Pumpkin guidance!

[Hollie the Wollie]

As most of you will know, my poor pumpkins have suffered snails/slugs and then black aphids but have triumphed against these!

The leaves are huge, now around 14" in length and 12" wide for some. I have also noticed today my very first buds. i have seen some chat about male and female flowers and the need to polenate them etc.

The buds are tiny for now but I have no idea what to do going forward in this regard! Here's the current pic...

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Hollie, as your plants are outside the bees, wasps and insects should carry out the pollination of your pumpkins - so don't worry! To begin with you will find that the plants produce only male flowers which is normal. The male flowers are on a thin stem but the female flowers have a little 'tiny bump' behind the flower which is a baby pumpkin! The flower in the centre of your photo is male.

[Hollie the Wollie]

Ooooh great, I can not wait to see the "baby bump" tee hee!

Can we be sure the bees etc will polenate the plants? Should I help just in case?!

[Hollie the Wollie]

I think this is a female flower.... the little teeny weeny pumpkin behind it!!!!

[Lesley Jay]

Maternity ward!!!

[Hollie the Wollie]

YAY! Woo hoo, I thought it was one Lesley, as you described, the little bump! I just wanted to be sure!

So, do I just let it be? It is hanging over onto my patio so I guess the bigger it gets it will start resting on there... this is bad, right? Should I make it a little hay bed or something to lay on? Or try and manoeuvre it onto the soil? Should I help pollenate or leave be? Or should I say "leave bee" haha!

[kobrinfamily]

wow baby punkins....hopefully i will see some soon on mine soon....Im in the same boat im new with growing pumpkins....but good luck hun!!!

[Hollie the Wollie]

Thanks! I have seen your pics! I can't wait, although Im quite nervous that something will eat them and ruin them!

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Hollie, once your pumpkins have grown more you can put a tile or something similar underneath the pumpkins to stop them rotting on wet soil or grass.

[Hollie the Wollie]

Originally Posted by Lesley Jay

Hi Hollie, once your pumpkins have grown more you can put a tile or something similar underneath the pumpkins to stop them rotting on wet soil or grass.

Yes I will make Pete (that's the name I have given him) and Petunia (the other one on the other plant) little beds to lay on so they are all comfy and can grow nice and big and round!

[kobrinfamily]

look look I have a baby too Pumpkin Patch 7/9/2010....BABY PUMPKIN on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Yay

Ruth

[Hollie the Wollie]

Oooh babies!

[Tee Gee]

These links might help;

Pollination

[kobrinfamily]

My baby pumpkin fell off....Im really really sad now

[Hollie the Wollie]

Oh no What happened?!

[kobrinfamily]

Not sure...ppl are saying it was from non pailination.

[Hollie the Wollie]

Oh no! How big was it? Mine is about 1/2" long and maybe 1/4" wide at the moment, still small. The flowers are not yet open so can not cross-pollenate

[Hollie the Wollie]

Ive had to make a little extension for my Pumpkin. At the moment it is just a big card lid with straw on it - I don't know what else to do!

Now there is the baby pumpkin, will it forcus its energy on the that rather than leaves?

[Tee Gee]

Ive had to make a little extension for my Pumpkin. At the moment it is just a big card lid with straw on it - I don't know what else to do!

Now there is the baby pumpkin, will it forcus its energy on the that rather than leaves?

As a mere man I think you are becoming a bit too maternal

Firstly I would take the lid off and avoid touching the embryo fruit the neck can be quite brittle.

Regarding the second part of your query the answer is No! the vine will still keep growing.

Then if you are lucky you will get more embryo fruit.

If you do get say three fruit forming and pollinatination is obvious (pregnancy/swelling ) then cut of the end of the vine (the umbilical cord) then the plants energy will go on reproduction (seeds) and increased growth.

There end my lesson on the birds and the bees Tg

This is how I grow mine on top of the compost heap;



Under this lot are;



these;

[Lesley Jay]

Originally Posted by Hollie the Wollie

Ive had to make a little extension for my Pumpkin. At the moment it is just a big card lid with straw on it - I don't know what else to do!

Now there is the baby pumpkin, will it forcus its energy on the that rather than leaves?

Hi Hollie, your pumpkin plant is looking just great! There's no need to worry about it - just let the plant grow and it WILL grow right across your garden!! As I said, once the pumpkins grow you can put a tile or something underneath the fruits to stop them rotting on wet grass or soil. But if you want to keep 'Pete' the pumpkin on the little straw tray watch out for those slugs as the devils will hide in the straw!!