Pumpkins gone mad?
Question:My pumpkin plants all seem to be doing really well, except for the fact they are huge. They have loads of leaves, and main stalks seem to be creeping along the ground for about a foot and a half, with more leaves and flowers appearing on them every day. I did read somewhere about tipping the growing shoots, should I cut the main stem back, and if so how much? Is there a certain number of leaves/flowers the plants need?
Answers:
Yes, pumpkins go crazy. You must dedicate a lot of space to them.They will send several runners out about 25 feet out in any direction! If you want a lot of moderate sized pumpkins, just feed them with manure or compost in the hill, and lots (I mean LOTS of water). If you are wanting one huge pumpkin, don't "tip" the runners. Select one vigorous runner and pinch out the rest as they sprout out. If you pinch off the runner and it is already mature or tough, you create a hollow tube that the beetles, mold and fungus will invade. Then, when it blooms watch for the male and female blossoms. The females have a mini pumpkin at the base of the flower and the males don't. Let the females get pollinated, or set. If you don't have bees you can use a q-tip on a hot dry sunny day , to transfer the pollen from the male blossoms to the female. Then when you see that the female pumpkins are growing,(and not having blossom-end-rot) select 2 of the most vigorous pumpkins to keep. Pick all the rest off. Water. Side dress with manure or compost. Don't disturb the shallow roots with hoeing. Mulch with hay, or leaves or plastic, or cardboard. Water more. When you see that the skins are tough, and not invaded by bugs, be brave and pick one so that the other one can reach it's full potential. Let it grow, let the vine wither, but don't let it get frosted. Pick it. You will have a prizewinner. Most of all, have fun and have pie.
looks like your gona have some SMASHING PUMPKINS well someone at to say it . LOL
a healthy pumpkin plany will always grow hugs and to produce good pumpkins needs loads of manure/feeding!
check out this site for more info!
http://www.farm-garden.com/growing-veget...
I've never cut back my pumpkins, have always let them go.
I did find this website for you. Even though it's about giant pumpkins, I would think that the techniques could be applied to other varieties.
http://www.homestead.com/henryholman/fil...
Good luck!
With all this warm, moist weather the pumpkin family is really thriving. Does your plant have only male flowers on it? Or also females (they are the ones with a mini pumpkin between the yellow of the flower and the stalk). If only males flowers, then pinch the end to encourage side shoots and hopefully some female flowers. If the plant has already made fruit, it will automatically concentrate its energies on these fruits and not on growing further. The plant will always first make about 5 male flowers before a female flower to ensure pollination. Pumpkins can grow way more than 3 feet, so yours is still a baby. A hubbard squash takes 120 days from sowing to first flower. Its still early in the season, so wait a week and see if some fruit is made, otherwise pinch the tip of the growing shoot to encourage side shoots it the main stem does not have any female flowers or buds on it.
Pumpkin plants spread. If you have the room, let them spread. Last year, 3 pumpkin plants covered 1/4 acre of my land. I have seen people who keep the plants cut back to 5-10 feet of main stem per plant; this will produce fewer and larger pumpkins. It's your choice!
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