Anyone know about growing pumpkins

buttonsmum · 30-06-2008, 20:26

We decided to grow a pumpkin for Siobhan, We have planted it in some compost and are feeding it with tomatoe feed and making sure the compost is moist.

The leaves have grown guite large, and under them there appears to be some flower buds growing, does anyone know if we need to do anything with them or do we just leave them? will these form the pumpkin once they have flowered?

I'd hate for it not to turn out right and disappoint Siobhan.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

emzy · 30-06-2008, 20:30

My mums growing some giant pumpkins for my boys, she decided that she would do it instead of me as I managed to kill one of their sunflowers (there are still 3 surviving though) I will ask her tomorrow as she seems to be doing quite well with them and had to buy something bigger for them to grow in or something so seems to be going ok lol will let you know when I do

BERNADETTE · 30-06-2008, 21:01

Westender knows about this where is she???

Retlaw · 30-06-2008, 22:05

There are two kinds of flowers on a pumpkin, male and female, its the female flower that grows into a pumpkin, the male flowers need cutting off. Female flowers will have a green pod behind the flower, male flowers don't.

Keep well watered and feed tomatoe fertiliser once a week.

Best of luck
Retlaw.

Quote:

Originally Posted by buttonsmum

We decided to grow a pumpkin for Siobhan, We have planted it in some compost and are feeding it with tomatoe feed and making sure the compost is moist.

The leaves have grown guite large, and under them there appears to be some flower buds growing, does anyone know if we need to do anything with them or do we just leave them? will these form the pumpkin once they have flowered?

I'd hate for it not to turn out right and disappoint Siobhan.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

WillowTheWhisp · 30-06-2008, 22:11

Watch out for slugs! We had a great crop of pumpkins one year and then slugs got to the lot one night and chewed through all the stems!

West Ender · 30-06-2008, 22:24

Hello!

Yes I've grown pumpkins and I'm growing 2 plants this year. I grow mine in grow-bags, 1 to a bag, to which I've added a shovelful of farm manure. I also feed them every 2 or 3 days with Miracle-Grow.

Now then - the flowers - this is where you have to be like Robert Winston, well you don't have to be but it helps. Pumpkins have male and female flowers. The first flowers you get are likely to be male. They are bright yellow and have a long stamen, inside the petals, covered in pollen. Female flowers are also bright yellow but have a little bulge just below the flower (the future pumpkin) and a more complicated, rounded arrangement inside. (I know, it's getting very biological isn't it? It gets worse.)

Right, now you could leave the pollination to the bees and it might work. On the other hand, it might not, so this is where you come in. Watch your plants carefully and on the day you get both a male and a female flower opening together you need to get out there early (I'd say before 9 a.m.). Pick off a male flower and pull its petals off and you are then left with the pollen covered stamen. You then need to poke this stamen all around and into the stamen of the female flower, transferring the pollen. Once you've done this, with a bit of luck, the tiny embryo pumpkin will have been fertilised and will start to grow.

Best of luck, it's an absorbing hobby.

LancYorkYankee · 01-07-2008, 03:07

May I add that if you want alot of smaller pumpkins leave them on the vine. If instead you're trying to grow one or 2 larger pumpkins, pick off all the blossoms after you choose those 2. Alot depends on what kind of pumpkin seeds you have.

Good luck! Gardening is such a cool thing for kids to see.

Brian

buttonsmum · 01-07-2008, 20:11

Thanks all for your advice, it sounds as though we have been doing things right up to now.

I'll keep a daily look out for the flowers and keep you all updated.

entwisi · 01-07-2008, 20:16

The right things!!! the sodding things almost triffid like in size!

WillowTheWhisp · 01-07-2008, 21:15

Oh yes they do tend to grow at a pace akin to Jack's beanstalk

West Ender · 01-07-2008, 21:20

I never let the vines grow longer than 6 feet. If I did they'd fill the garden.

West Ender · 21-09-2008, 20:26

How's the pumpkin doing?

I've got 2 fruits growing, one's about as big as a football and the other (which is 4 weeks younger) is about the size of a Crown Green bowl. They're both still growing, still dark green and no sign of ripening yet. They should start going orange in a few weeks but, whether they do or not, we will have 2 decent "lamps" for Hallowe'en.

I'm still hoping to go for a "giant" one year but we need a good Summer for that. Maybe next year.......?