Oh Wow Nice Timing Nepenthes... Flower Help?

[Nepenthesis]

Apparently I was right about my N. x 'Melvino' flowering. I got it in June and it just opened up a new leaf revealing a thick flower stalk. It is a boy. The problem is that my N. ventricosa x talangensis is close to opening. My N. ventrata is also starting to open the lower flowers which is weird because the flower stalk didn't even appear until a few days after the N. ventricosa x talangensis' flower stalk.

My N. ventricosa flower stalk has been swelling for about 30 days.
My N. ventrata flower stalk has been swelling for about 15 days.
My N. x 'Melvino' flower stalk has been swelling since... IDK. I knew it was there weeks before it opened because I could see it in there. So you could say it is a few weeks along? Not sure... It is pretty thick-looking to me already.

Male N. x 'Melvino' flower

Female N. ventrata flower

Female N. ventricosa x talangensis flower

Is there any chance that I'd be able to pollinate the females with the male that is just now opening? Or is it highly unlikely? :-(

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

'Tis the season, I suppose! Guess what? My "boy" just turned out to be a girl in disguise.

 

[Nepenthesis]

'Tis the season, I suppose! Guess what? My "boy" just turned out to be a girl in disguise.

Gaaaah. I would supply pollen but I'm pretty sure your female flower is farther along than my two females, so there's still the same problem.

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

Yeah, tell me about it. Well, there's hope for mine; I have a second flower coming up.

 

[Nepenthesis]

Yeah, tell me about it. Well, there's hope for mine; I have a second flower coming up.

Isn't there like a 2-4 day window in which they must be pollinated? My problem is missing that window by waiting for my N. x 'Melvino' flower to open. Hopefully it hurries and opens so I can at least pollinate one of my females...

 

[Whimgrinder]

Isn't there like a 2-4 day window in which they must be pollinated? My problem is missing that window by waiting for my N. x 'Melvino' flower to open. Hopefully it hurries and opens so I can at least pollinate one of my females...

2-4 days Good lord no....who told you that?! Female blooms take several days after opening to ripen before they are fully pollen-ready, and can remain pollen-receptive for several weeks, in many cases. The clue is the "fragrance" the females make when they are ready; you can't miss it. They give off a pungent, musk smell, and that indicates they are ready to rock, so to speak. I have pollinated females a month or more after first opening. I think you have some time.

 

[Nepenthesis]

2-4 days Good lord no....who told you that?! Female blooms take several days after opening to ripen before they are fully pollen-ready, and can remain pollen-receptive for several weeks, in many cases. The clue is the "fragrance" the females make when they are ready; you can't miss it. They give off a pungent, musk smell, and that indicates they are ready to rock, so to speak. I have pollinated females a month or more after first opening. I think you have some time.

Oooh okay I see. I forget exactly who told me it, but I remember where it was told to me. It was on another forum in chat. Thanks for clearing that up! So I guess I will have time to pollinate the females with the male.