Want pure seeds? We take you through the steps to hand-pollinate pumpkins and squash. Learn all the important indicators for a good seed set and how to ensure genetic diversity of your seed crop.
We guide you through the process of differentiating between male and female plants and demonstrate the manual pollination technique. This ensures that your plants are effectively pollinated, maximizing their fruit production.
Male flowers, identified by their yellow color, are paired with female flowers, recognizable by the presence of pumpkins. Two male flowers from different plants are strategically chosen to prevent inbreeding. Timing is crucial, with an emphasis on choosing male flowers poised to open the next morning. Female flowers, displaying vibrant colors, are selected for their upcoming blooming period.
Hand Pollination Technique:
Male flowers undergo a meticulous process of petal removal to expose pollen.
The golden pollen is carefully transferred to the stigma of the female flower.
Each lobe of the stigma, corresponding to a seed in the pumpkin fruit, must be thoroughly covered for successful pollination and seed development.
Protection and Marking:
After pollination, female flowers are shielded with organza bags to prevent cross-pollination by bees. A cable tie is used to mark hand-pollinated plants, serving as a visual indicator.
The video provides an overarching view of how the entire pumpkin field is exclusively hand-pollinated by the dedicated staff. Livingseeds reflects a commitment to hand pollination, ensuring seed purity and effective plant management.
⏱️KEY MOMENTS
00:00 Introduction
00:23 Hand pollination process
00:50 Selecting male flowers
01:30 Identifying flowers for hand pollination
01:46 Hand pollination process explained
03:37 Protecting the female flower
03:55 Importance of hand pollination timing
09:09 Hand Pollination Process
09:33 Identification of Pure Seed
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Livingseeds.co.za provides quality heirloom and open-pollinated seed to private gardeners and small-scale market gardeners in South Africa - seed that can be harvested and kept from year to year without the need to buy specialist seed from large corporations every season. We would like to see people become more self-sufficient and take back the ability to produce their own food!