Pumpkin and cucumber (forum)

Kalindi starts with ...
My pumpakin plant is growing vigorously. The leaves are big and has side shoots which are very healthy too. There are several un-opened buds, but they look like male flowers. What needs to do to get good crop of pumpkins?

MY cucumber also has male flowers.

Need guidance.

Time: 7th February 2013 10:02pm

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About the Author Kalindi
 
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John Mc says...
Male flowers usually appear first. They are on long thin slender stalks. Female flowers have a small baby pumpkin at the base of the flower and on shorter stalks. Check every morning till you see a female flower open, then pick (cut) a nice fresh male flower and carefully remove the petals. if it's ripe, bright yellow pollen will be falling off it everywhere. You have to transfer some of that pollen to the female flower. If you are successful, the baby pumpkin will start to get larger, if not, it will go yellow and fall off.

Time: 8th February 2013 7:48am

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About the Author JohnMc1
Warnervale NSW
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Diana says...
Hi Kalindi,

Pumpkins (where I live anyway) are a bit fickle and they tend not to have female flowers when it is very rainy, overcast or very hot (i.e. most of the time in summer, when they have to be grown). When they do, they will be near the end of the growing tip not in the older part of the vine. Pinching out some of the growing tips to make them branch apparently helps to encourage female flowers. Also, pumpkins (like zucchini) like slightly alkaline soil- they are more likely to give you fruit if you sprinkle some lime or dolomite around.

You can tell very quickly if you have successfully pollinated the pumpkin- they will start to grow fast about a day later.

Cucumbers pollinate much more easily- just leave them be and give them a trellis to grow up and you should get cucumbers.

Diana.

Time: 8th February 2013 9:49am

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About the Author Diana
Brisbane
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amanda says...
I am not getting any flowers at all on my Jap pumpkins :-( Despite the fact that the butternuts, cucumbers, zucchini, watermelon and rockmelon vines are loaded...?

The vines are huge and healthy...are all types of pumpkins fickle in Briz Diana?
Maybe try butternuts over summer?


Time: 8th February 2013 10:15am

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About the Author amanda19
 
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Diana says...
I have found that too, Amanda.
Some varieties give you more trouble than others. Butternuts are usually reliable. I have one too called 'Australian butter' than is pretty reliable (it is round, not a butternut). I want to grow ironbarks and chioggia, but they have never worked.

Diana.

Time: 8th February 2013 4:56pm

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About the Author Diana
Brisbane
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amanda says...
Well there you go - I wonder Jap pumpkins have temp preferences? We are cooler than you here, though...hmnn...

I grew some up in Geraldton Diana - they were an heirloom "selection" from Diggers (from memory..) and it's way warmer up there..I got heaps of them...
Trouble is they cooked themselves come December/Jan.. :-( Horrible!


Time: 8th February 2013 7:01pm

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Julie says...
Diana, you have chioggia? Didn't know you could get it in Oz.

I would love a few seeds if you can spare them.

I used to grow a pumpkin known as Chinese pumpkin. Beautiful flavour. It produced male flowers for ages before the female, and never at the same time.

So I collected the male pollen in the early am and kept in the freezer. I brushed it over the females when they arrived, and got quite good pollination.

Time: 8th February 2013 9:22pm

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Original Post was last edited: 8th February 2013 9:25pm

About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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snottiegobble says...
Julie, I should have heaps of seeds because I have a lot of very ugly Marina del Chioggia pumpkins growing! They grow as big as average Qld blues! Only 2 seeds germinated & grew in pots to be planted out mid spring.Now I have a job to find the summer squash & zucchinis because these things are so invasive!

Time: 8th February 2013 11:34pm

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About the Author snottiegobble
South of Bunbury
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Julie says...
Thanks SG. I would love to try these next year.

I was impressed at the description of Chioggia in 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my favourite writers. Recommended reading.



Time: 9th February 2013 9:20pm

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Original Post was last edited: 9th February 2013 9:22pm

About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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