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Santa Cruz, CA

What indicators let you know the female flower will open the next day? What do you look for? Is it ok for the flower to be tied closed for two days while you wait for the flower to open? Is it ok for immature male flowers to be tied closed for a few days too? Also, if the female flower is not open by 6:30am, does that mean she will not open that day? Thanks for the help!

6/22/2006 10:05:42 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

It puckers up. The flowers opening have alot to do with temperature. Which probably has something to do with bees becoming active at a certain temperature. We cut unopened males the night before and place them in a vase for a lovely bouqet. Come morning they are bright, perky and full of pollen. A female pumpkin only has like a 4 hour window for pollenation, the males I believe are viable for a longer period. I have this all in a book somewhere.

6/22/2006 10:58:36 AM

Santa Cruz, CA

How does the flower pucker up? Does the flower pull down towards the baby pumpkin? Could a flower open during the day? It seems that it only happens early morning here but my experience is limited. I like your idea of picking the males the night before. Our patch is a quarter of a mile away so sometimes the timing gets off for us.

6/22/2006 12:01:26 PM

Chico, Ca

females open around six AM....

6/22/2006 1:13:29 PM

Linwood, NC

Creekside, I am fairly new to the hobby myself, but I did experience female flowers last year. They turn orange around the very tip of the flower, and start to peel open at the tip, but just slightly. The best way to gain visual experience of what they will look like, is to watch the males. The males look just like the females, except for no pumpkin underneath it. Just watch them for a couple days, and take note of how they look and when they bloom compared to how they look.

6/22/2006 2:23:00 PM

Long Island,New York

Wow....1/4 mile....lol

6/22/2006 2:46:07 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

G don't you travel to another state for your PATCH?

6/22/2006 3:06:44 PM

Lloydminster/AB

I posted a pic in the gallery, should be there soon

6/22/2006 9:13:57 PM

Rhode Island

let the birds do it, i was told

6/22/2006 10:14:18 PM

Utah

Typically flowers (both male and female) open in the morning just as it is getting light..
If one isn't open in the morning then it won't open that day... i.e. they do not open in the middle of the day.

6/23/2006 10:33:56 AM

Santa Cruz, CA

Thanks everyone for your help. We pollinated our first flower on the main vine of our 1314 Beauchemin this morning @ 7:45 am. We are not sure how many lobes there are. If any one has a chance, check our diary (creekside) and let us know. I'd like to be able to notate that with the pollination date in our records.

6/24/2006 12:39:31 PM

Long Island,New York

6 lobes

6/24/2006 6:59:38 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

Thanks for the help! Now, I see how the lobes are counted.

6/24/2006 9:38:40 PM

ordinary,VA

think i will let the birds do it like PAP.
he has grown some very big pumpkins if it works for him gotta be good enough for me. thanks for the tip PAP!!

6/25/2006 12:09:30 PM