From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Maine

I have room for only one plant in my backyard garden so I asked a local farmer with 2,000 acres+ if he wouldn't mind me growing a few plants on his farm. I just found out today that he'll generously allow me to grow 5-6 plants in his pumpkin patch. I'm really excited about it but I'm worried that bees will pollenate my plants with pollen from his much smaller commercial-size pumpkins. Should this be a big concern for me? I guess I could always try and hand-pollinate them but I won't be able to get to the farm every day. Thanks.

3/17/2003 6:39:17 PM

Indiana

Control your pollinations is the best way to not worry about it. Most commercial pumpkins will not pollinate with them anyway. Hybrid Prizewinner, Big Max, Mammoth, cinderella, and some others will. regualr field pumpkins will not.

Tom Beachy

3/17/2003 7:02:53 PM

Quebec,Canada

I had asked a similar question and had a few responses, check it out on the message board in the new growers forum at:


http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=14&p=27979

3/17/2003 7:04:29 PM

Hanover,Ontario,Canada

The problem is diseases carried by insects amongst the small pumpkins will most certainly attack your giants as well.

3/17/2003 9:00:42 PM

syracuse, ny

additionally, if you don't care about the outcoming seeds,as no other AG grower will either, if there are any other plants that WILL pollinate your plants, whether the other AGs or otherwise, the pollination should occur, and will NOT make your pumpkins SMALLER this time around! the result of a crossing of two plants is only seen when THAT SEED is susequently planted and the results are observed next season... as long as they are pollinated adequately, you'll bee okay!

3/20/2003 2:00:43 AM