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Cologne / Germany

My neighbour got a plant from me and he didn´t remark a female opening under a big leaf at a good main vine position. Now it´s gaining size - maybe a successful open pollination. How does it work? You can´t cross AG´s with anything else, is that right? There are no AG´s around apart from my own and the plant itself. So there´s a small chance that a bee accidentally met another AG male before?

6/24/2003 4:06:53 AM

Montoursville, PA

How far will the honey bee fly to collect pollen? The situation you ask about gets interesting as you consider the possibilities. Open pollination in this case is likely to be only by self or one of your plants. You just do not know whom the daddy is. You may even have neighbor growing one you do not know about.

The original vine that is growing the pumpkin is working on it's genetics to produce this year's pumpkin. Next year the effect of the cross would show up in the genetics of this year's produced seed.

The only problem I see is the inability to reproduce the seed from lack of pollination control. It would be wild if you produced a seed like the 845 Bobier and didn't know how you got it. :) As a hobby grower I'm not sure that would matter to me.

6/24/2003 8:19:03 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

Most likely the pollen came from the same plant or even your plants how-ever AG's can be cross pollinated with other Maxima's such as Hubbard Squash,Banana Squash,Big Max,Big Moon,Burpee Prizewinner,gold nugget.


just to name a few!

Glenn

6/24/2003 8:37:06 AM

Mineral Virginia

honey bee will travel as far as 2 miles, but this time of year hang closer to the hive. most likely a blueberry bee did the work, which resembles a mini-bumblebee. more efficient pollinators than honey bees.

so if you think it came form foreign stock, consider what is in gardens, as the crow flies, within 2 miles.

6/24/2003 9:14:05 AM

Cologne / Germany

Thanks for your answers. There´s another neighbour who has a small bee farm so we have a lot of bee traffic. I don´t think of other Maxima´s in the gardens - so there are limited choices of self or cross. We´ll see what that "secret baby" will do.

6/24/2003 12:23:51 PM