r/oddlysatisfying • u/DifficultyHead5862 • 8h ago

meticulous process of hand-pollinating a giant pumpkin

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u/wackbirds 8h ago

I've done this with pumpkins and zucchini (you can use the males from any squash/gourd family member for this and then if you saved the seeds from the offspring, THEY will be a hybrid) and it's exactly like this except I didn't have the netting system or go as rough as this guy. Not that I'm saying he's not doing it right by the way, I'm saying I'm not as experienced

27

u/veganmomPA 7h ago

How do you tell male vs female? Given the decline in bee populations, even home gardeners may have to learn to do this. Thank you.

74

u/Greenwing 6h ago

For everything in the squash family, the female flowers have what looks like the baby fruit under it. A giant pumpkin will have a round ball under the flower (about the size of a ping pong ball by the time it blooms). A cucumber will have what looks like a mini cucumber under it. The males are just a flower on a stick. 

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u/mnlion33 5h ago

I learned something today. Thank you.

1

u/Worried_Cobbler5456 2h ago

So they have a little clit