From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Nh

as I had posted earlier, first five or so males on my main vine opened with no stamen. i have cut a few small males today and found normal looking stamen. all on side vines. these males were still young and not close to opening. my question is if my finding normal looking stamen in some of the male immature flowers, does that mean it may be worth trying to set? im beginning to think maybe the males are normal in the beginning and lose the stamen as it nears opening. any thoughts appreciated.

7/16/2014 4:05:13 PM

Brookfield, Wisconsin

I would look for a grower in your area who could give you some viable male flowers. I doubt the immature ones would have good pollen.

7/16/2014 8:51:40 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

Are you asking if you can pollinate with the immature males or if the plant will just set fruits in general?

If you're asking if you can pollinate with immature males the answer is no. If you're asking if the plant could be able to set females, because plants that usually produce no stamens are sterile, the answer is yes.

I once had a plant that produced no stamen and the males bloomed with the petals more green than yellow that took a pollination. I didn't expect it would but since the plant was nice and I had taken care of it that long I figured what the heck. The pumpkin did set and was growing okay, but nothing special, when it blossom end split at 400 lbs. The pumpkin had no seeds inside and clearly wasn't going to have any develop had it made it to maturity. I thought for sure the plant was sterile, in a reproductive sense it was, but it did grow a fruit.

7/16/2014 9:53:30 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I thought I had pics of the males but I can't find one. Here is a link to the diary entry I made at the time with a pic of the fruit. You can see one of the males just over the shoulder of the pumpkin on the right side.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=166523

7/16/2014 9:59:47 PM

Joliet, IL

i have also had a plant that produced in total only 3 male flowers and they opened with no stamen. all 3 pumpkins on the main set no problem and i got an 870 something on the pumpkin i chose as keeper and it was on display at front gate at Bengtsons Farm. That means 28,000 people got to put fingernails and graffiti into it. lol. it had not one viable seed. actually nothing. not even those weird air sacks where seeds should be. pics in my 2012 diary of 1723 plant from recollection. i researched studies and male and female flowering have seperate but similar hormones for triggers and gibberlic acid in studies have switched sterile plants to producers. so i drenched and foliared the plant heavy with seaweed and the females set but not one stamen with pollen yet still grew 873 i think it was.

7/16/2014 11:18:32 PM

Billerica,Massachusetts

my northrup 1813 is stamen free as well

7/17/2014 8:59:17 AM

Lancaster Kentucky

My 1813 Northrup males didn't have any stamen. I never could get a pumpkin to stay on the vine , they would get the size of a small football and abort. I ended up pulling the plant as bad as I hated to because it was a beautiful plant.

7/17/2014 4:02:45 PM

Nh

Thanks for all the responses. Interesting topic to say the least. If anything, having these sterile plants gives one an opportunity to try different things in hopes of discovering more. Good luck to everyone.

7/17/2014 11:22:21 PM

Tinykinville

ive had three plants with underdeveloped or no stamen all of them were sterile, one tried to grow a pumpkin anyhow which split, and was seedless. other two would not take a set and i ended up pulling them.

7/19/2014 11:27:35 AM

Toutle WA.

I also have a 1813 Northrup. The males have no stamens and the pollinated females get no larger than a football. To bad it's a big beautiful plant.

7/19/2014 4:13:30 PM

Massillon, Ohio

"Is it worth trying to set a pumpkin?" You've spent this much time on it...can't hurt anything to try...other than possibly waste more of your time. And no, I don't think a male flower can start out normal and then lose its stamen as it matures. Keep us posted on the next male flowers that open. What seed is it grown from? My story on the 1813 Northrup is word for word the same as Bruce and Marshall's stories.

7/19/2014 4:38:31 PM

Upa Creek, MO

I had no issues with males on the 1813, but many females did abort and I finally look to have a keeper. The plant is by far the most aggressive I have ever grown and 95 plus temps don't phase it. I pollinated my keeper with about 5 flowers from both the 1813 and the 1674 just to be safe.

7/19/2014 5:34:24 PM

Marshfield, Ma, USA

I have an 1813 Northrup growing and are having no issues with the plant, or flowers of either sex. The pumpkin could grow a little faster however. Somewhat behind on the thirty day numbers but I feel it could break out soon.

7/19/2014 7:21:30 PM