkin

Long Island,New York

You must not be doing it right Jeff.....hee-heee.........

7/3/2002 2:17:35 PM

kruger

why my one female flower has been opening and closing all day long.. finally most of the petals just fell off,now its covered up in gauze..the next one we're gonna leave alone..too hot up here..way too hot..

7/3/2002 2:36:47 PM

Alexsdad

Garden State Pumpkins

G them boys from Georgia have some pretty suspicious posts! Leaping Lizards it's a Pumpkin Bush!

7/3/2002 8:05:09 PM

Total Posts: 29 Current Server Time: 8/21/2025 3:26:24 PM
 
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