Pumpkins

silverbug 7/7/2010, 7:57 am

So, I planted a couple (I know, too many in a small space) pumpkin plants in a pot. It's a largish pot, but not huge. The variety said it'd grow pumpkins in the 5-7 pound range. I built a chicken wire trellis, and the things grew and climbed and went crazy. It's producing a huge amount of male flowers, and a couple female buds...the female buds look great for a couple days, I wait, and wait for the flowers to grow and open, but before they do, the little pumpkin sprout shrivels and then the whole bud dies. What's UP?? I gave the plants fertilizer after I noticed the first female sprout....Is the crowding of the root system going to just give me a lovely flowering plant but no pumpkins?? If so, I'm planting the darn thing right in the ground in the same spot next year.

Megan 7/7/2010, 5:05 pm

I'm having a similar problem with my zucchino, only it's the other way around (and planted in the SFG).... only a few male flowers and they don't seem to stay open for very long. I get a great looking fruit over 12" long and then it just starts to shrivel up and die. Hope this is not a persistent problem.

Dunkinjean 7/7/2010, 8:19 pm

Since this is my 1st time growing pumpkins and I am a newbie - how can I tell the difference between the male and female flowers?

It's funny because last yr I grew a zucchini and still don't know the difference in the flowers, but by luck I got alot of zucchini last yr!

So, please explain if anyone can to this newbie.

Thanks!

Happy Gardening Everyone....

Chopper 7/7/2010, 8:23 pm

Dunkinjean wrote:Since this is my 1st time growing pumpkins and I am a newbie - how can I tell the difference between the male and female flowers?

My pumpkins:
Male:
Pumpkins Harves13

Female (see, it's prettier)
Pumpkins Harves14

You always see the beginnings of the fruit on the female flower.

silverbug 7/7/2010, 8:29 pm

Yeah, and my baby pumpkin and flower are small and then shrivel up before they get to that lovely stage in her photo.

Dunkinjean 7/7/2010, 8:31 pm

Thank you Chopper!
It certainly makes sense.

I am going outside to look.

Happy Gardening Everyone....

Sponsored content

Pumpkins

Pumpkins

Re: Pumpkins

Re: Pumpkins

Re: Pumpkins

Re: Pumpkins

Re: Pumpkins

Re: Pumpkins


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.