first time growing pumpkins

[darkcrystal]

hi im very new at this, i have planted some pumpkins in the garden, i started them off in little pots and slowly transfered them into bigger pots, i have now put them in the garden, as this is really old soil (i took 2 slabs up and took the sand off i also mixed a bit of bought compost in with the soil).

anyway i have now put them in the garden and started to read about them......first question i have gone and put 4 pumpkin plants together and they are no where near 4ft apart, does that mean i will have to dig some out....as they look healthy and one plant looks like it has a flower forming.

second question.....to make sure i get the water into the roots shall i dig a hole in and put a upside down coke bottle in the soil if i do how shall i do this without damaging the plants????

third question.... im feeding them with tomato food is that ok, as i dont make my own compost yet....as i said im very new too this.

oh last question the vines are looking quite big now how can i stop the slugs and snails from eating them....i have put some broken egg shells around and also slug pellets any other tips????? i get ALOT of slugs and snails.

thank you for this hope someone answers my questions.

[allaboutliverpool]

Hi DarkCrystal

Pumpkins are a lot easier to grow than you would think.

I have a old page on my site that answers a few of your questions.

4 plants will occupy a huge area, as one plant can cover 10 square yards!

They appreciate any old food and as the roots are shallow and cover a huge area, surface watering will suffice although sunken tins or bottles are good if you are short of water and want to avoid evaporation.

Good luck, you have prompted me to upgrade my 3 year old webpage.

allaboutallotments_Vegetables_Pumpkin

[Paulottie]

Welcome to the vine. A bit crowded, I'd probably take the weakest two out...big plants pumpkins. You'll get better pumpkins if you give them room and for bigger ones remove some fruit.

Tomato food fine once they are flowering.

Go out with a torch, some tongs and a jar of salty water on damp evenings and collect up the molluscs.

[Two_Sheds]

shall i dig a hole in and put a upside down coke bottle in the soil

yes, that's what I do. You get the water right to the roots where it's needed that way.

Don't feed until the fruits start forming.

You won't like this, but you must give your plants more room. If you leave them close together, they will compete with each other for food, light and water. You'll end up with a bunch of leaves and no fruits to speak of.

[Matt.]

Don't dig a hole too deep. Pumpkin roots are very shallow and form a fibrous mesh close to the surface. If you can its better to soak the whole area around the pumpkin than focus on the main root (stump) area.

[helly]

Thats great advice I'm about to plant out my 4 types of pumpkins next week

[darkcrystal]

thank you for everyones replys....... i have looked at my pumpkins and i have moved one of the pumpkins further away.....the massive pumpkin does not have any flowers but one of the smallest ones has three so im hoping im doing somthing right..... how come that happens though? do you think the biggest one will be all leaves and no flowers/fruit?? im sorry about all the questions.

[Paulottie]

Difficult to tell at a distance. Difference in nutrients..nitrogen rich causes leaves potassium flowers.

More likely in this case the small one is under stress causing early flowering - plants often flower if they think they will snuff it. but it won't then have the strength to fruit - probably advise cutting off flowers (are they male- on stalks or female- little pumpkin behind flower?)

[darkcrystal]

i have had a look at the smallest and i think there is a small female starteing to appear now, the flower that opened was a male and it opened better that the others, now there are a few more flowers opeing all male but fingers crossed they wont all open before the female ones come along......well nothing i can do about it im feeding them once a week and giving them plenty of water so all i can do is wait and see.
how do you know if the female flower has been pollenated when there is already a bump at the back of it??????

[Paulottie]

You don't for sure (unless you help out with a hand job). it will shrivel and fall off if not.

[darkcrystal]

well the flower has fallen off but the bump is still there.

[darkcrystal]

flipping heck

well it rained, it poored and thundered and lighting. my plants have defently had a water my tomatos are now full of water, there is a little flood outside my kitchen door and everything i have planted is being battered. hopefully everything will be ok.


on a good note i have another female pumpkin plant opened problem is its too wet for anything to pollenate it.

[COMPOST CORNER]

Pollinate it youself, remove a male flower, fold back the petals and push
the pollinating part, (it's really obvious) into the centre of the female flower. Some people put a bag over the two at that point, I just leave the male in the female flower, it will fall out eventually.

[darkcrystal]

oh right you dont just run it on you leave them together...right i will do that thank you

does it matter if the flowers are wet?????? i have just done what you said but it has been raining alot will that make any diffrence.

[Matt.]

Leave the two togethr or brush the pollen from the male flower. You only need a bag if you don't want "contamination pollination" from other pumpkin flowers that might be carried by a bee etc.