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Sacramento, CA

So in my first year here I am learning about aborting fruit. Going in to this, I assumed that unless something bad happened, a pollinated flower=a pumpkin. What I think I am noticing is that the first 2-3 females that do open (after a couple that dont) will abort and only after that, can you actually get a pumpkin.

Am I correct in this? I am already thinking of next year. I feel like a Cubs fan.

8/29/2006 12:13:31 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Normally what happens is you notice the bulb from the female in a cluster. As it matures, you watch it until you see it pucker. Then you Protect it that night. Find your males and protect them also. We put our in a vase in the house. The next morning you wake up like a kid on christmas day. Bring your now open males out to the female. Remove her protective cover. feel the flowers away from males revealing the stamen. Then pollinate the female. Aborting females or females never opening is not normal. Usually a sign of high heat or soil defiency.

8/29/2006 1:56:48 PM

San Diego

with proper soil and weather, your first female should open and pollinate, what you are describing is not normal. Jimmy

8/29/2006 3:05:14 PM

Sacramento, CA

Linus,

I have followed those steps on the pollination. I have had them abort at golfball and baseball size and now one at football size and shape. Sounds like I have some work ahead of me over the winter (obviously winter is a relative term in California).

Anyone else have some comments??? I love to learn.

Matt

8/29/2006 3:12:37 PM

Deer Park WA

Usually the 1st couple of females are to close to the stump (we like ours at least 10' out). We have had some of the early females abort and attribute it to too much nitrogen in the soil/plant as it tranisitions from rapid plant developement to fruit setting stage.

8/29/2006 3:12:51 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

1st thing a soil test..

8/29/2006 3:41:35 PM

Utah

Matt,
I think Shannon nailed it with ...
" Aborting females or females never opening is not normal. Usually a sign of high heat or soil defiency. "

Only I think in your case it is high heat and soil defiency. Since you live in a "hot" area of the country creating good soil is especially important for you. I live in a "hot" area too and have had the same problems.

Good soil creates better plants Better plants have stronger leaves, vines and root systems.
These allow your plant to be healthier and better able with stand the stress associated with higher temperatures. Thus your bigger, stronger plant is able to keep females from aborting before and after they open. Shading the females and maybe the whole plant can also help on the heat side of the problem.

To grow pumpkins in Potting soil would the ideal. But I doubt that you want to remove your current soil and replace it with potting soil.... that would be expensive. The next best way to improve your soil is to add lots of organic matter, OM. This makes your soil more like the ideal. The best types of OM to add are compost, leaves, manure, grass clippings etc...
Usually growers try to amend there soil in the fall. But well composted materials can be added anytime. Fresh manures should be added in the fall. Fresh manures have excess Nitrogen which can burn a young plant or prevent a plant from producing females (Like Gads said).
Read up on improving your soil and pile the OM on this fall and I bet you have a much better season next year. best wishes.

8/29/2006 4:40:36 PM

Sacramento, CA

This is great info... more please. I was thinking I should do a soil test, then plant a cover crop for the winter. then the store bought compost after the crop is done.

"first females" were 18 feet out. the few I have still alive are 20-35 feet from the stump.

Since I added a lot of manure and coffee grounds and did not till the soil, is that going to be hard to get a soil test on? Am I going to have to till the soil, then test?

And hot is right. 110+ on about 10 days, 100+ for an entire month. Hottest July ever in Nor. Cal.

8/29/2006 5:33:56 PM

Kuna, Id.

For soil test I take a cup of soil from about 20 spots, dump it in a 5 gallon bucket, put the lid on shake the crap out of it, roll it around, flip it end from end, and then take a sample out to be tested. My soil guy says thats the best way to get an idea of the hole patch not just one area.

8/29/2006 5:41:55 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Take a sample of the compost your using as well. God only knows what they've been composting. Also when taking your sample, use a stainless steel shovel & make sure you take a good 6" slice of dirt at each spot. Hope this helps.

Phil

8/30/2006 6:29:21 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Only apply your nitrogen in a 12 foot circle around the stump area...This will make sure the vine doesn't keep growing wildly without producing females or aborting them.

8/30/2006 8:25:13 AM

Midwest

gordon nailed it. The plant's health depends on the soil and so prepare the soil carefully. The internet has so much info on this(and there's a book about soil health - see the Compost tea forum). It's where you should begin. And, this website helps so much when it comes to techniques that help with everything about growing AGs. I tried ice this year for the first time and it did help. We don't get the heat your describing but, we do get 90+ degree days and that's enough to abort a pumpkin. We also have (that baseball team that never wins).

8/30/2006 2:04:27 PM