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Tasmania Australia

Hi, just after a bit of information or help on what I might need to do here.
I have three plants, all about 300 sq ft in size at the moment and still growing.
I have pollinated two of the plants myself, then tied the flower shut.
It has been about a week, and so far they are only at the size of say a tennis ball or orange.
Is this normal to be this size or should they be much larger than this by now?
One is a 2032 Mathison and the other a 1666 Holland.
I have been regularly fertilizing them with fish meal, maxicrop (trace element fertilizer) and calcium.
About two apart for each different fertilizer.
Only applying it to the underside of the foliage.

Any idea on what I might need to do to get them sizing up?
Should I add a foliage spray of Potassium?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.

1/19/2015 2:02:06 AM

Colorado

They may not have set.Keep pollinating and shade those young candidates.If they have set theyll shine up and start to grow about day 6.

1/19/2015 2:36:33 AM

Tasmania Australia

ah, ok, so by saying they are might not be set, they might take a little bit longer before anything happens?
Keep pollinating new ones on the main vine and say wait two weeks then if the others haven't moved, take them off?

1/19/2015 3:02:26 AM

Central NY

Yup

1/19/2015 9:18:26 AM

Cameron

At day 7 it's normal to be @ the size of an orange. Like Joe said they really don't start growing until day 5-6. Take a Cir measurement at day 10. If it's 17" or more, it likely took. I've had day 10 measurements from 15" to 27" & believe it or not, the smallest measurement ended up growing our biggest all-time. You never know. If it didn't take, you'll know soon. Keep pollinating new ones until your sure. Good luck.

1/19/2015 12:22:38 PM

Tasmania Australia

Cheers, appreciated.
Will keep pollinating and see how they go.
Appreciated.

1/19/2015 1:26:53 PM

Tasmania, Australia

Howdy bluesilver,
Greetings from down south.
Im growing a few plants down the Huon, 2 are only at orange size, one a little larger,
the wet windy weather we had slowed everything down a bit.
But if they have got to orange size they should be fertile. Start measuring and hopefully see some growth with the warm day this week,
cheers AC

1/20/2015 4:35:24 AM

Tasmania Australia

Hi AcPumpkin, I am up in Devonport area, been pretty warm up here, measured one last night to be at 8 inches,
(tap from the ground over the top to the ground on the other side) think this is the correct way.
Measured it just now, it has now gone to 9 inches, so might be on the way now.

1/21/2015 12:34:34 AM

East Jordan, MI

be VERY CAREFUL when handling (measuring) the babies when they are that small, you can cause them to abort. We never touch ours with our hands (wear latex or nitrile gloves to protect from salts from sweat as well as dirt) or measure until the pumpkin is about 20 days old. Every little scratch or scrape will be multiplied by 100s after the pumpkin is full sized.

To tell if it set, look for shiny skin and some growth. The generally start kicking it into high gear around day 10-15 and you can tell they are growing for sure. If they haven't set, they start getting dull and stop growing around them too.

Good Luck

1/22/2015 6:00:47 PM

Tasmania Australia

Cheers, some great information there.
Definitely has set now, growing at a rapid rate, can see the size difference easily now form one morning to the next.

1/22/2015 11:28:42 PM

Stanwood, Washington

Some times it just takes them a little bit of time to get rolling.

Here was my pumpkin on day 10 last year.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=220519

11 days later it was this big
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=221544

It ended up at 1223 pounds.

2/11/2015 2:25:02 PM

Tasmania Australia

Cheers Captain 97, starting to put on an average 10 - 20 pounds per day depending on if the day is cool and overcast or sunny and hot.
So far they are measuring 70 inches circumference, so hopefully they might start to grow big.

2/12/2015 12:07:10 AM