Help with Hand Pollinating Heirloom Squash

I am growing several types of heirloom squash, pumpkins and cucumbers and would appreciate advice on the best method for bagging the female flowers before and after hand pollinating. What are you using to bag and secure the female flowers? How long do you leave them bagged? Also, can you cut male flowers one day and use the pollen at another time? How long can male flowers be saved? Thanks in advance.

Laurel

Now I can help! Squash bloom both male and female change dramatically the day before opening. They transform from light green to a translucent yellow tint. This is true of all squash including pumpkins.

Easy for me to use is a simple sandwich baggie wire tied on the night before your hand polination the following morning. The males about two or three for each polination should be picked in the same condition the night before and simply held over night in a glass of water at room temperature. In the early morning daylight to about two hours later take your three males to the patch hand held. Remove the baggie from the female. Now gently pull the peddles off the male. Urica the stem is the handle and you have a pistol full of pollen to use gently. Don't apply pressure or you will damage the lobes onto which your are playing bee. Remember the bee barely touches the lobe and a little pollen rubs off. Roll your pollen paint brush don't stroke it. Use all three.

If you subscribe to the theory or fact that one grain of pollen does the job then after joining your pollen to the lobe or lobes the job is done. Some argue that the female should be bagged back up for a couple of hours. I firmly believe that the job is done when one grain of pollen is in contact with the lobe or lobes. From that point forward neither error on your part or deposits by bees will make any difference. At polination time daytime temperatures rise quickly. If you rebag your female remove it before the sun hits the patch whatever time that would be for you.

The little squash will grow significantly over the next three or four days. Abortions are common so polinate more than you intend to keep growing to maturity. As long as the little fruit remains shiny you are OK with the polination. Abortions often for unknown reasons lose their shine and go soft. Remove abortions to relieve the plant the natural effort to save it's fruit. Let the fruit determine when the flower blossom should be removed. Others may disagree and advise removing the browned blossom but they are incorrect. The proper curing depends on the natural process. Don't poke around the blossom end for any reason. The fruit will release it when the time is proper.

The male flowers will be ample. Nature brought them into bloom first to attract the polinators. Male flowers pollen is good for about four hours after the flower opens or
was opened by you. Some claim success collecting pollen and freezing it. I have never done that. That technique is used by growers importing pollen from far away males.

Now about all you need to learn is to see that all important change in developing bloom progression. It is not at all hard to see. Watch some males and bag up a couple to practice. You will be a squash sexologist in no time.

Hi Doc, thanks for the detailed instructions. I was concerned that trapped moisture in the plastic could be a problem. Anyway, I saw another thread that recommended masking tape on the blossom ends. Tried it on a pumpkin which, as you know, is not at all as prolific as some other squashes. The four male flowers and one female popped their tape in the dewy a.m.. What a disappointment to get up early and find the bees beat me to it! I'll try your method if the pumpkins (4) will cooperate with more females. I had no trouble i.d.ing good prospects. Must be a natural born squash sexologist. :) Will keep you posted.

Laurel

Atlanta..........fair warning....high temperatures make polination more difficult as well as effecting the production of both flowers. Aborts are more frequent in the higher heat.

My vegetables are in the North Georgia, Appalachian foothills. The elevation makes it cooler and they enjoy the fresh spring water. We did have very abnormal heat in early June which caused havoc with fruit set on tomatoes, cukes...even beans. Things have cooled down enough for them to get back to work.

Laurel