Hey everyone, I've been growing gourds and I'm curious about their flowering pattern. I've noticed I'm only seeing male flowers at the moment – some ants and my first bee have shown up too! However, no female flowers yet. I'm wondering how long it'll be before I start seeing female blossoms after these male ones? Also, are there any factors that could affect this timing?
2 Answers
Oh, you can expect plenty of male flowers! They’re there to attract the bees before the females show up. It's all part of the gourd game!
The timeline can vary a lot; it really depends on several factors like heat, water, light exposure, and nutrients. Typically, gourds and other cucurbits will produce a lot of male flowers first. So hang in there, keep them well-watered, and consider using shade cloth if they're getting over 8 hours of direct sunlight or if it's really hot – above 90/100 degrees. Just be patient and let nature take its course!