How to Hand Pollinate and the Difference Between Male and Female Flowers

[@rideyourdreams]

easy and great video

[@brenyp2545]

In the past I never pollinated the flowers that already had fruit developing because I didn't think I needed to. I'll try that next year and hopefully get some better results. thanks!

[@gippywhite]

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! I have been wondering about this for a while now. And no one would show how they do it, they would only say they did it. This helps a LOT!!!

[@CaliKim29]

+gippywhite glad it helped, hope you have success! Keep me posted!

[@christinadelgado3445]

Thank you so much!! I haven't seen any bees this year and I had no idea this was an option! Thanks again!

[@ricktatum]

Thank you for showing how to hand pollinate. It shows that nature is very delicate. And without bees we are in big trouble.

[@BlueThunderboltsiren]

I saw a baby watermelon in my garden today, and I named it lil Jerry. Welcome to the world lil Jerry! ☺

[@TheItalianGarden]

get some honey bee hives in your yard! mostly backyard beekeeping is allowed in a lot of area's and it saves you a lot of time with the hand pollinating.

[@brycesawyer2477]

I just saw your new video. Funny thing is I was just trying out hand pollinating my pumpkins for the first time this morning. I finally have a female flower that has blossomed! Like some of the other viewers, I have been getting female flowers but they would not even turn yellow and would be very small. Next thing I knew they would be withered to nothing. I have a total of 3 pumpkin plants all growing up a trellis. They reached the top and cascaded back down to the ground. Now I'm trying to see if they will climb the fence. One of the plants had yet to produce any female flowers. Lots of males though. Years ago I planted a single pumpkin plant and had the problem of having only male flowers. Not a single female. Wonder why. Thanks for all your gardening videos. I'm sure it takes a lot of time and effort to film, edit, and post videos on a frequent basis.

[@dirtydan5967]

Woowww!! I was wondering if this was possible! I am growing a lemon tree here in Oklahoma. I’m afraid to leave it outside because of the cold and was afraid it would miss out on pollination! Can’t wait to try this out!!

[@cjgarner07]

I totally bet this is why my squash only produced small fruits that would soon shrivel up after a few days, it was driving me crazy why. . only by watching your video just now did it occur to me. .I have hardly seen bees at all in my small garden. .I can honestly say I've never seen one on my squash flowers in the morning. . wow I gotta try this

[@CaliKim29]

+F33NlX I have squash that do that to, so frustrating when you just want them to grow! Try it, you will be pleasantly surprised! Keep me posted!

[@tenlamps6183]

Same here

[@CliffWarren]

Hi Kim, This topic is right up my alley as a giant pumpkin grower. Your video is accurate. I would add, a more complete pollination can lead to more seeds, and, from the plant's standpoint, it's purpose is to grow the next generation of seeds. So, complete pollination can lead to better fruit (this is the theory, anyway) as the fruit is a glorified housing for the seeds. The other interesting reason to hand pollinate is so you know what the seeds will be. So if you're growing competitively for size, you want to control what that next generation of seed will be. For the average gardener, there are just a few crops where crossing is common (pumpkins, squash, etc.) where the seeds may be something crazy if your Hubbard squash happens to pollinate your pumpkins, for example.

[@CaliKim29]

+Cliff Warren good point, Cliff! Always good to save the seeds FREE plants for next year too! And then the seeds are better adapted to grow in your environment. Have you ever had a crazy cross pollination? Are you growing a giant pumpkin this year? If so, how big is it getting? Thx for stopping by, Cliff!

[@CliffWarren]

+CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY Crazy pollinations, yes I have. We grow many field pumpkins and sometimes I save seeds. With one seed stock I had saved, about 10% of them came out as a crazy lumpy marrow looking thing. Every individual grain of male pollen goes to pollinate one seed in the female. So you may have differences in one seed to another based on where that pollen came from. For giant pumpkins, I have a few going this year, but none as big as last year's 849. Hoping for over 700 on at least one of them. One is bright orange, in a few days I'll post it on the G+ site. ;-)

[@CaliKim29]

+Cliff Warren crazy mutant pumpkins! How fun! And I just can't believe how giant those pumpkins can get - that is so cool!!

[@kuriouskat1490]

Thank you once again for a very helpful video, I attempted to grow cucumbers here in Tx this year. I could see the female and male flowers. I hand pollinated what I could (now at least I know I was doing it correctly). I got 1 very small round cuke, which tasted very good in the salad I made. Then we got lots of rain, then I had nothing but male flowers, then the plants died. But not to worry, I will try again! :)

[@wishbone54]

A well thought out and demonstrative video. Good job.

[@mammalitts1712]

I hand pollinate all my squashes, with great production success! The nice thing is that as long as its not for "seed saving" I can cross pollinate when I'm low on male flowers of any particular variety. I've used pumpkins males to pollinate zucchini, Delicata males to pollinate Acorn, etc. - as long as the two plants belong to the same family, cucurbit peppo(?) it works! And there is no quality difference in the fruits. I just give the seeds to my chickens so I don't end up with hybrid volunteers! Fun fact: butternut squash is not part of the same family and won't cross with other squashes, so if you're tight on garden space, you can plant your butternuts right along side of other varieties, even if you are saving seeds!

[@CaliKim29]

+Mamma Litts thanks for the great info here, I learn so much from my viewers! I am growing butternut, and am amazed at how many fruit I have on just one plant. I can't even tell you how long the vine is, and just loaded with squash at various stages of development. should be harvesting my first one this week. Thx for watching!

[@5satya]

Thank you very clear and informative, I'd given up on mine, but I'm going to try this.

[@JGsbackyardlettuceKagulay1]

Thanks for this info

[@carriekimble2994]

how and with what do u clean the brush with when moving from 1 kind to another? especially with seed saving fruits?

[@madhugupta6381]

My squash plant have lots of flowers but I didn’t see any squash. Thanks for the tips. I will try it. Hope it will work.

[@nashirhasham7410]

Thank you maam, your presentation is superb. God bless you. Amen.

[@nananges6424]

Could you please make a video how to do hand pollination for white ginger flower? Thanks

[@anaxorgf9038]

Hmm , thanks 🌸 I might try with paint brush 🌼

[@SparklyGirl9911]

Thank you very much for this excellent video illustrating how to pollinate the female with a male. I’m experiencing a shortage of male flowers so I’m not sure what else I can do to get Zucchini forming. 🤷‍♀️

[@Johnny53kgb-nsa]

Thank you, I'm trying to figure out the difference between male and female on a rose bush.

[@joelack2976]

Y are very good at explaining everything thank you beautiful again

[@LindaPenney]

Awesome update Kim thank you for sharing have a blessed day

[@CaliKim29]

+Linda Penney Thanks, Linda!

[@davidverettemboob1652]

Video was very helpful

[@williambeasley6448]

Thank you so much for this video 👍 😊

[@divyaanand9869]

Thank you , very informative 😀😀

[@leona4245]

Thank you you were veery helpful

[@gmoney860]

Yep, you're looking particularly AWESOME in this video!

[@CaliKim29]

+G Money Thank you!

[@xxxrst]

Thanks Kim

[@shivamaraj7055]

Great video. Can you do video on hand pollution of coconut trees?;greetings from Trinidad

[@musiclover-rz2dj]

Please post some videos related to apple fruit

[@thekidgardener1798]

hey, do you recommend growing melons, squash, etc. on the ground, or on a trellis?

[@arunaarora1117]

Nice video

[@MrBucidart]

Kim, good video.. may I suggest using a Q-Tip for each type of squash, It will help to not cross pollinate between verities :)I also add shallow dish's with water in my drought ridden 5 gallon bucket garden for the bee's.Thank you for all your helpful videos.

[@CaliKim29]

+Joe Bucci Great ideas, Joe! I'm sure the bees love the water dishes. They are always a welcome sight to see - but even with bee attracting flowers, there are just not near as many this year!

[@jay-el-bee]

This is a really great video. Thank you!

[@thekidgardener1798]

my compost pile doesn't seems to be working right but I did everything that you did. do you know what I could have done wrong?

[@kygirl2227]

Hey Kim. Can one male flower pollinate multiple female flowers or just one male flower to one female flower? Thanks!

[@preadp1]

+kygirl222 one male flower can pollinate around three to four female flowers.

[@JJ-jt4ji]

I noticed there are many other bugs collecting pollen from the flowers beside bees

[@mcleod55]

Another interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

[@vickiehenderson7456]

this is awesome thanks for sharing!!

[@adnanalhasan3746]

That really Was amazing Video Kim,, thank you. actually i just started to be interesting in planting things, i don't know though i'm working in IT industry, and i don't have a garden to plant but i'm planting now in pots and Containers and i hope it will work with me. i have watched some videos about planting tomatoes and pepper, but i wish you continue producing videos about how these plants doing after growing.. Thank you Again Kim

[@ektadipcreation]

How to pollinate tomato plant kindly do a video on it

[@mulengamukuka6288]

hey thanks for this one. can i hand pollinate a crimson watermelon?

[@CaliKim29]

Hello Mulenga - happy to help - yes, you sure can! Let me know how it goes. Thanks for watching! 🍅$10 FREE On Me! Pre- order my new book “The First-Time Gardener: Raised Bed Gardening” and get $10 coupon to my Seed and Garden Shop (calikimgardenandhome.com) and a FREE download bonus: details at bit.ly/CaliKimFirstTimeGardenerRaisedBedGardening. Thanks for gardening with me!

[@ricksmith1574]

Hi. How come I have tons of male flowers and no females on my cantaloupes? thanks for the videos!

[@phillmellina]

Can anyone me advise on how I can identify the male and female Honeysuckle Japonica plant?

[@ravenslittlectgarden7003]

I just got an elderberry plant, is it possible to hand pollinate them? Please help I only have one variety

[@douggurtzweiler4401]

great video

[@jann2759]

Can u use one male across many female flowers ? Also can you zip lock male pollens until female flowers come up as mine r producing male flowers only

[@Puffyyyy]

Hi Kim! Sorry for the unrelated comment but: how big do amish paste/riesentraube/kelloggs breakfast PLANTS get?

[@CaliKim29]

+Puff Hello Puff - all my tomato plants of these varieites get about 8 ft tall. They can be less bushy if you prune them to a single stem. I have a few Amish Paste that I am single stemming that are not as bushy, but still just as tall. I have them staked with an 8 ft pole, and they are taller than the pole. Hope this helps!

[@Puffyyyy]

+CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY Hi! I was planning on making tomato cages but I am afraid it won't be big enough for my plants. How do you plan to support your tomatoes next year? I'm already planning everything out!

[@reginahanson2186]

Thank you for this video! ♡

[@CaliKim29]

Have you tried this Regina????

[@reginahanson2186]

@@CaliKim29 No,I haven't. Not yet.

[@Guineapigchannel568]

I am going to have to try this on my pumpkins

[@CaliKim29]

+Guineapigchannel568 Please do and keep me posted! Thx for stopping by!

[@Aritul]

Thank you!

[@sethopokuagyemang4788]

hi, Can you do video on hand pollution of cocoa trees? thank you

[@shanchitoplaylist5441]

thanks for that info!

[@LikodsaPayag]

Thanks for the brilliant ideas about pollination mom' i love it :)

[@tamaraprevitali1990]

Hey Kim can a tomato plant be hand pollinated? it seems this year that my tomatoes plants have lots of good vegetation but not that many fruit

[@CaliKim29]

+Tamara Previtali Hello Tamara - great question - tomato flowers have both male and female parts, so often giving your tomato cage a shake will do the trick! Thx for watching!

[@oluwatosingeorge4639]

I tried it and it is massive

[@mirandayeoh8606]

I tried to hand pollinate my second eggplant flower, but wasn't successful. The first was ok, and I got a delicious fruit. But I couldn't see yellow dust or pollen of eggplant, as I could see okra pollen. Are eggplant pollen so tiny that we can't see with the naked eye?

[@cedricdemets98]

hey is it wrong if i used a male flower that dient open but one day later it should open? (i think the male flower want full gronde inside)

[@viyuviyu4156]

i am pollinating 2000 flower of my ridgr gourd daily at night when it opnes..and pollens comes to in male flowers..

[@ebenburger111]

Awesome. Tq! Ur looking great too!

[@HugoRodriguez-ez5vi]

Thank you for the information love your videos 👍👍👏👏💜💜

[@urband554]

Nice ...with one male flower how many female flowers we can pollinate ?

[@muhammadarshad012]

Hi I have kiwi plant last 4 years it's to big but never had flowers can u help me what I should do to get flowers, Also I didn't know its male plant or female reply me please thanks

[@seth2854]

Can I do this on different kinds of Cucumbers too?

[@pepelesidan4894]

So the ratio for polination is one is to one.

[@organixgirl]

thanks

[@CaliKim29]

+Organix Girl You are welcome - hope this helps your cukes!

[@TheBeardedGardener]

Good info!👍👍

[@CaliKim29]

+TheBearded Gardener glad you enjoyed it - it's been helpful in getting some more production out of the garden! Thx for stopping by!

[@Raceberts]

wow......Dear Calikim, how does pollination take place in greenhouse farming with no bees and other insect around considering the large scale nature, sometimes with plenty capsicum, okra, egg plants and all that

[@CaliKim29]

+Robert Fredericks Mensah Hello Robert - very good question - hand pollination is a good option for small greenhouses, some folks buy a small bee box for larger greenhouses. In the hoop houses I am building over a few of my garden beds I will help my tomato plants pollinate along by shaking them to distribute the pollen and hand pollinate the cucumbers and squash if need be. Each hoop house will have a door that will be opened every day and closed at night, so hopefully the pollinators will visit often! Thanks so much for watching!

[@Raceberts]

thanks a lot for your help

[@CaliKim29]

+Robert Fredericks Mensah You got it!

[@mrsseasea]

So I did this but the little pumpkin soon turned dark and dies? ☹️

[@CaliKim29]

+Mrssea Sea, sounds like a soil nutrient issue. Do you use a high quality fertilizer and good compost? Pumpkins really like good soil with lots of organic matter- people will often find them growing in their compost piles :) Good luck with your pumpkin and thanks for watching!

[@alicomando1195]

hi from iraq happy last October days

[@shaikhaalthani9317]

my flowers have no pollen, is that okay?

[@vinaygoyal1216]

My friend grown some papaya tree And only female grown and no male tree. Tell me What my friend to do ..can he still have papaya fruit how? Any pollination technic Without male flower.

[@vinaygoyal1216]

Wait for the reply...

[@Janiceroye751]

❤ #gratitude

[@CaliKim29]

Thank you, Janice, such a kind message! And thank you, too, for subscribing!! Please, let me know how things are going in your garden! Kim

[@nishthagupta9127]

Which fruit what it???

[@الاردناولآ-ظ8ص]

how pollination pepino flowers

[@deebermudez4309]

my blooms are only male and they keep falling off. any suggestions

[@emily-qo4wg]

i know this is a late reply but is your plant young? often times with cucurbits the male flowers are the first to bloom to attract pollinators and the female flowers will follow a week or two afterward...so the male flowers might grow and fall off for a couple of weeks until the female flowers bloom.

[@jocelynderr5508]

you made me scream...when I saw your sunflowers...I LOVE SUNFLOWERS.....mine are so tiny right now but so far so good...its in the front yard not the back with the pumpkins...I told you our pumpkin story...mom is still sad..she was able to save three but they are super little...ttyl catch you on instagram

[@CaliKim29]

+jocelyn derrick love me some sunflowers too! Yay! I hope yours get bigger faster! and hope those pumpkins grow by Halloween!

[@jocelynderr5508]

thank you

[@JRyoutube09]

"3" Thumbs up. the whole video should be age restricted though, up to the phallus i mean' butternut at the end

[@kennynyc15153]

kewl ! :)~

[@justagirllookingup]

Its very disturbing to know our bees are being killed off! 😢

[@---bl6px]

Yeah!

[@Beenthereduntht]

So clumsy. Lol. I just tore the only female one off my cantaloupe. Hope u get another m

[@CaliKim29]

We’ve all done it- thanks for watching!

[@gregoryashumate848]

Hopefully the bees don't start collecting unemployment . Lol Awesome video great results!!

[@learnbalochilanguage9538]

Ilove you

[@marutinayak958]

🤗🙏🙏👍

[@dkbeunited539]

U r Awsumm

[@اشرفغالي-ح3ض]

💝💘💓

[@jbuehler00]

I can't stop seeing Kristen Wiig lol

[@uniquedesign5680]

Plant Porn 😂. Does anybody know how to differentiate between the male and female flower of an orange or lemon plant (I am not even sure what kind of plant it is)?

[@brothersaturn3937]

i think why my cucumbers werent growing is because i didint pollenate

[@mammalitts1712]

I hand pollinate all my squashes, with great production success! The nice thing is that as long as its not for "seed saving" I can cross pollinate when I'm low on male flowers of any particular variety. I've used pumpkins males to pollinate zucchini, Delicata males to pollinate Acorn, etc. - as long as the two plants belong to the same family, cucurbit peppo(?) it works! And there is no quality difference in the fruits. I just give the seeds to my chickens so I don't end up with hybrid volunteers! Fun fact: butternut squash is not part of the same family and won't cross with other squashes, so if you're tight on garden space, you can plant your butternuts right along side of other varieties, even if you are saving seeds!

[@gunachandran3245]

It’s very informative!! Thank you very much 👍👍

[@JoeDonato]

Thanks!

[@syedali8679]

Thanks

[@CaliKim29]

No problem, Syed. Good luck with the hand pollination and thanks for stopping by! 🍅Please visit my seed and garden shop, calikimgardenandhome.com, for CaliKim Seed Collections (fall garden, container garden, spring garden, tomato, heat tolerant greens, herbs, lettuce, flowers, and more), fabric containers and signed copies of my book, Organic Gardening for Everyone: Homegrown Vegetables Made Easy. Free seed packet with every order. 🌞Thank you!