If u ever figure it out let me know as I also struggle growing them. I would think they would get bigger then this.
I like them with onions and peppers in a vinegar, water, and a touch of sweetener brine type deal,
Someone told me it could be because of all the rain we've had. They said their peppers last year were great because it was a lot drier.
I used to hybridize hostas and would just pluck the stamens from one plant using a pair of hemostats and use them as my "paintbrush" on the receiving flower. The pollen can also be air dried on a sheet of paper (usually 24 hrs) and then frozen for later crosses or even the following year. This technique was necessary to cross early flowering specimens with later developing ones or using last years pollen to cross late flowering with early. Not all this would be applicable (but could be) for your melons just sharing info/possibilities. Nature can be fascinating.
That’s awesome information. I plant mostly heirloom melons, so this would be perfect to try. The melons I used had a very narrow passage to place the pollen on the Q tip and I probably did more harm than good. Your method might be an excellent way to cross an early with a late melon. Thank you!
If you want to insure your crosses are as intended, take the hemostats (or tweezers) and pull the stamens from the receiving flower before doing the cross, leaving the stigma as the stand alone receiver of the pollen. Yanking the stamens will not affect the cross success and will avoid self pollination if done with care. The main key though is to make the cross before the bees find the flower and to make sure the pollen is ripe (fluffy yellow appearance) If you remove the stamens on the receiving flower the bees will be less interested in entering that flower. You can also remove the petals from the flower and the bees will show no interest at all. If the stigma has a bulb of moisture on it rather than looking clean and dry it is more than likely already pollenated foiling your efforts to make the intended cross. Also, label the flower with a string tag or such because the fruit will all look the same at harvest--your cross will reveil it's genotype/phenotype when you plant the seeds it produces the following year.
This could get lengthy but I'll share a couple more of MY techniques for storing pollen to make your experience more successful: Only pluck the stamens that exhibit bright fluffy pollen. Some claim that underdeveloped anthers will ripen after harvesting but I have not enjoyed that experience so I quit messing with them. After collecting the stamens, lay them out on a sheet of typing paper and use a knife, toothpick, or such and while pressing down on the stem of a single stamen slide your tool under the anther and pop it off of the end of the stamen. Trying to dry the stems will take longer and they will become shriveled so their use as a "paintbrush" goes away as opposed to using them immediately after they are gathered. Air dry the anthers overnight. I stored the anthers in small plastic vials obtained from my Vet's office for free (I believe their use is for dog heartworm blood tests? and don't be shocked if they ask you if you are dealing drugs, haha). After drying fold the paper and use it to funnel the dried anther/loose pollen into the vial. You can then toss them in the freezer. They don't need to be thawed to use later. I simply shook the vials and the pollen would adhere to the cap of the vial and when opened gently the cap can then be used to paint the pollen onto the stigma. Hope this helps and have fun! .
I don't feel like I over plant and I like sharing my excess produce with neighbors. For example I only plant 1 cherry tomato plant and at its peak I can fill up a grocery bag pretty full more than once a week. Lettuce, cucumbers, squash, and green beans all produce way more than we can eat when they are at their peak too. I think my neighbors enjoy getting free fresh produce and I get thenl satisfaction that they enjoy it.
