first time growing pumpkins

[T8Ter]

Hi darkcrystal, why not help nature along a little, use a cotton bud or similar soft cotton wool item and transfer pollen from the male - female flowers. I get much better success using this method.

[maytreefrannie]

I've been following the progress of your pumpkin, Darkcrystal - mine is still just a couple of inches long, it's now planted out but I thought the stalk looked dead or broken near the root, yet the upper stalk and the leaves look OK. I'm not even sure if the stalk was actually affected as I didn't want to handle/disturb it.

Has anyone found this and if so, what did you do (if anything)?

I brought damp compost up around the stalk so it's now planted up to the 'good' part of the stalk. I'd appreciate any opinions or advice.

[darkcrystal]

Well if the leave look healthy then it should be ok. i know that some of my stalk looks beaten but its fine as you can see on the pictures. id leave it and see what happens.

[AndrewC]

mine are doing great now they are growing really well ive got 1 planted in the front garden and 5 in the back they are looking so strong at the moment. ive been adding babybio everytime i water them

[AndrewC]

Hi darkcrystal, why not help nature along a little, use a cotton bud or similar soft cotton wool item and transfer pollen from the male - female flowers. I get much better success using this method.

how would i do this? just get as much pollen over as possible

[darkcrystal]

someone told me that if you pinch a male plant, pull back the petals and then just place it in the female flower and leave it there, you can put a bag over them to stop cross pollenation from other pumpkin plants too.

[Paulottie]

hi paulottie

do you think i planted my pumpkins too early? they are geting really long now but the male flowers dont seem to have much pollen in them and the female flowers when i do try and pollenate them it does not work, i have 3 now that i have tried to pollenate, the flower has fallen off now but the bump seems soft and last time one was like that it fell off.
also the middle one the leaves are going yellow , i think its because the really big one is killing it off, i planted them way to close together.

any ideas? about the fruite forming?

thanks for reading this

Hi you PMed me this but then I couldn't pm back anyhow better on the open forum so I've pasted it to your original thread:

You probably did start a bit early...I have just set mine out! but if they have survived thus far they should be OK

The weather has been a bit grotty. Pumpkins will only form in drier hotter weather. They are stubborn and will not fruit until they are strong enough.

If one is struggling try feeding it, really you needed to be harsh and thin it out sooner...if it's dying then hoik it out and give the others room.

[darkcrystal]

i opened one of the dead pumpkin bits and it had little seeds forming inside so somthing is happerning. yes i will feed them next time i water them. i looked at the one that is going yellow the middle and the rest looks healthy, but i think you might be right i have got to pull it out even though i really dont want to. when do you think is the best time to plant them out so i know for next year.

[darkcrystal]

i have done it i have taken it out, and i have just found out that it was not one of the big ones i was really small and not grown properly.

[Paulottie]

Pumpkins are normally sown late April and planted out early June.

A good yard between pumpkin plants is sensible in future! As a general principle in veg gardening plants need to be thinned and given space for optimum development. (Although if you operate a super-fertile raised bed system you might reduce your distances a bit.) You will have better, quicker, heathier crops with higher yields if your plants are not overcrowded and smothered in weeds.

I know it is a bitter pill though!....it's a cruel Darwinian world in the Veg Patch

[AndrewC]

mine are no were near flowering, have i planted them 2 late they were doing quite good now they have slowed right down is there any way i can speed it all up

[Paulottie]

Pray for sunshine.

[darkcrystal]

i heard we were supposed to have a really nice summer, i really cant see it myself.

[darkcrystal]

grrr i keep looking at my pumpkins and the fruit is still rotting and dropping off, i have pollenated them but they still dont want to grow properly. im wondering if the plant might be sick or somthing. but im not sure what im looking for.

[AndrewC]

some of mine aint doing well at all some of the leaves are just diformed for some reason and they dont seem to be growing very good