On 9/10/2009 12:55 PM, Balvenieman wrote:
"OhioGuy" wrote:

Hey, I put bone meal around the plants a few days ago (phosphorus), and
also trimmed off the ends of the vines. I read that both can stimulate
female fruit production, and guess what?
What are you talking about? What is a "female" fruit? What makes
you believe fruits have gender? What are you drinking? It may be time
for a change.

Partially correct.

Many plants have complete flowers with both male and female parts
(pollen and protoseeds). Some plants, including the curcurbits (squash,
gourds, melons, cucumbers) have separate male and female flowers on the
same plant. And some plants are either male or female (they're
dioecious); these include ash and ginkgo trees and asparagus.

Although fruit forms only on either complete or female flowers, it is
usually non-sexed. On a female dioecious plant with only one seed in
each fruit, however, the fruit might be male or female depending on
whether the seed will produce a male or female plant. Since the fruit
reflects the parent on which it grew, the sex of the fruit can be
determined only with careful DNA analysis.

Luffa gourds are NOT dioecious.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary