First Pumpkin Flower

[bridget mc laughlin]

I got my first pumpkin flower fully open today ,when did everyone's kins flower

[Demeter]

Not yet!
Both plants have several (very large) leaves but no sign of a flower yet.

[syanide]

My friend has given me two courgette and two pumpkin plants as a 'starter' for the allotment. I'm just starting to harden them off, but am worried that I'm going to mess up the pollination process, if i don't get them out in time. One of the (I think courgette) plants is showing a flower bud which actually looks like a closed flower, apart from that, all other plants are showing smaller flower buds (still green).

How do I "sex 'em up"????

Please help, before the flower dies without some courgette/pumpkin lovin'

Thanks,

syanide

[Countrygirl]

Hi,

I had the same problem with melons, I was worried that I wouldn't have a male and female open at the same time. What I did was use a fine artisit paint brush and collected some male pollen just in case. I was also woried that I wouldn't be able to tell which was male and which was female. All was ok though as when the female flower opened I also had two males, with both there it was easy to tell which was which. I still pollinated it with a paint brush and since have with another two. All are swelling nicely now!

[syanide]

i think I've figured out which are male and which are female and that flower I referred to above has opened and it is female as there is a baby courgette below it. But still no male flower open!

Should i stop worrying?

[Countrygirl]

Can you see any other flowers that look like they are going to open very soon? I find that open flowers only last about a day and a bit so if there aren't any others ready then there isn't much that you can do. There will be more, but I would suggest trying to store some male pollen on a fine brush when you get a male flower just in case you don't get the two together.

[syanide]

You're right, the flower was open in the morning and had closed by the afternoon. I was very frustrated by then and had to force open a male flower (plenty of those around) and re-open the female to get them to (ahem)...get it on! Not sure if that will do anything...

There are plenty more to play with later on, I know, but can someone help me with the following please?

1. What happens to the 'courgette' if the female flower fails to get some "lovin"? It still looks like a courgette and is getting slightly bigger...

2. Will it all work out once they're in the lottie?

syanide

[FoxHillGardener]

1. What happens to the 'courgette' if the female flower fails to get some "lovin"? It still looks like a courgette and is getting slightly bigger...
syanide

Any that aren't fertilised will fall off, but there'll be plenty more along soon

2. Will it all work out once they're in the lottie?

yes, they'll get pollinated by insects and you;ll be back here asking for courgette recipes