Does it seem like this female watermelon flower has been ...
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Hi Lord! To know if your female watermelon flower has been successfully pollinated, wait 3 to 10 days and check the ovary (the tiny swelling at the base of the flower). If it is pollinated, the miniature melon will begin swelling and actively growing. If unpollinated, the baby melon will turn yellow, shrivel up, and drop off. I’m growing Canteloupe and it’s the same- Yes, watermelon plants need both male and female flowers to produce fruit. They cannot grow a melon from a female flower unless pollen from a male flower reaches it. Why You Need Both Flowers- Male Flowers Appear First: They produce pollen and grow on long, thin stems. Female Flowers Appear Later: They have a miniature bulb (the baby melon) right at their base. The Transfer: Bees must move the pollen from the male flower to the female flower. If you are seeing plenty of flowers but no fruit, you can easily act as the bee yourself, using a a-tip or other potluck to transfer the pollen from male to female. Here’s what a baby melon will look like- flower still attached. They’re very small- less than an inch. Last photo is my 2 biggest ones.
