From

Location

Message

Date Posted

central Nc

Flowers not even opened and all females have aborted so far. 3 on main and a few on secondaries. Could it be the heat? I keep them shaded but maybe that's not enough.

7/1/2018 8:30:40 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Yes Heat will do this.. Nitrogen also. How big is your plant?

7/1/2018 10:23:28 AM

central Nc

It's only about 150 sq ft. I cut the nitrogen off a while back and the vines have slowed a lot. Putting a whole lot of male flowers out. At this point I'd be happy with a 50 pounder...

7/1/2018 10:36:57 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

It’s still very early, 1k pumpkins have been pollinated in August. I find that in high heat the plant has to be very established to keep pollinations. I typically lose my first 3 or 4 every year.

7/1/2018 11:03:23 AM

Partlow,Va

What smallmouth said. Give the plants some P and no N. When the plant gets bigger some will open for you.

7/3/2018 3:25:50 PM

central Nc

thanks guys. no K yet either? I have been foliar feeding P and K at the same time.

7/3/2018 3:43:51 PM

Arizona

P/K are good that should help roots and flowering. I bumped my K up more this year and my plant is throwing blooms everywhere in 90 plus heat. Low aborts this year (none).

7/3/2018 8:01:18 PM

central Nc

Finally made it to flower opening so we'll see what happens. Of course the one on the main I've been watching opens tomorrow and I have to visit the in laws this weekend. :|

7/6/2018 7:56:00 AM

Syracuse, NY

i had my own first pollination of '18 this morning (1385 H/J X 1585 Werner) @ 8 feet (!), 4 lobes at 7 am, earliest ever in my life, i do believe--if you simply CANNOT be there to pollinate, i had a thought: (yessss, i do have them, lol---) why not do a delayed-entry pollination? you would strip a male flower of all of its petals that you have gotten, with the ENTIRE stem still attached to...perhaps stick the male flower into the center of the stigma and then zip tie the female's petals around it, and finally, if the angle of the female allows it, stick the male's stem into a ziploc bag or some container that has water in it...the whole idea would be to have the male flower populate with pollen at the right time, already in place IN the stigma when the stigma is ready. ever seen a movie where they put an aerosol can in the microwave and when THAT blows up, the gas leak from the stove blows up? same idea; if no one else tries it, i think i will, lol; i am down by 3 plants now: one still in a greenhouse had a willow limb fall on it, followed by SOME creature doing some burrowing around it, ewww, and two others i had left plastic bags on them to protect them from Roundup on Monday...it'll be a miracle if they even have a male flower by weighoffs, lol----eg

7/6/2018 3:12:21 PM

central Nc

HAHAHA. that is exactly what I did this morning! I just didn't want to say it publicly because I thought it seemed odd...

7/6/2018 3:22:10 PM

stoughton WI

We pollinated a kin and left the male flower inside the female and zip tied it,the next day I removed the petals on the female and the male. I believe with the temps we are having it caused the male to rot faster, which caused the female blossom to rot also. I then had to cut the female blossom off.

7/6/2018 3:44:16 PM

Grittyville, WA

Lol put the fuse in and stand back!! You guys are hillarious.

7/6/2018 3:45:47 PM

Grittyville, WA

I do think its worth a try but realistically would it require a lot of males to get full coverage..?

7/6/2018 4:07:28 PM

Syracuse, NY

if 'odd' ever grows up it'll be a four-letter word, lol---i am not thinking it would require more than one male..isn't it weird enough already? hah! once my plants each have one real pollination on them, i may try it on a side-viner to see all about it; thanks Rick for the insight about rottage, which i had not thought of; try even what HE did, Wolfpack 83, lol---eg---at least in-laws are not outlaws, i hope! eg

7/6/2018 4:23:53 PM

central Nc

Well I kinda just wedged it in there, didn't zip tie. Not worried about cross poll since it's my only plant. Got a roof over it but didn't consider rotting. Crap. Oh well I'll update soon on how it turned out

7/6/2018 6:13:41 PM

Walhalla, ND.

150 square ft. Is quit small. I have to ask are you self pollinating? If the females aren’t pollinated, they won’t grow.

7/6/2018 6:24:42 PM

central Nc

Think I finally got one to take. Fingers crossed.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=293972

7/18/2018 1:08:29 PM

On a cliff in the desert

I am experiencing the same problem as you Wolfpack. I sent a tissue sample to Western Labs yesterday to see what the problem is. I am giving my plants 20-20-20 weekly and Neptune Fish & Kelp twice a week.

7/18/2018 1:21:54 PM

central Nc

Cool, be sure to post what they tell you. I'm not sure if it is that the average highs have dropped about 5 degrees or that my plant is a little bigger now, but I got one on the secondary to take as well the day after the one I just posted.

7/18/2018 1:44:57 PM