Melons - how to self pollinate?

[Samuel1988]

Evening all,

I have two types of melon - water melons (4 plants all producing fruit) and a cantelope melon which has produced one big fruit but many flowers have failed to lead to setting of the fruit.

How do i pollinate the flowers myself?

Considering that one melon has produced so far the bees themselves seem to be doing a job but I am not sure with whats wrong? The polytunnel remains open 24/7.

Many thanks,

Samuel

[greenishfing]

To hand pollinate melons you need to remove a male flower, fold back the petals (or remove) and then push it into the open female flower (the one with the immature fruit behind it) and gently rub it around.

[Samuel1988]

Do you know what the male flower looks like as they all seem to be identical to me?

[scarey55]

They are probably all male flowers then The females will have a small round swelling directly below the flower where the males don't have anything, just stem and flower. I would think it is a bit late in the season for melons to come to anything now though.

[BUFFS]

I use a childs soft paintbrush and I twist the brush into the male flower(the one without the bulb shape behind it) and the do the same to the "bulb shaped" flower and do this each morning for a week, we have about 13 on 4 plants so that's all that's needed, just wait until you see the bulb shaped flowers..