From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Santa Cruz, CA

Once a female flower appears how many days typically do you have until it opens?

6/11/2009 12:56:31 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

7-10 days depending on how warm the day temps are

6/11/2009 2:17:59 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

If the entire bloom including the 'marble' and the petals are an inch long you have about 10 days... but they can go fast or slow, as Shannon says. When the entire thing reaches 2" I start selecting which one I want to pollenate, install the resin lawn chair shade and start moving vine... as then you have only a few days to open.

6/11/2009 6:57:31 PM

Joliet, IL

the key to the 7 to 10 day that shannon is talking about is the time to train the vine in a somewhat 's' curve or whatever you want to call it, future shoulder vine clearance. do it when the plants are warm and supple, trust me, but if you do not do it now, it will be that much more nerve racking when you loosen up some surrounding secondaries and have to slide a pumpkin back for clearance. just some things to contemplate at this stage of the game. not a bad idea to put a white lawn chair over the main vine tips if heat might be an issue.

6/11/2009 9:51:17 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

Thanks for the help. I like thinking about the bloom in inches.
1"=7 to 10 days to bloom
2"=1 to 2 days to bloom
I was surprised this morning when my first female went and I wasn't ready. In fact, I've never seen such an early female. (1470 Wallace) I only had one male flower in the entire patch and the first male too. Usually the males show 2 weeks or so before any females.

6/12/2009 10:40:58 AM