New Growers Forum
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Subject: Using Ice Bottles
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From
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Location
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Message
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Date Posted
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thefunnydad |
Mineral Virginia
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So when do you need to do this? I noticed svrichb making references to it and since we are practically nieghbors climate-wise, am concerned. It's still pegging 90-95 here. I have heard fairy tales of liquid falling from the sky, but don't remember it in my lifetime.
So do you pollinate, then take the cap off a frozen 2 litre bottle, turn it upside down and burry it next to the female? Cover the whole works with a cooler or something? Around here a frozen bottle will last about 2 hours maybe.
Thnx.
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7/9/2002 3:52:08 PM
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svrichb |
South Hill, Virginia
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I read about the whole ice thing in Langevins book and after 10 or so aborts I decided to try it. I didn't feel like going out and buying bags of ice everyday so I just used the two liter bottles. They would last longer under a cooler instead of the laundry baskets I've been using but it doesn't have to be cold to pollinate...it just can't be hot as hell (I think the experts say somewhere in the low/mid 80's). I've had good luck with it so far so however long the ice is lasting is long enough. I was inverting them with the cap off but after a couple days the ground under the basket got a little soggy so I started leaving the caps on until it dried out and then took them off again. Pretty scientific stuff;)
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7/9/2002 4:38:34 PM
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John G. |
derry n.h u.s.a.
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Funnydad: I pollinated july 4th.The high temp in N.H was 94 that day or their abouts.Also i did it late at 7.30 am when it was around 80 degrees,i used ice 4 trays stacked in a square changed every hour and covered.I read somewhere that it takes around 4 hours of fairly decent temps to get a good pollination ,mid to low 70's would be ideal,even 80 maybe!But any hotter and i wouldent chance it,a white cooler would work great with a bag or even a frozen bottle.And that pumpkin i pollinated! it took and that will be keeper it's the size of a softball now.John
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7/9/2002 6:54:09 PM
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thefunnydad |
Mineral Virginia
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That's just great. I don't think we see anything below 85 here in Virginia for 4 hours during the day until late September! My pollination effort probably aborted this AM. but I'll polllinate some more if I get the chance and try the ice bottles tomorrow to see if we can get through the heat of the day and use the entire process from start of pollination on the next ones... ARRRGGGGHHH.
thnx guys
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7/9/2002 8:01:35 PM
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Doobie |
Cape Cod, MA
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Mabey it's just luck, but I have never had a hand pollinated fruit abort. I just make sure I'm up and present as the flower opens, then grab some males-(you don't have to wait for them to open if they are going to open that morning) just remove the flower and do the deed. Then put the toe of a hose over your gathered fingers and thumb, close the female flower and with a single motion invert the hose over the female flower. Plants are very intuitive, if you get them early in the morning they will pollinate. Just my experience.
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7/12/2002 1:51:10 AM
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thefunnydad |
Mineral Virginia
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Well, I rubbed 3 males over a 4 lober and she aborted within a week. Now I can prove I got this right in a different species, as I have 4 kids!
Seriously though, I rubbed and rubbed and it didn't even start. I'm going to pick up a small flat artists brush today as I have a couple of other females due to open probably this weekend. I suppose you could do the hose thing the night before to make sure the bees don't get in? Since I'm not exactly using blue blooded stock, I was hoping between my hit&miss and the bees it would work out. It's a wonder I have any pumpkins going at all, but we have about 6 total, 4 around volley ball size now. After last year's crash and burn, I'm tickled to have that.
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7/12/2002 8:08:24 AM
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Mrrr |
Northern Ohio
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QUESTION, it's me agaoin the real beginner. What is a toe of the hose? When you flip[ it it sounds like you are watering the new polinated flower. Is that right. It is the 15th and I have one female flower and it doesn't look to good. I have stumbled and made mistakes but I am hanging in there but I am not getting any females. 2 have aborted before growing.
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7/15/2002 9:32:25 PM
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thefunnydad |
Mineral Virginia
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Being rather new myself, I had to read it a couple of times before I got it. For some reason the brain defaults to garden hose when you're talking about the patch. what we're refering to is ladies panty hose. You cut the end off at the foot, invert it over your hand then slide it over the bloom. Worked like a charm for me.
Hope that helps.
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7/16/2002 8:52:13 AM
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Total Posts: 8 |
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