anything can be pollinated .... the issue is whether what you start with is sterile or not .... a lot of the named varieties .. of anything .. end up being sterile.. so no matter what you do.. you wont end up with seed ... if you are just using free range .. self gathered seed .. then odds are they are not at the end of the fertility spectrum.. and can be pollinated ... so.. speaking of zen.. BE THE BEE .... lol .. and research when the pollen is most mature.. and when the female part is most receptive ... ya know.. it always helps when the pollen is actually useful ... been there.. wasted a lot of time with useless stuff.. [wasted a lot of time pollinating hosta AFTER WORK .. only to find out.. its best used.. or stored.. near dawn .. or as soon as the flower opens [which was when i was on the way to work] ... schmuck .. lol ] sorry.. i dont know the specific answer to cosmos though. sooo what are you starting with???? ken

There were some posts that also mentioned doing the spraying with lychees...as long as multiple donors were available. Most fruits require pollination for the seed to develop and the maximum flesh to seed ration to be achieved. Pollination can occur from separate male and female flowers or perfect flowers containing both male and female flower parts. Sometimes the pollen is not compatible and the female flowers can only be pollinated from a genetically different pollen source. Wind and insects are the most usual pollinators although bats and some birds have specific relationships with some flowering plants, including fruits. The percentage of pollination and the size/shape of the fruit is frequently associated with a higher seed count in fruits that have multiple seeds. This effect is less obvious with fruits that have single seeds. Temperature and humidity affect the timing and duration of the viability of the pollen and the receptiveness of the stigma. These two factors must overlap to insure pollination on one or multiple trees. Fruits that have multiple flowers produced in sprays, like the mango, usually have a very high percentage of male flowers and relative fewer female flowers with a staggered opening to enhance the potential for pollination. Rain and low or high temperatures can adversely affect the growth of the pollen tube and the development of the seed. Low and high temperatures after pollination can injury the developing seed and cause seed(s) to abort resulting in fruit drop. Small fruit with aborted seed(s) may continue to develop, but the size and shape is noticeably different from seed with a fully developed seed(s). In cooler, wet winter climates many growers snap off the first mango flower flush because they rarely produce high quality fruit. A second flower flush will develop in the late spring and the warmer, drier weather produces a better flower set with less potential for mildew to develop. Another... You are right. Mangos (atleast in India) do not require crosspollination. So your lone tree should bear. The number of flowers in Mango are very much. It is estimated that if the setting percentage is 0.1%, there is a very heavy crop. Mango flowere has only one anther. So you do not see pollen. Dr. Chiranjit Parmar Another source...supports what Harry believes: I've read where once the temperature drops below 60F, there is no pollen available.

The dino can cross with the honeydew and cataloupe. The watermelons can cross with each other. In general, melons of the same botanical name can cross with each other. Look up your melon+botanical name. Cucumis melo can cross, Citrullus lanatus can cross. Cucumis melo and citrullus lanatus do not cross.

Appears to be Larkspur. If so they're all likely to end up blue/purple if they keep self sowing. I agree there are lots of gardening forums for just his kind of question, including Seed Saving - GardenWeb and Annuals - GardenWeb . eta Rob's post was not there when I responded. Regarding which forum to use. In the past plant id and care questions on KT have received a lot of incorrect guesses, so it pays to also post on the specialist forums. Sharing one's hobby is lovely, but if you're seeking factual information it pays to ask where you're most likely to get an accurate answer. As you would with sewing or house projects.