Pumpkins..

[Aya]

How are everyone's pumpkins coming along? I managed to get one growing pretty good, and today I noticed it has 2-3 tiny vines starting to grow.. are they on track? I assume they are harvested in October-ish but I thought I'd check in and see how everyone else's are doing as well

[TheWaterbug]

Mine . . . are . . . growing . . . slowly. I only have 3-4 true leaves on each, probably due to low temperatures this "summer" in So Cal. I think we've had only 3-4 days over 75 so far. I also just transplanted them 2 weeks ago (sown from seeds in starter cups) so I'm sure there's some settling in time, too.

But growth seems to be geometric; it seems slow until it reaches some critical leaf area, then it explodes.

My corn seemed to behave this way. It was really quiet for 4-5 weeks, then ~2 weeks ago it really accelerated. It seems like it's visibly taller every day now.

So I'm just waiting for my pumpkins to kick in. Hoping for some hot days.

[SPierce]

Mine are going nuts!

Well, one of the two I have in my main garden is... one's moving rather slowly, and seems to be having a hard time- but the others' vine is 6 feet long, and growing every day!

I need to start training it in a particular direction, then up and over the fence to the lawn so it has room to sprawl out... I may actually get a pumpkin this year! woo hoooo!

[TheWaterbug]

Mine are going nuts!

When did you plant/transplant?

[Aya]

We've also only had a few days over 75 degrees, I'm hoping I get a pumpkin this year as well. This is my first year planing them, do they have to be re-planted every year or will it settle in like a fruit bush and come back next year?

[SPierce]

Mine are going nuts!

When did you plant/transplant?

May 19th, I think... the plant I thought was going to do horrible, the leggy one, is the one that's doing awesome. The one I thought was going to do great, is the one going slow! Both were planted as seedlings started from seed

[TheWaterbug]

Mine are going nuts!

When did you plant/transplant?

May 19th

I sowed mine on May 7th, but they didn't even break soil until 3-4 weeks later, which is weird. Last year I remember them all coming up at around 2 weeks, although last year I sowed on June 20. So maybe these guys have an internal calendar or something.

[DoubleDogFarm]

We've also only had a few days over 75 degrees, I'm hoping I get a pumpkin this year as well. This is my first year planing them, do they have to be re-planted every year or will it settle in like a fruit bush and come back next year?

Sorry, You will have to plant them every year.

I'm way behind this year. My squashes and pumpkins are still in their pots. I hope to have them in the ground tomorrow. Little dessert pumpkins, Sugar Pie.

Eric

[SPierce]

When did you plant/transplant?

May 19th

I sowed mine on May 7th, but they didn't even break soil until 3-4 weeks later, which is weird. Last year I remember them all coming up at around 2 weeks, although last year I sowed on June 20. So maybe these guys have an internal calendar or something.

not sure.. I started inside, in a plastic baggy- then into 4in pots, then in ground. then once I planted them in they went nuts!

[Aya]

I have sugar pie I believe. At the start of the season I had one big max and one sugar pie, so I'm not really sure which of the two survived - but if I had to guess, I'd say it was the sugar pie : )

[garden5]

We've also only had a few days over 75 degrees, I'm hoping I get a pumpkin this year as well. This is my first year planing them, do they have to be re-planted every year or will it settle in like a fruit bush and come back next year?

Sorry, You will have to plant them every year.

I'm way behind this year. My squashes and pumpkins are still in their pots. I hope to have them in the ground tomorrow. Little dessert pumpkins, Sugar Pie.

Eric

Technically, they have to be replanted every year. However, if you leave a pumpkin or 2 to rot in the garden (or at least throw the pulp in the pumpkin patch when you're cooking them), you may have the next best thing to a perennial pumpkin.

However, the seeds will probably be cross-pollinated, so no guarantees on the variety that will show up.

[csvd87]

I have Small Sugar, just 1 plant, its doing quite well, first attempt, sowed the seeds around May 28 ish. June has been pretty sad, a few hot sunny days, but mostly cloudy with some rain. Hopefully we have a July and August like last year.

[TheWaterbug]

I put in 30 Jack-o-Lanterns and 6 Big Max. The Big Maxs germinated much sooner than the JoLs, but I transplanted them later, so they were a bit root-bound by the time they went in. I don't think they were very happy about that.

So the JoLs have passed the Maxs for growth recently, though none of them is breaking any records. I have hope, though, because its supposed to break into the 80s towards the end of this week, and then I go out of town for 5 days. Stuff always seems to grow faster when I'm not looking

Re: pumpkins being annuals, they have to be one of the largest annuals with respect to biomass. Think of all the foliage, roots, and fruit that grows in one short season, only to return the soil right afterwards. Kinda humbling.

[rootsy]

I'll let you all know in a week or two. Just put seed in the ground late last week. I love my new air planter.

Planted 90 and 95 day varieties... I hate having ripe pumpkins in Mid September...

[TheWaterbug]

Planted 90 and 95 day varieties... I hate having ripe pumpkins in Mid September...

Mine are likely to ripen way early. I planted early as an over-reaction to last year, when I had a field full of green pumpkins for Hallowe'en.

I know that pumpkins can keep for 2-3 months if cured properly and stored in a cool place, but how long will they keep on the vine past maturity?

Last year some of the Hallowe'en party guests kept their painted pumpkins well past Christmas, but those were off the vine.

[cherishedtiger]

Mine went nuts after a the summer rain the other day. I have several flowers, vines going everywhere... but keep in mind I only have 2 plants. Very small back yard garden. I started mine -early to mid May, cant recall the exact date, but we have had several 100 degree days here so we have the heat that many seem to be lacking.

[Aya]

I've seen some flower buds on mine, but they aren't open yet. I also have approximately 4 vines starting - will each vine produce a pumpkin? (They are sugar pie)

[DoubleDogFarm]

will each vine produce a pumpkin?

I harvested 4 to 6 pumpkins per Sugar Pie pumpkin plant last year.

Eric

[SPierce]

My smaller pumpkin plant is starting to flower!

My bigger one grew bigger, also, and I cleared out another garden box for it to take over.

I'm excited! For once, I might actually have some pumpkins before Halloween! Excited!

[TheWaterbug]

will each vine produce a pumpkin?

I harvested 4 to 6 pumpkins per Sugar Pie pumpkin plant last year.

I got anywhere from 1 to 5 from each of my Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin vines last season, with an average of exactly 2.5.

[Aya]

Interesting, I wonder if it'll get warm enough here for there to be ripe pumpkins for Halloween

[BP]

My Atlantic Dills are just starting vines, so there is a lot of growing to come.

[Aya]

I just thought about this.. since squash need pollinators to produce fruit...do pumpkins as well?

I hope not, I only have one pumpkin plant!

[SPierce]

I just thought about this.. since squash need pollinators to produce fruit...do pumpkins as well?

I hope not, I only have one pumpkin plant!

I think they do. But if you have male and female flowers open at the same time....

[sheeshshe]

I think I"m way behind. mine have 1 leaf LOL!

[TheWaterbug]

I just thought about this.. since squash need pollinators to produce fruit...do pumpkins as well?

I hope not, I only have one pumpkin plant!

Not to worry. Plants make both genders of flowers, and if you don't have enough bees (or if you're paranoid:)) you can hand pollinate.

[Aya]

How do I hand pollinate?

[BP]

Real easy to hand pollinate melons and pumpkins. Pick a male flower off the vine and peel petals off, then stick it in the female flower and move it around.

[Aya]

How do I tell the difference between male and female flowers?

[Ladybug027]

How do I tell the difference between male and female flowers?

The female flower will have a fruit (ovary) under it and the male will not.

[BP]

Sorry I don't have a pumpkin to show you, but these will have to work. This is a female watermelon flower. The flower is shrivled up, but you get the idea. That baby watermelon behind the flower shows it is female.
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/garden%202010/003.jpg[/img]

Another female watermelon flower
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/garden%202010/015.jpg[/img]

Female cantaloupe flower.
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/garden%202010/008-3.jpg[/img]

A male flower will look the same, but no baby fruit behind it.

[Aya]

Yay! Thank you for the help : )

[cherishedtiger]

So... almost seemingly overnight my 2 have exploded! I have over a dozen flowers, both male/female. Vines going everywhere! This 100+ degree heat has made them grow like crazy! Very few bees so I will be hand pollinating. I use the Q-Tip method, get pollen from the male flower on the Q-Tip and then brush that around the female flower, worked for my squash last year... sorta...
Cant wait to see how many pumpkins I get from my two plants, cant recall what variety they are off the top of my head...

[TheWaterbug]

So... almost seemingly overnight my 2 have exploded! I have over a dozen flowers, both male/female. Vines going everywhere! This 100+ degree heat has made them grow like crazy!

We're still only in the low/mid 80s, but I'm out of town for a week, so I'm sure I'm in for a big apparent change when I get back. Stuff seems to grow faster when I'm not looking anyways

The day before I left (July 4th) I had some leaves that were the size of my hand. I'm hoping for dinner plates by the time I get back.

[TheWaterbug]

Here's the dinner plate!
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/PumpkinLeaf071011.jpg[/img]

There's a quarter on the leaf, for scale.

I have a few vines that are ~3 feet long now:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/PumpkinVine071011.jpg[/img]

and some of them have a few male flowers. So I think we're in the "rapid vining" stage now, and they should probably grow very fast. The same quarter is on the rightmost leaf, for scale.

[SPierce]

Mine is starting to flower, too ! All male, but I hope females aren't far behind. The plant on the upper left is also a pumpkin, and also flowering, but it's shorter. The one on the right was a leggy seedling I thought had no chance, and the one on the left was the one I thought was going to be strongest! No idea why they turned out the way they did-the one on the right just hit 9 feet long, but they certainly are strange!

I *REALLY* need to figure out what to do with it when It climbs up and over my garden fence... there has got to be some way to protect the vines from the chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits in my yard!

[img]https://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/Liskarialeman/Pumpkin-2.jpg[/img]

[TheWaterbug]

I *REALLY* need to figure out what to do with it when It climbs up and over my garden fence... there has got to be some way to protect the vines from the chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits in my yard!

IME the critters don't bother the vines too much, especially once they reach that size, but they definitely go after the fruit. I had squirrels eating my female flowers as soon as they bloomed; most of them never had a chance to get pollinated before they got chomped:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/DriedBlood2.jpg[/img]
See the red circle? There it isn't! That brown stuff on the ground is dried blood, sold as a foolproof critter deterrent.

If the pumpkins actually got pollinated, here's what happened soon afterward:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/PumpkinCarnage.jpg[/img]

As it turns out, the only solution that actually worked was a physical barrier, like these:

[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/AntiSquirrelCages.jpg[/img]

I put one over each female flower and secured it with 3-4 plastic stakes. Then, as the pumpkin grew I replaced the smaller cages with larger ones until harvest time.

I'm using the hideously expensive plastic chicken wire, because my kid helps me make it and install it, and I didn't want him messing with sharp metal, but regular chicken wire would work fine.

I think I only lost 1 out of the ~60 or so pumpkins that I protected this way. The critters actually pulled up the cage and went in for the kill! But only once.

[bogydave]

Mine doing OK I think. 2nd year for trying pumpkins. Last year I grew a nice one for a jack-o-lantern, tis year 2 types, one med size & one small sweet for pies. Getting pumpkins forming so good for my area I think.
I have to hand pollenate, not may bees here.
[img]https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/bogydave/pumpk7-10-11.jpg[/img]