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Kansas

Well as of today i've lost 7 pumpkins. They all will grow to the size of a softball and then lose their shine and turn white and die. It seems to take them 2 weeks to get to that size (which seems slow for an AG). Would really appreciate any advice on my condition. The plant looks and seems healthy, it just can't keep a pumpkin on it. I stopped all nitrogen feedings when i started to pollinate at the end of June and just this past Saturday(13th) i started up some 20-20-20. This is starting to drive me "CRAZY"..!!!!!! Has anyone out there ever experienced this?????? The plant was grown from an 878.5 Greer seed. Hell, i've been asking the plant whats wrong but for some dang reason she won't reply...so now i'm asking for answers on here. I know there are several experienced growers on here so i'm hoping for someone to give me the secret antidote to my problem. I guess the green thumb i thought i had is turning brown....lol....Thanks for all the replies i hope to receive. Shawn..

7/15/2002 10:18:32 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Hey Shawn, My exact problem last year.I don't know about his year yet. Last year the vine went crazy and the pumpkins always aborted. Took a long time for the amount of nitrogen I put in to leach out. My soil basin is almost solid clay so it doesn't run through. Then it got so hot the same conditions while the nitrogen was gone the heat wouldn't allow for pollenation so the pumpkins fell off. All about softball size. While nitrogen may have been the original problem what's the temperature like now. I would stick with a low nitrogen and cool off the females,try something like bloombuster and the ice bottles svrichb has been posting.

7/15/2002 10:35:59 PM

Edmonton, Canada

Hi Shawn, have you been pollinating the pumpkins by hand? If they aren't propely pollinated, they will grow for a while and then shrivel up, just as you described.

7/16/2002 10:09:00 AM

Ga.

Shawn,,,sounds like it could be too hot for a set,,or not good pollination....

7/16/2002 10:46:52 AM

Kansas

I have been pollinating by hand with 3 to 4 males to each female. The temperatures have ranged anywhere from 85 to 96 degrees F.and i have also been using the frozen water bottle technic and shading for cooling the females. Maybe i should eliminate all nitrogen feedings and just stick with potash??? Its just strange that they reach the softball size and die off...I know other growers in my area that are growing field pumpkins and they seem to have fruit they are surviving....up to basketball size and all they've been doing is watering, no fertilizers.??? Hope i can get this figured out soon as my weigh off is Sept. 5th. (state fair). I'll take all the help i can get from everyone who has suggestions. Thanks.....Shawn.

7/16/2002 1:50:09 PM

Tacoma, WA

I've been culling 10 pounders for several days now. It would be nice if "crazy glue" would work!! <g>

7/16/2002 2:45:03 PM

Mineral Virginia

Just to bolster the method, I tried pollinating one just by pulling the males off and rubbing the parts all over the females; about 4 males in all. I think that one aborted the minute I stepped back! I did one yesterday using a tiny flat artists brush and I must say if it doesn't take, well, I may have to just leave it up to the bees. I also used ice bottles yesterday and todayon that one. Avg temp here is mid to upper 90's, before you factor humidity.

Not that it means anything, but the brush pollinated one looks really good.

7/16/2002 2:57:19 PM

Edmonton, Canada

Sahwn, make sure you don't fertilize too much until you have one set. Sometimes, fertilizer can cause a fruit to abort.

7/16/2002 3:37:01 PM

Kansas

How does one know for sure that a pumpkin is "set"? I'm assuming that when one "sets", that means it continues to grow...marble size to golf ball to baseball to softball and so on. Is that correct?

7/16/2002 5:40:23 PM

Utah

stone_holder-
correct... set means it has been pollinated and continues
to grow. AG's can grow to basketball size and then still abort.
but they typically abort when they are softball size
or smaller.

7/16/2002 5:58:57 PM

Kansas

Thanks g1t....just wanted a clarification on that(set pumpkin). Shawn..

7/16/2002 11:06:43 PM