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Ct

Ho wcan you tell when your pollination was successful? I have 3 females, 2 of which I hand pollinated myself. The third female I was too late to capture the open flower.Anyway, one of flowers I pollinated is growing extremely fast,so I am assuming it worked. The second one I pollinated seems stunted,although it was just last Thursday.The first one seems to be growing at a much faster rate. The third one that I missed also seems stunted and that one is about 10 days old. My question is, how much time do you give it before you determine if they were pollinated or not?

7/21/2008 8:29:55 AM

Bethlehem CT

I usually wait until they start to get soft and shrivel. At 10 days old it should be growing pretty fast, especially in the heat we have had.

7/21/2008 8:50:06 AM

Ct

I see you are from Bethlehem, me too!

7/21/2008 10:00:35 AM

Ohio

I'm just curious........Are you growing the Big Moon variety or is that just your nickname????..........I'm trying to grow the Big Moons but am having trouble with splitting.

7/21/2008 11:23:02 AM

New Hampshire, USA

If the pumpkin has a nice shiny skin then it has taken, if it is kind of dull and not growing then it aborted.

7/21/2008 8:43:19 PM

New Hampshire, USA

The squash I had growing went from green to dull yellow, and shriveld up.

7/21/2008 8:44:36 PM

Buffalo, New York

i hand pollinated one about 8 days ago and it grew pretty well until day 6, then it seemed to stop for 2 days, so i culled it.

i have 2 other on that same plant now that are growing ok, both about 10" at day 3, and these look shiny.

unfortunately, the other plant i am growing has a hand pollinated fruit at about 12' on main and at day 5, she is about 11" and is starting to look dull, so she may be a cull too, but will wait a few more days.

it seems like the 2 i tried to hand pollinate abort and the open pollinations are doing better.

maybe i am doing something wrong?

7/22/2008 1:50:11 AM

Bethlehem CT

Lisfisher that is really cool that there is another grower in Bethlehem.
Zippy, I don't grow big moon any more. I used to grow them when I was a kid. They are fun to grow, but once you get a hold of some good Atlantic Giant seed it is hard to ever grow anything else.

7/22/2008 5:21:52 PM