My pumpkins have aborted three female flowers before they even had a chance to bloom. Why?
I'm worried it may be insufficient nutrition, and I want to given them a foliar feed in addition to their weekly manure tea. However, I fear powdery mildew. Has anyone out there had success with foliar feeding of pumpkins?
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stella1751
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stella1751
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I've been researching this, and I came up with the following:
"Cucurbit flowers are usually open for only one day. Male flowers appear first, produce pollen, and drop off. As well, unpollinated female (fruit-producing) flowers abort and drop off. Developing fruits will, however, temporarily inhibit the development of other fruit-producing flowers on the same runner and sometimes on the same vine. A large combined drop of male and female flowers does not necessarily mean a poor crop. Estimated crop yields should be assessed by counting developing fruit and not from the number of blossoms." [url=https://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/87-043.htm]Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food & Rural Affairs[/url]
Because I planted my three pumpkins so close together, I suppose it is possible that the female flowers I am seeing abort come from the same plant. It's possible one was on a secondary vine and two on tertiary vines from a vine that is producing. I don't think so, though. I think the first one to abort was on a primary vine from a different plant, not the producing one.
Any ideas?
"Cucurbit flowers are usually open for only one day. Male flowers appear first, produce pollen, and drop off. As well, unpollinated female (fruit-producing) flowers abort and drop off. Developing fruits will, however, temporarily inhibit the development of other fruit-producing flowers on the same runner and sometimes on the same vine. A large combined drop of male and female flowers does not necessarily mean a poor crop. Estimated crop yields should be assessed by counting developing fruit and not from the number of blossoms." [url=https://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/87-043.htm]Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food & Rural Affairs[/url]
Because I planted my three pumpkins so close together, I suppose it is possible that the female flowers I am seeing abort come from the same plant. It's possible one was on a secondary vine and two on tertiary vines from a vine that is producing. I don't think so, though. I think the first one to abort was on a primary vine from a different plant, not the producing one.
Any ideas?
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FieldofFlowers
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This is the same problem I have with my squash. The last time I complained about it was about a week or two after I harvested a huge one. (I let my gray zukes get pretty long and wide across for frying.) It took about three more weeks before it let another bloom.
Also when I had two female flowers open at the same time, I pollinated both equally, yet only one grew to maturity. So I guess the same is true in my case. I'm still waiting for my butternut squash to produce. So far none of the female flowers have gotten even more than an inch big (including bud and fruit.) But also the vine is yellow and that may have something to do with it, but I am not sure. I've tried giving it fertilizer, more water, just about everything, yet I can't get it to green up.
Another thing I noticed, sometimes right after some of my vines aborted a female flower, either a new branch or a root formed out of the same area. It could be the vine chose to do something else than let the flower bloom.
Also when I had two female flowers open at the same time, I pollinated both equally, yet only one grew to maturity. So I guess the same is true in my case. I'm still waiting for my butternut squash to produce. So far none of the female flowers have gotten even more than an inch big (including bud and fruit.) But also the vine is yellow and that may have something to do with it, but I am not sure. I've tried giving it fertilizer, more water, just about everything, yet I can't get it to green up.
Another thing I noticed, sometimes right after some of my vines aborted a female flower, either a new branch or a root formed out of the same area. It could be the vine chose to do something else than let the flower bloom.
I've noticed on a few of my squash plants the females dropped off before they opened. How has your weather been; a lot of heat or rain?
Occasionally, when a plant is under environmental stress, it will drop its blossoms in order to focus on survival. The climate may be y
I've noticed on a few of my squash plants the females dropped off before they opened. How has your weather been; a lot of heat or rain?
Occasionally, when a plant is under environmental stress, it will drop its blossoms in order to focus on survival. The climate may be your culprit.our culprit.
Occasionally, when a plant is under environmental stress, it will drop its blossoms in order to focus on survival. The climate may be y
I've noticed on a few of my squash plants the females dropped off before they opened. How has your weather been; a lot of heat or rain?
Occasionally, when a plant is under environmental stress, it will drop its blossoms in order to focus on survival. The climate may be your culprit.our culprit.
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stella1751
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I suspect both of you are right. It's all about conserving resources, sort of a Darwinian survival of the fittest. If the plant is concentrating on making a pumpkin in one area, it can't be bothered with worrying about making a female bloom in another.
I also need to remember that I have three pumpkin plants and one watermelon plant in the same 40 square foot raised bed. I do believe I will increase my fertilizing to once every five days instead of once a week. That might help.
Garden5, it has been hot, so that could contribute to the plant's unhappiness. Nothing but 80's lie ahead in the short term, so that could help.
I have one genuine pumpkin now! I can't tell you how fun it is to watch it grow. Like you, FieldofFlowers, I pollinated two at the same time, and only one made it. I have decided not to hand-pollinate any more of 'em. I think the bees are better at the job than I am
I also need to remember that I have three pumpkin plants and one watermelon plant in the same 40 square foot raised bed. I do believe I will increase my fertilizing to once every five days instead of once a week. That might help.
Garden5, it has been hot, so that could contribute to the plant's unhappiness. Nothing but 80's lie ahead in the short term, so that could help.
I have one genuine pumpkin now! I can't tell you how fun it is to watch it grow. Like you, FieldofFlowers, I pollinated two at the same time, and only one made it. I have decided not to hand-pollinate any more of 'em. I think the bees are better at the job than I am
I don't know if this is your problem too, but my garden flooded twice and it stopped flowers completely on watermelon plants and after 2 weeks one vine had a few males and one female, that female took and is growing, but I can already tell it will be a small melon. The flooding didn't do this to my honeydew or 3 cantaloupe varieties, but once the powdery mildew set in on those it has made most female flowers drop after they open. So if you don't have powdery mildew, it may be too much water. I really don't know as this is my first year, just thought I'd share my similar situation.