Why is this happening to my pumpkins then?

[where2start]

Not had much success with pumpkins this year!

I started the season off with 7 little plants, lost all but 1!

Anyway the last plant developed well, and it keeps and flowering, with a good mix of male and female flowers.

The first time a female flower opened i hand pollinated with a male, it promptly rotted and fell off (take it she didn't like him?!).

The second time i did it again, and again it died.

The third time i didn't pollinate and the pumpkin started to get a bit bigger, then rotted and its now a bit of a moldy squishy mess on the plant. It started around the flower end if that helps.

I had a little look at it the other day, and there looks to be lots of little bugs living under the leaves, could this be whats doing it? Or do i just admit failure and let the plant keep on trying and start again next summer.

Talking about the weather, we are quickly heading into winter here, but the days are still warm (for us) by the daylight if fading really fast and this morning i wake up and its hailing

So just asking whats killing my pumkins? I have a rock under the plant to keep the developing pumkin of the ground....didnt help!!!!

Yours

The Pumkin Slayer

[lynda66]

when you have pollinated the female flower will wither, when it does this remove it, otherwise it rots and attracts the flies that lay their eggs, if you remove the flower (it will come off easily when it's ready) it won't rot, so no flies

[SarzWix]

Plus, are you feeding the plant? They're very greedy and if the plant doesn't think it has enough food then it might just be giving up on the fruit. You can feed it with tomato food if you think it needs it.
Whatever the beasties are on it, they probably won't be doing it any favours. Rub off as many as you can (with gloves on if you're squeemish like me )

[Flummery]

They need lots of water - BUT they also rot off if it's too wet and cold. The last couple of years here haven't been ideal pumpkin weather. It might not be your fault. It might be 'conditions' !