Pumpkin Pollination Query

[northepaul]

Hi all
To cut a long story short: My daughter planted a pumpkin seed at a seed swap in Feb, miraculously the pumpkin germinated and now we have a massive plant. (This is not the problem as I knew it would be big) Its starting to flower now, question..will it self pollinate? I am guessing there are not many pumpkins around at the mo, for it to cross with. I have put it outside today incase any bees would like to do the job..(obviously I wont leave it out overnight as its been quite chilly)
However can I also use my paintbrush and pollinate it, & does it have male/female flowers?
Thanks all

[womble]

Bees will do the job, but I have found it's better to do the first flowers by hand....well brush.

[rustylady]

Pumpkins are the same as all squashes & cucurbits - the plants carry male and female flowers. The female flowers have a tiny fruit behind them, and usually need to be pollinated by a male flower.

[Jimmy]

Apparently , or so I am told , it's "The Great Pumpkin" that pollinates them all.

See
The Great Pumpkin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jimmy

[ginger ninger]

I some time's pick the male flower off and tickle it on the lady flower (pumpkin sex) just for the few first flowers, but the bee's and other insect's will do the job just as well.

[northepaul]

OK thanks - Only two flowers open yet, they (I am guessing) appear to be male...not that I'm looking mind ()
Seems quite happy outside at the moment, though with the threat of rain I have not seen any bees about.
Thanks all

[Flummery]

You usually get only male flowers for quite a while. In fact, you can despair of ever getting females, but, as females do, they all come along at once (but don't dance round their handbags in this instance).

[northepaul]

You usually get only male flowers for quite a while. In fact, you can despair of ever getting females, but, as females do, they all come along at once (but don't dance round their handbags in this instance).

Oh thats interesting, thanks Flum

[Jeanied]

What a chuckle making image, Flum - dance of the pumpkins!

[mattyod]

the flower that has a big swelling at the bottom of it is the female.
you can rip the males of once opened and just rub the male flower on the female, that should so the job, if you don't fancy doing that, just let the bee's do the job

hope this helps

[gojiberry]

Don't know if anyone else does the same but I take male flowers of at the start of the season to encourage the females to come along. Seems to work for me as I don't usually have to wait long for the females.

Ian

[northepaul]

the flower that has a big swelling at the bottom of it is the female.
you can rip the males of once opened and just rub the male flower on the female, that should so the job, if you don't fancy doing that, just let the bee's do the job

hope this helps

Don't know if anyone else does the same but I take male flowers of at the start of the season to encourage the females to come along. Seems to work for me as I don't usually have to wait long for the females.

Ian

Hmm thats food for thought
It seems to be opening one flower at a time at the moment, so will it open all the males first and then a female? Otherwise the males may have finished before the female comes along...(decides not to make a crude comment...)

[Flummery]

Hmm thats food for thought
It seems to be opening one flower at a time at the moment, so will it open all the males first and then a female? Otherwise the males may have finished before the female comes along...(decides not to make a crude comment...)

It will get going eventually - it's still early in the year! - and you'll get both out at once.

[womble]

I think it's a good idea to have two of the same squash planted next to each other, so that you have a better chance of male and female flowers being around at the same time.