Pumpkin puzzle

[Pootle]

I've planted out the pumpkin (Atlantic Giant) that we were given by a friend and I'm a bit concerned that it's losing its leaves - the ones that developed first are going yellow, very dry and then brown and crisp. There are three small pumpkins growing near the growing tip and I've had a few male flowers.

Is this just a reaction to having been in a pot for a bit too long before planting out or is it something more sinister? Does it matter? I manured the planting hole and watered well. Is there anything else I can do to perk it up a bit?

[squashysu]

Hi Pootle

my first pumpkin did this, i think cause it was pot bound really, then the other two i did are fine, the first one is now fine and has a big flower on it, so must be ok and the others are catching up, i would just let it do its own thing and then you will see.

One thing, how can i tell if the flowers are male or female and is there anything i need to do to them?

thanks SS

[Pootle]

thanks for the reassurance - I've promised the girls that we'll win the largest pumpkin competition so am starting to panic a bit!

I'm assuming that, like courgettes etc, the male flowers are the ones just on a stalk whereas the female ones are the ones with the fruit developing behind them...

[deathbysnails]

I think Ive got similar problems to you, Pootle: yellowing leaves which simply give up and shrivel away. The plant was going great guns but now seems to prefer withering than spreading. That said, it still seems to be growing, just slightly less excitably than before. It could well be the fact that it's in a pot, I guess.

One concern I have is that i'm only getting male flowers, with not even the faintest sign of a female on the horizon. I must have had a good 10 or so big male fellas, which wilt away and die without a sniff of a lady flower to hang out with. It's a sad fate for them - does anyone know if this is normal?

dbs

[Demeter]

You can't miss the female flowers - girt round baby pumpkins behind them.
We had loads of males before the first female. Cucrbits all seem to operate on the sperm principle (loads of pollen, not so many eggs)...