No Fruit on Cantaloupes - Knowledgebase Question

Edgewater, FL
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Question by wwwshark
May 24, 1998
My cantaloupes are doing great with lots of flowers. The flowers have been appearing for a few days then dying without any fruit starting. What can be causing this and what can I do about it?


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Answer from NGA
May 24, 1998
Take a close look at the flowers. Cantaloupes, like many squashes and melons, have separate male and female flowers on the vine. Male flowers are attached to the vine by a thin stalk while female flowers have a miniature fruit behind them, which is attached to the vine.

You may be seeing male flowers which cannot produce fruit. They usually make an appearance before the female blooms. Female flowers should start appearing soon.

If both male and female are present and still no fruit, check for pollinator insects. Bees are the best pollinators of cantaloupes. If you spray insecticides and kill the bees...no cantaloupes! Actually, you can do their job by transferring pollen from male to female flowers with an artists paintbrush, but most folks just don't care for that tedious task!

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