The most important part of manual pollination is identifying the male pumpkin flower by it’s stalk and the female by it’s budding fruit! So you really only have a short amount of time to make sure your pumpkin gets pollinated. I have provided a short video clip to show you how to do this:-. Here are pictures on how I hand pollinate a giant pumpkin… Here I’m getting ready to pollinate a giant pumpkin. Instead of a single stamen, it has a multi-segmented stigma. Many fruits require hand pollination including squash. Laura Melchor grew up helping her mom in the garden in Montana, and as an adult she’s brought her cold-weather gardening skills with her to her home in Alaska. https://gardenerspath.com/plants/vegetables/hand-pollinate-pumpkins These are the male, or staminate, blooms. The stamen should be covered with fuzzy pollen. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/selfpollinating-pumpkins-31148.html Please read my. Here’s a tip: don’t be like me and freak out when both the male and female flowers wilt and die by the end of the day. Here is more about what we do. About 50-55 days after your seedlings germinate, the first yellow, open-throated flowers will appear. As a freelance writer, she contributes to several websites and blogs across the web. But the gourds began to flower while they were still inside. What comes next is a story of determined lovers, along with tips for what to do if your flowers aren’t as romantic as mine. Gently swab the stigma in the female plants with this. Next, peel back the petals until the stamen is exposed. I only have 2 giant pumpkin plants and ONE male flower about to open (@ the same time as the female). But let me tell you they are absolutely essential! Gently pollinate the female flower Wait a few weeks to admire the fruits of your labor and enjoy bountiful ripe pumpkins at the end. That’s right  – pumpkins and other Cucurbits are monoecious, meaning they have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. The female flowers will These long-stemmed flowers produce the pollen that is used to pollinate the female flowers, which have an enlarged ovary at the base that will turn into a pumpkin after pollination. The ideal pollination time is during those golden hours when both types of flowers are open. Male pumpkin flowers appear on the vines before the female blossoms to attract pollinators. After conducting my research into pollination, I was fascinated to discover that the two blooms had somehow found each other, with the male pollinating the female directly since there weren’t any bees inside and I, the tardy gardener, hadn’t solidified my pumpkin pollination knowledge yet. You must use a small brush (toothbrush or cotton bud) to transfer pollen from the male flower to the female, so you are actually responsible for the pollination! What Are the Health Benefits of Homegrown Collard Greens? With pumpkin flowers, you will find both males and females in one plant. If you do it later then this, the bees may have already beaten you to it, and there will no pollen around. I’ve tried to pollinate TWO females within the past week and they’ve both shriveled up. Hand pollination is the only way to keep track of the parents (genetic composition) of the pumpkin. Then, carefully brush the pollen all over the female’s pistil. Here the flower petals have been removed to make a "brush" that can be used to pollinate a female flower. It is possible to hand pollinate summer squash like zucchini, winter squash like butternut or pattypan, pumpkins, melons, gourds and cucumber plants for better yields. Do not fret if you have no female pumpkin flowers as you can always hand pollinate your pumpkin plant. This all sounds so easy and in theory it is unless you have no bees, and it can happen in some cases! Hi Laura! See our TOS for more details. You guessed it. Cracked Fruit on the Vine: Are Split Tomatoes Safe to Eat? Let us know in the comments below! That’s what they’re supposed to do. She’s especially proud of the flowerbeds she and her three-year-old son built with rocks dug up from their little Alaska homestead. Your email address will not be published. In order for the baby ovary to grow into a mature fruit, pollen from the male flower’s stamen must be transferred to every portion of the female’s pistil. Many pumpkin growers hand pollinate all of their plants to be safe. When the female flower opens, it's difference is easy to tell. I searched again for more info ( which is how I’m here now) because I have another female probably about 7 hours away from opening. If you cannot find the male then you have no chance of moving the pollen! https://homeguides.sfgate.com/pumpkin-flower-pollinated-56169.html In nature, bees and other insects perform this important procedure. The pumpkin is ready to harvest when the stem starts to lose its green color (and hopefully the local wildlife hasn't beaten you to it). Have you ever hand-pollinated Cucurbits? Poke this into the female flower so that the stamen touches the central stigma and the pollen is transferred. Pick a male flower. You may ask why bother hand pollinating pumpkin flowers?! This video is to show you how to identify Male and Female pumpkin Flower and how to do Hand Pollinating Pumpkins. Or romantic intentions between blooms, if you want to place your bets on it…. How to Grow Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) from Seed, Grow Coneflower (Echinacea), A Native American Favorite, How to Grow Tatarian Aster: a Dynamic Late-Season Bloomer, Growing Avocado Seeds: A Fun Project to Do with the Kids. Basically pollination is like human reproduction where part of the male, pollen in the case of pumpkin plants is transferred to the female! It’s pretty much the same principle, but I had the photos so I thought it worth posting. How long does it take to grow a pumpkin? Laura also writes novels and holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. I try to use several male flowers to make sure I get enough pollen on the female flower. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I have alarms set in hopes it opens a bit early! I like to pollinate any Fruit that is 6 feet and beyond the main stem. COPYRIGHT © 2021 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Yes try some hand pollination of your female pumpkin flowers, you have nothing to lose. There was a male flower that boomed… Read more ». It’s shocking how easy it is to pollinate pumpkins on your own. My female pumpkin flowers are not opening. Male flowers produce nectar and pollen, while female flowers offer higher quantities of nectar but no pollen 1 . I am assuming you are aiming for November harvest as opposed to October? A couple days later, the blooms fell off but the baby remained. If you don’t want to depend on this unlikely but seemingly amorous method, here’s what to do. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. The female flower petals will dry up and fall off, and the tiny ovary will grow into a fat pumpkin if it’s been pollinated sufficiently. I will consider what pollination is and the different ways pumpkin plants are pollinated including the natural method (via bees) and hand pollination where you have to intervene in some cases! But say you don’t have many bees around in your outdoor garden, you’re growing gourds in a greenhouse or a similar indoor space where bees don’t have access, or it rains on the day when your male and female flowers open and the bees aren’t out and active? … All in all, hand-pollinating pumpkins was incredible simple, albeit a little embarrassing. Thank you for this post! Can i still self pollinate? Female flowers will appear eight to nine weeks after planting the seeds and a few days after the male flowers are seen. And unlike the females, they contain no visible teeny tiny baby – aka the ovary – at the base of the stem. While one plant can definitely have both male and female flowers blooming at the same time, you’re more likely to get more “pollination windows” if you plant several gourds of the same variety. Once you’re done, gently seal the female flower by pressing the petals together, covering the pistil. Hi Jen! First you will see the male pumpkin flower and secondly the female pumpkin flower provided pollination has taken place. https://www.pumpkinlicious.com/how-to-pollinate-pumpkins.html Just like the cucumbers, you might do it yourself by taking the male closer to the female. How To Hand Pollinate Heirloom Pumpkins (And how to avoid cross pollination and hybrid pumpkins): If you have lots of bees you are in luck! 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