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New Jersey

Hello - I am happy to have found this website. Planting my pumpkins has given me so much joy - I guess that is normal given this website.

My male flowers bloomed over the weekend and they open beautifully in the mornings. I am waiting patiently for the female flowers - but, so far, no signs - even buds- of females. I have seen a few flowers fallen off the plant onto the soil (see diary) I assume these are males, but wanted to get advice. Please see diary.

6/28/2018 11:17:52 AM

Hadley Ny

Looked for your diary and it wasn't there..males generally always start a week or more before the females..they start first to attract pollinators..bees. The female is only viable for several hours in the morning so the plant wants to make sure bees are in the area when the female is ready. Females have a pumpkin at the base and males only have a flower.

6/28/2018 11:33:14 AM

New Jersey

Ok thank you I guess my diary is still under review since I posted the photos.

6/28/2018 11:51:38 AM

Germany

The ones fallen down are old males, no need to worry about them. Be patient, females will show up when their time has come :)

6/28/2018 3:03:58 PM

Central NY

Welcome to the site...what kind of pumpkins ya growing?....and yea...the male flowers will dry up and drop off like that...nothing to worry about

6/28/2018 4:06:29 PM

Maryland

Hello there, i am pretty new as well. Goodluck with your pumpkins

6/28/2018 10:09:34 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Your plants in diary are pretty small and will start to run out along the ground. You have quite a few in a small space so you can select which ones to keep as they grow. Males will continue to outnumber and bloom before females all season. They are only good for a few hours in the morning they bloom then have no use. Pedals falling off is normal. Females of any variety will have a ball\fruit underneath were the pedals meet the stem. Keep posting in your diary and asking questions. Also let the plants root at each node along the vine as it spreads out to get more rooting and faster growth. A few walking boards (I just use fencing board) places systematically through out your growing area will also help promote root growth since you're weight will be confined to a small area on the soil all year.

6/29/2018 8:37:39 AM

New Jersey

Thank you all, I like this site a lot. This is my first year having a garden...ever. Space this year is small -digging up the grass and earth was hard work but worth it. If I can grow one pumpkin I will be happy. We started with 6 plants - bought at a local greenhouse. Dill's Atlantic and Magic lantern were the types. I put them in the ground beginning of June. I will take your advice and see which flowers pollinate and take, and select the ones that are growing to keep in the space. QUESTION: what do you mean by, "Also let the plants root at each node along the vine as it spreads out to get more rooting and faster growth"

6/29/2018 9:01:55 AM

Hadley Ny

The node is where ever a leaf appears. The vine will send down new roots at every node. If you bury the node or cover it with soil you will end up with a root system down the whole vine. You will see roots appear at the nodes if you look for them but they don't generally send out roots until the plant is vining. Your Atlantic Giant will take up much more room than the Magic Lantern but will also produce a much larger pumpkin.

6/29/2018 9:50:03 AM

President - GPC

Welcome to the BIGPumpkins site...Grow BIG!

6/29/2018 10:30:42 AM

New Jersey

THANK YOU ! Do pumpkins need extra watering on 100 degree days?

6/30/2018 10:47:43 AM

Hadley Ny

Generally yes because the heat will take the moisture out of the ground. Your leaves generally tell the story. If they look like half closed umbrellas they are thirsty and hot.

6/30/2018 12:19:11 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Most likely, but you need to read the soil. If it’s already wet, just mist the plants with cool water. Over saturated soil is a catalyst for disease.

6/30/2018 12:20:50 PM

New Jersey

Hello - diary updated - the atlantic giant plants are growing larger into one another and the vines are wrapping around another lantern plant. I decided, when the time comes, to keep the giant plants and remove the lanterns to give room to breathe. Well I have a feeling that time is fast approaching since they are going nuts. I am wondering if they need to space out and, if so, I don't want to interrupt any progress or mess around with them too much. Also, our plot is small. I'm looking at your plants and it is mind boggling that these are ONE PLANT. total beasts. When it is not 100 degrees, I will dig. wider plot makes more sense to minimize running out to ground? If i remove the other pumpkin plants, can I dig them out and transplant to another area? Also, still no females or sight of females. When it is time for pollination you will hear more from me. Thank you all

7/3/2018 9:11:38 AM

Syracuse, NY

Pumpkin plants do not transplant well, and take forever to get going once they are relocated, as they need to get their roots going very well to support the plant above; i have planted a cutting or two from a plant or two in my time, where one plant has died and i experimented with 'Frankensteining' another one in its place, and it did work..., lol---if you want to, instead of deleting all of the others, you COULD redirect one by slowly turning it toward a wayward part of the patch, removing whatever leaves and vines from it that are interfering with the AGs, but leaving (get it?) the growing tip and about a half-dozen newer leaves leading up to the tip until it gets to where you wanna let it 'bush out'; Indeed, you'll wanna research or look at another grower's diary to see about 'vine burying', to help establish a superior root system and stabilize the plant further, and you'll wanna get bamboo stakes in place to upright those few toppled leaves on one of your plants. looking good, though----eg

7/3/2018 9:59:39 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Hi Santa, what part of jersey are you at?

7/5/2018 11:11:45 PM

New Jersey

Orange - North!

7/7/2018 12:00:02 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

North Pole? :-D

7/10/2018 3:04:10 PM