Poor pumpkin

[lisa4star]

Just went out to my greenhouse and my little pumpkin is rotting away. Last year none of my squash plants produced any fruit.

What am I doing wrong?

[Newtothis]

Are you sure it was polinated? You can tell when they are polinated when they start to swell quickly. Last year we hand pollinated our pumpkins because it was just too chancey to not do it as seldom did we get male and female flowers open at the same time, so when they were we did it ourselves. We had five plants all planted in shallow borders, and trailing all over the lawn Never to be repeated !

[lisa4star]

I am not sure if it was pollinated.

Daft question now - how do you tell male and female flowers apart. Your name suits me I think. This is only my second year growing so got lots to learn.

[Newtothis]

I'm in my second year also....well third year for tomatoes but last year was when it all started for me too.

The female flowers are the ones with the little pumpkin on the end. To pollinate you would strip the freshly opened male flower of it's petals and wiggle it around in a freshly opened female flower. Lol I'm sure someone else could give you better instructions. Have you had male flowers opening around the same time?

[lisa4star]

That's a good question. I will have to inspect the sex of my flowers more closely, lol. Never thought that sentence would ever be strung together by moi.

Will look 2moro - thanks for advice!

[Newtothis]

The female flowers with the pumpkins are only potential pumpkins until pollination has occurred. If you're up for it, have a few threesomes

[lisa4star]

Had a look this morning and cant get my male flowers to reach the male ones.

I've heard of people saying to use a brush for this type of thing so may try that tonight.

I need to strip all the big orange leaves off, yes?

[Hollie the Wollie]

I have two pumpkins growing but they are only small plants still, around 6 or 7" high. No sign of flowers... I think I will need some help when the flowers come along!!!

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Lisa, cut the male flower off the plant still with some stem attached to hold it with (but make sure it's not a female one!) then just follow NTT's perfect instructions for pollinating your pumpkins. The best time to do this is in the morning when the flowers are freshly open.

One thing though Lisa, you don't need to keep a pumpkin plant in the greenhouse. Outside pollination will be improved and they grow into pretty flippin' big plants!

[Lesley Jay]

Originally Posted by Hollie the Wollie

I have two pumpkins growing but they are only small plants still, around 6 or 7" high. No sign of flowers... I think I will need some help when the flowers come along!!!

Hi Hollie, I would be tempted to get those pumpkins planted out into your garden. They sound like established young plants. Any chance of a photo please?

[Hollie the Wollie]

Yeah they're already in the garden, to the left of the Runners and peas. There is a pic on here somewhere!

[lisa4star]

Originally Posted by Lesley Jay

Hi Lisa, cut the male flower off the plant still with some stem attached to hold it with (but make sure it's not a female one!) then just follow NTT's perfect instructions for pollinating your pumpkins. The best time to do this is in the morning when the flowers are freshly open.

One thing though Lisa, you don't need to keep a pumpkin plant in the greenhouse. Outside pollination will be improved and they grow into pretty flippin' big plants!

Thanks for information Lesley - I will definately try this when there is a flower of both sex open.

I live in Scotland - is it still best to keep plants outside?

Would a grow bag do?

[ginger]

Hi Lisa,

I have about the same climate as you, and I've got my 'pumpa' (as they say over here) in the ground - they've not been going for long though, just a few inches now...

I started some earlier (indoors) and when I was hardening them off, the wind snapped them both in two

Lesson learned for next year!

[Lesley Jay]

Originally Posted by Hollie the Wollie

Yeah they're already in the garden, to the left of the Runners and peas. There is a pic on here somewhere!

Yes Hollie, there sure is a photo of them! If they are a vine variety just point the vine in the direction you want it to grow.

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Lisa and Ginger, you can construct a wind break from cane sticks and polythene encircling the plants until they get properly established. The vine varieties throw down extra roots along the vine to help anchor them.

[lisa4star]

Originally Posted by ginger

Hi Lisa,

I have about the same climate as you, and I've got my 'pumpa' (as they say over here) in the ground - they've not been going for long though, just a few inches now...

I started some earlier (indoors) and when I was hardening them off, the wind snapped them both in two

Lesson learned for next year!

Hi Ginger.

Good to know that I'm not the only one on here that has to suffer the cold. I will get my 'pumpa' and squash transferred outside and fingers crossed I'll have babies in no time.

[Newtothis]

Lisa sorry for any confusion, I should have been clearer about removing the male flowers first.

[lisa4star]

Originally Posted by Newtothis

Lisa sorry for any confusion, I should have been clearer about removing the male flowers first.

Thats ok, lol. Had fun stretching them this morning, lol.

[Newtothis]

lol I'm so sorry, I can imagine it would have been a difficult thing to pull off. Sorry again

[lisa4star]

Well I have put my pumpkin and squash plants outside now on the advice of Lesley. Unfortunately I only have a female flower open at the moment so will have to wait until the male graces me with his presence before the mating ritual, lol.