I need help with my melons!! lol

**Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.** · 28-04-2009, 12:18 PM

Whoops!! Going to post this in the fruity section too. x

**Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.** · 28-04-2009, 12:22 PM

I need help with my melons!! lol

I have started some melons and now I am really confused. They are not very big at the minute and have no fruit on them on owt but while reading up on them it says something about a male and a female flower and putting them together... er... what??

Can anyone shed any light on this for me please?? Simpleton terms though please I am very new to growing anything but weeds between paving.

Thank you x

**HeyWayne** · 28-04-2009, 01:01 PM

I'm really struggling with this.

Small melons.

Males and females getting together.

Fruity section.

HELP!

**Capsid** · 28-04-2009, 01:02 PM

The plant produces male and female flowers. The female flowers produce the fruit. To get the fruit to set and develop the female ovule needs to be fertilised by the male pollen; this is normally done by insects but you can also do this by transferring the pollen to the female plant using something like a paintbrush, feather or small piece of fur.

I never bother and find that insects will do the job just fine.

**Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.** · 28-04-2009, 01:06 PM

Are yours in a greenhouse Capsid?? Mine will be so I am maybe best to do this. Also how can I tell a male from a female??

**HeyWayne** · 28-04-2009, 01:08 PM

If you're not careful, zazen'll be along in a minute to merge your melons.

**Irie Jan** · 28-04-2009, 01:14 PM

A femail flower will have a small bump behind it and the male wont. Once polen transfers from the male flower to the femail flower the fruit will set and start to swell!

**smallblueplanet** · 28-04-2009, 01:17 PM

Lol! I thought the subject of melons would bring HW out to play!

Theres been some melon threads in the past and in one I posted a photo of a female & a male flower...(click photos to enlarge them)

- female (note 'small melon' behind flower)

- male flower

Not the greatest photo's, but I've none growing this year, although even in a greenhouse it seems very early for them? You shouldn't need to pollinate the female flower using the male flower as insects usually do it for you.

**Irie Jan** · 28-04-2009, 01:22 PM

Manda to the rescue a picture tell a thousan words! lol I did not have any pic's nor time to find them.

**Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.** · 28-04-2009, 01:31 PM

Oh god no... they are no where near big enough to pollinate yet, the shoots have only just started coming through. I wasnt sure that they would so just panicing a bit now that they are all coming though, so just wanted to know what to do so I was clear. Will probably just leave them to nature then.

Thank you x

**Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury.** · 28-04-2009, 01:32 PM

Oh give over you!!

**Capsid** · 28-04-2009, 01:43 PM

Originally posted by Wicked.Witch.Of.Westbury. View Post

Are yours in a greenhouse Capsid?? Mine will be so I am maybe best to do this. Also how can I tell a male from a female??

Yes mine are in a greenhouse, plenty of insects can get inside to do the pollination.

Males tend to have deep voices and facial hair with a muscley build, whereas females don't (in general). Or were you asking about the flowers?

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