Early Pumpkin

[Frana]

I have just harvested my first pumpkin of the season.

It was ripe and tasted very nice indeed!

However, can anyone tell me why it has come to fruition so early as I have never had one so soon in the season before.

I did feed it with tomato feed and I only sowed it in March! (When picked, it was about the size of a football and a lovely orange colour).

I have some more on the plant which are doing well but remain surprised at this early crop!

[Two_Sheds]

I ...sowed it in March

That's your answer right there. Lucky you!

Mine don't get sown until May for an autumn harvest

[Veggiemama]

Well done you!

I have a mini one growing in a pot.....which has had its ups and downs and no flowers yet..

My 7 year old had some giant ones in a patch and i have been helping them pollinate....We have loads of insects here that i had hoped would help. BUT i want to make sure we get at least 2 for both my sons, so want to help them along.

I think we sowed ours around April?May time.

Anyway well done again.

VM

[Pumpy]

That is early.

But 120 days is around the shortest time needed for pumpkins.

Some of mine have flowers and few female flowers have appeared but mainly males at the moment, next week or so should the females opening.

It seems later than last year, maybe to do with the long winter we had, anyone else found this?

[rogesse]

Core blimey! My giant pumpkin hasn't got female flowers yet also, but loads and loads of male. The courgettes and Turks Turban did the same thing but at least I'm getting fruit on it's way from them!

[Wren]

Mine were sown in the first week o May, an i have some nice size fruits now on the Mars pumpkins, the butternuts were a bit behind but have now got some small juvenile fruits on them. it,s hard to tell if they have been pollinated at this stage though. I'm letting nature take it's course with them though, as their are lots o insects an the squash patch is now a huge jungle. Cant put a foot in there without treading on things now! .

Wren

[Pumpy]

The males come about a week before the females to allow for bees to get to know the route.

My Turks Turban showed a female flower a few days a go, it was hand pollunated, don't know yet if it took. It certainly hasn't dropped off!

Atlantics are getting there, even the ones I planted a few weeks ago seem to be getting ready to flower. Just seems later than last year.

[tlck9]

for my first ever attempt at pumpkins, I have one the size of a oversized footlball already, I was beginning to wondered what I had grown

[gojiberry]

Had some good pumpkins last year but ended up wasting an awful lot as there is only the two of us and once you start a pumpkin it doesn't keep very long. So this year I have grown 'wee be little' and there are loads of little pumpkins on the plants. Looking at them the other day I thought they look ready for picking but thought it was far to early in the season to be ready. May just pick one this week and see what they are like.

Ian

[VanWin]

Early pumpkins

I am in France and everything was late this year but now in good weather they are growing fast. My favourite is Potimarron variety, lovely flavour reminiscent of chestnuts.
Because of Colorado beetle here I have had to give up on potatos so I expect to survice on these as they can be used just the same as potatos, roast, boiled, mashed, soup, chips, you name it.
I have enough to feed the village coming so hope they will store. Turks Turbans stored through winter so I am optimistic. They freeze fine too.

[JerseyJimbo]

I decided to go with some different varieties this year mainly for the kids, Atlantic giant and Mammoth, both were sown in May and planted out mid June. They are doing really really well, i have large fruits on both varieties the largest of which is about 4' round and weighing about 15kg's. I also have some Urchi Kuri which i got as the looked great on the packet, and they are starting to come through now with about 6 fruits that are fist sized

[gojiberry]

The wee be little are still producing small pumpkins and so far I have harvested about 2dozen from four plants. Still loads more to come.

Ian