Maximum yields harvested in a minimum number of trips across the field is economically advantageous. To accomplish this, good pollinator activity is essential. Most muskmelon varieties produce male flowers at the beginning of the season and continue to produce them throughout the season. Combination flowers appear in response to longer days, generally 10-14 days after the first male flowers. These flowers occur on branch runners.
Fruit develops only from the combination flowers.
This random mix of the pollinator variety among the gynoecious plants is enough to set fruit if enough bees are available to transfer the pollen . Watermelons initially produce male-only flowers and continue producing them throughout the rest of the season. Female-only flowers are produced later in the season at specific positions along the vine in response to longer days. Squash and pumpkin also require bee pollination and the appearance of male and female flowers occurs in response to day length, similar to the other cucurbits. If they are not pollinated during that time, the flowers abort and drop from the vine.