The seeds are planted in the field from the last week of May to the middle of June. After seeds are planted, they will germinate in 7-10 days, depending on the variety. During this time, seeds need moisture and warmth. Once seeds have germinated, they will send up their first leaves, called seed leaves. The true leaves generally appear next.
Yellow flowers blossom after the first three weeks of growth.
Male flowers, which produce pollen, are seen first. About a week later, the female blossoms. Female blossoms are easy to detect because they have tiny pumpkins at their base. Blossoms live for only a half day, and will not open in cold, rainy weather. When both male and female blossoms appear on the vine, bees transfer the pollen from the males to the females.