Growing Rockmelon, also Canteloupe

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17 Dec 17 Laurence Lim (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Planted about 20 rock melon plants. Plenty of male flowers. So far only two female flowers.. hand pollinate both.. not successful.. Why are there so few female flowers? Is there deficiency of certain element in the soil? Regards, L Lim
19 Dec 17 Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
When the plant first starts sending out runners there is mainly male flowers. Then there will be female flowers, It takes a lot of visits from bees to pollinate and set the fruit. I hand pollinated pumpkin the other week and one female flower set fruit and the other didn't. The answer I have no idea. Pumpkins, cues melons are all in the same family. The pumpkin female flower only opens for about 6-9 hrs for one day. Probably melons cues zucchinis are the same. If you are in the sub-tropics you probably should have planted these 2 mths earlier. My rockies (I should have planted a month earlier) are about 5-10 days from start picking and some grubs are just destroying the leaves.
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