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Denver, CO

I have two females ready to open probably by tommorrow morning. However, we are set to reach 103 degrees tommorrow. For these plants, growing here in Colorado, that is way, way to hot for any chance of success. I know I could ice them down and shade them, but with work schedule its going to be tough to do this.

Is there a method to force a delay in the opening of a female? Or is this just mother nature and we are helpless to stop it? ( I was thinking of covering the females in complete darkness. But how to do this without rasing the tempature so high it fries the pumpkins anyways?. May not work at all anyhow.)

Any thoughts or help is great!!

Thanks

7/17/2006 4:35:44 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Nope..when the female opens she has a 6 hour window of pollination. The male pollen remains viable for up to 2 days. Day old pollen has a viability of 10%. This being said sometimes a fruit gets fertilized but does not produce seeds. The term is parthenocarpic.

7/17/2006 4:53:24 PM

Best bet would be to load up on ice packs (empty pop bottles work great) and shade the girls with white cloth to reflect the sun. Tough work schedule, well... do the best ya can. I don't know of any way to delay her from opening for an entire day, unless you started cooling her off when she was tiny and slowed the growth so much that she opened at a later date.

7/17/2006 5:48:48 PM

Denver, CO

Looks like I may need to get a quick case of the pumpkin flu tommorrow . . .my throat is already feeling kinds sore :)

7/17/2006 7:05:02 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

I had temps in the mid nineties on Sunday, when I did a pollination. I used a gallon milk jug filled water, then frozen. I put it about 6" from the pollinated female, and covered both with a bath towel. The jug stayed cold at least until late afternoon. So far, it looks like the female took, as it seems to have swollen nicely a day later. Good luck!

7/17/2006 7:50:19 PM

milford, CT,

Today was 98 degrees here in CT. I used frozen milk jugs and water bottles. I placed a thermometer next to the female and it read 72 degrees. The female also was cool to the touch. This was the first time I've done this but it seemed to work pretty well. I'll know in a few days if it really worked! Mark

7/17/2006 9:16:06 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Yo G,
I know the feelin.....I came home and my first already opened.....got any males....I pulled a few langevins and 3 Klines....I wanted Reiss males but not today. Take off with the kin flu....it can get ya bad for a day or 2....Im thinkin of the same thing....I got a fever....Call me if you need anything....Its that time of the year....Good Luck
W

7/17/2006 9:44:07 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

White garbage bag underneath, couple of gal jugs of frozen water underneath styro cooler, will get ya thru an 8 hr. shift....hope ya aint workin a lot of OT....Do what ya can and ...Grow 'em BIG!!! Peace, Wayne

7/17/2006 10:53:47 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Yikes! I love it!!!!I hope you all were warned that growing AG's maybe hazardous (sic) to your health...We all get crazy this time of year....should set a main..can't set a main.bugs got me..woodchucks took my tips...weather, rain, heat, sun...Yikes! Ask myself every year why I put myself through this.... Best bunch of people I've ever met...most fun watching a plant grow...when and if ya get a set..whoa! been growing ..let me see alex will be eight...only one crop ever made it.. I love it!

7/17/2006 11:08:16 PM

Colo.Spgs.CO. Pikes Peak Chapter @ [email protected]

Greg, I would shade it with a white reflective cloth or sheet. What I do is keep the sheet wet, but that is done by running my misters for 2 minutes every 10 minutes ( Melnor 6 cycle timer with built in mist cycle available at home depot $40.00 ) all day the day I pollinate when it is in the 90s +. I have never had an abort yet and the timer does all of the work. Make sure no water gets into the female though, if it is tied up correct you should not have a problem.The above post with using a styro cooler and ice works great also, but in 100 degrees I think you need to keep the plant as a whole out of stress or you could have an abort. Good luck and grow a big one...James

7/18/2006 4:36:12 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

GHopson,
Got Males?
May need a few.....My Reiss is ready but since the hail I have limited Males opened......

7/18/2006 9:22:48 AM

Denver, CO

My guilt got the best of me and I went to work. I covered the females with a Styrofoam chest, put ice bottles inside and then put up shade covers with white plasitc on top of them. When I got home, the outside temps had hit the high 90'S, but inside the coolers it was a pleasant 78 degrees! Then clouds came rolling on in, and it has been 85 to 90 for the last 6 hours since pollination. Could be the break I was looking for.

Thanks for everything. I pollinated the best I could and we will see what happens. Had to wait about 6 hours past the time they opened.

7/18/2006 9:49:27 PM