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Springfield, Oregon

I have a female blossom that will open tomorrow morning and 4 male flowers from the cross I want to make opened today. There is only one male that looks like it will open tomorrow. Is there a good way to save the opened males overnight and use them tomorrow when she's ready? I put them in a glass of water in the frig. Åny suggestions? Thanks, Jim

6/27/2006 12:03:05 PM

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Place them in a water filled vase. Put the vase on a clean dry plate & stick it in the refrigerator. The plate is to recover any pollen that falls off overnight. Take it out of the fridge several hours before you intend to use it & place in an area warm enough to make the pollen rise (85-90°F is good).

6/27/2006 2:34:56 PM

Syracuse, NY

if the males that opened already were not protected from the elements since before they opened, you may have to call this an open pollination, whereas, okay, fine on that one but the dream cross here might not be 100% controlled.
concerning the ONE male flower, you CAN pollinate the female
with the ONE male flower and have an abundance of seeds from that pumpkin. and, it would be a guaranteed controlled cross if the female is protected (tied shut) tonight.
i myself put my male flowers in cups of water, LABELED,
under a clear plastic container, about 70-80 quart size, and just leave them overnight---in the morning the flowers have bloomed, the pollen is fluffy and abundant and
they have been protected as much as possible. oh, i can't wait to do this again! just a few more days.....eric g

6/27/2006 6:40:07 PM