Hey people my pumpkin plants are growing very very well like they have taken over maybe a 15 square meter area, however they are not producing the pumpkins them self, like there are 2 maybe 3 growing so far! anyone know what my problem could be or how I can make them start producing! as it is getting later in the season and wouldn't mind more than 3 for winter haha. Cheers people
skin1235,
Feb 24, 10:36am
you could do the pollination thing open a few flowers, the females are obviously different to the males pick a male flower off and do the deed
curlcrown,
Feb 24, 10:37am
When did you plant them!
skin1235,
Feb 24, 10:39am
although you're running a bit late now ( though not sure where you are, if north of taranaki you should have sufficient time to mature new pollination yet) all is not lost though, any done now will grow to size thy may need to be used first due to some immaturity effecting keeping qualities
skin1235,
Feb 24, 10:42am
they take near 6 mnths, so get them started as soon as frosts are over, inside in pots, and as soon as the lawns start requiring weekly mowingsget your plants into the ground - if your lawns always require weekly mowings then plant out as soon as all frosts are gone or take good look at the lawns - roundup could help here lol
1ollie,
Feb 24, 11:41am
Thanks people was just told this arvo about the pollination thing so probably best to Google it and go from there haha. They have been in for about 3 months I think and I am in Palmerston North but yeah even though we have had amazing weather for the last few weeks you can feel it getting a little colder at nights again now so I guess we are on the downwards slope again.
cantabman1,
Feb 24, 7:08pm
. Mine startedstarted out sometime in November as seeds tossed out in the the compost the previous winter and usedto fertilize some seed spuds.I also planted some grown from seedabout the sametime. Firstly you get the female flowers for a metre or two , before your firstmale pumkin develops.Most plants only produce two, or maybe three pumkins if your lucky before the frosts get them.The ratio of female to male flowers, are about 4-5 to 1. Dont be despondent about the lack of males, its just the way they are.Just plant lots to get more pumkins.
dlightful,
Feb 24, 9:24pm
I found out this year with mine the female flowers were only open for a day or two and if it raind or we had a heavy dew it colected in the female flower and when it closed it was rotting the small pumpkins - turning it yellow then black - solved the problem by cutting the out side of the female off as soon as it closed leaving the iner part open to dry off .
skin1235,
Feb 24, 10:58pm
the female flowers are more often on side shoots from the main stem so when the main stem (runner) has extended out a mtr or two pinch the end off the side shoots get more food and will produce more males flower but also much more female flowers re googling fertilazing them - just get out there and pull the petals off a couple of flowers, males grow on a long thin stalk, female flowers are on top of a bulbous pumpkin close to the runner, once you have opened a couple of flowers you will know what needs to be done - it is too obvious
but do not do as my wife did one year - picked all the females and took them to the males flowers, boy was her face red when she realised what she'd done
skin1235,
Feb 24, 11:00pm
also - try to avoid tidying up the pumpkin patch - the runners will strike more roots at nodes and thus help feed the fruit I do know some who are forever trying to train the pumpkins into a confined space, every time they pull them back and twist them around they rip off those new tender roots - they don't get big crops
skin1235,
Feb 24, 11:03pm
you can just pull the entire cone off, it is not necessary once fertilization has taken place and just rots away - often with the consequences you describe
skin1235,
Feb 24, 11:10pm
check that again cantab, think you realise it is mainly male flowers for the first few mtr, see above, the females are more likely to be on the side shoots the females are the ones with the pumpkin bulb beneath them, reading your post it would appear you have got the genders reversed
most of my pumpkins grow way more than that, 3 sometimes 4 plants per year will give us 30 or 40 pumpkins, but then apart from picking off the tips to stop them taking over the entire back section and thats only done from the path or the fence when they reach that far, they get no control at all they do love water and a soaker hose lost in amongst them does wonders - you can reclaim the soaker hose in the winter once the vines have died off
cantabman1,
Feb 25, 6:36am
skin1235: I stand corrected, but i have never got that many pumkins off 1 plant 8-10 per plant! wow; we could never get that result in the South Island. Even the commercial guys not too far from where we live, dont that many to pick per plant. I would love someone in the commercial growing market comment on that.
malone4,
Feb 28, 7:30am
well done you. the largest crop i've managed to harvest has been 17 from one plant. Thanks for the tips ,I'm determined to better my record.
reggienz,
Feb 28, 8:45am
I have at least 8 or 9 pumpkins on my Atlantic Giant plant growing in the compost heap.I've probably had just about as many rot on the vine at tennis ball size
cantabman1,
Mar 29, 1:15pm
Wow, It just goes to show,I dont know eveything.:-] I have always just planted out the seeds from the store bought pumkins, or grown from self seeders. I do know the best ones that i have had have come from the compost heap, they certainly love food and water like runner beans.
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