Pumpin pollenation?

Question

My neighbor discovered that he has two pumkin plants in his garden. He was told that it would not make pumpkins unless he rubbed the flowers from one to the other. Is this true? or what does he have to do for it to make pumpkins.

thanks

Answer 1

There are male flowers and female flowers.  At first you will only get male flowers, as the vine gets longer the females will start.  The female flowers have a green ball under the flower, whereas the male stem is straight.  Watch your female flower, you will know it is going to open because the flower tip will start to colour.  First morning it opens take a male flower,  take it off the vine, strip the petals and carefuly rub the stamen (the orange thing inside the flower) onto the stamen (not sure if that is the correct term) of the female flower (its more bulbous looking).  You can use a bunch of male flowers to make sure but be careful not to damage the female.  You can also use a paint brush or a q tip.  After a few days the bulb under the female should start to change colour and grow, if it's shriveling up the pollination didn't work.  Don't worry you can get the next one.

Answer 2

By the spelling of neighbor I guess you are in the USA.  Here in UK we have not had much good weather so the insects, such as bees, have not been so active and therefore plants have not been naturally pollinated which inevitably means you must pollinate the plant as described by the first two contributors to your question.

Make sure that you feed and water your plants regularly as pumpkins need quite a lot of water.

Answer 3

Pumpkins have male and female flowers, so just randomly rubbing flowers together won't always work.  Female flowers will have a little ball, almost like a mini pumpkin wannabe at the bottom, male flowers don't.  Sort of like people, the girl flowers have "hips".  You need to exchange pollen between the girls and boys.  It's usually done by insects like bees, but you can do it if you like.  It's hard to tell the difference between various squash vines as well- so it's entirely possible what you end up with may not be pumpkins.  But good luck playing bee anyway.

Answer 4

no you dont i've growed pumpins be for you only need one plant

Answer 5

bees and other bugs pollinate. not rubbing flowers together

Answer 6

Sometimes you do have to hand pollinate; especially sine the scarcity of bees has occurred lately. You just brush the pollen of the male flower onto the female one, the one with the small swollen stem base; then let nature take its  course.

Answer 7

not true -the pollen is transferred via wind, bugs, and birds.  each flower generally turns into a pumpkin.

Answer 8

I grow pumpkins every year I have not had to do anything they pollenate on there own and do just fine.  I have never of anything like that.

Answer 9

Don't you have flies, and bees, and other flying things?  Even earwigs can pollenate pumpkins.  You shouldn't need to do anything. Let them grow. The insects will do their thing and you will get pumpkins.  

Unless he's a pestacide freak. But don't be using pesticides.

Answer 10

that is a good question but sorry i dont know