Pumpkin Growing Challenge !!

Flowerpot:

As Bilbo says the stem of the female flower is swollen with an immature fruit at its base.


LEFT: Male RIGHT: Female



Edited to add a better pic.

LEFT: Male RIGHT: Female

 

Female flowers show the beginnings of a pumpkin behind the flower, males just have a long green stem.

Female flower.

 

Beat me to it Melinda

Should add they grow better if left attached to the plant.:D

 

Dig the soil in a full sun area a foot deep. Add compost, if needed, to lighten the soil for improved drainage. Plant your seedling into the soil as deeply as it was already growing inside its pot after the threat of frost has passed for your region.


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<li class="step"> Fill a watering can with a gallon of water and mix in as much 15-30-15 fertilizer as recommended for that quantity of water. Water the seedling with this feed solution. Prepare a gallon of this feed mix and water the seedling with it each week through May and June.


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Spread well-rotted manure in a 4-inch deep circle around the base of your pumpkin plant in early July.


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Mix the appropriate quantity of a 20-20-20 fertilizer with a gallon of water following the directions on the packaging. Water the pumpkin plant with this water mix every week during July.


<li class="step"> Look for the plant to begin to set fruit. Select one to two of the strongest looking immature pumpkins on the vines to keep. Pinch off or cut with a knife the excess length of vine at a point 2 inches beyond where the fruits you will keep have set.


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Pinch off and remove any other pumpkins that have begun to grow as you see them. Slip a board underneath each immature fruit you have chosen to leave on the vine.


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Mix a gallon of water with the recommended quantity of 15-10-30 fertilizer each week starting in August. Continue to mix this solution of feed and use it to water your pumpkin each week until the plant begins to whither and the pumpkin ripens.

 

Thankyou everyone for your help now i know what i'm looking for and what to do, hopefully will be posting a piccie of my first Pumpkin fingers crossed :D

 

Victory is Life Pete, Victory is Life.

:D



Good luck Flowerpot!

 

My giant must be around 8 ft long now, no flowers yet but racing away. Will get a photo of it tomorrow. How about some photo updates everyone?

Steve...

 

This was last week,

 

Just took this one.



Hope I'm not too early to let this one grow.

 

Am i too late to plant some ??? if not i would love to take part.

 

I think you might be a bit too late Roslyn, they need as long a season as is possible,
that's not to say you cant grow a couple of plants, but you would be at a disadvantage.

 

We're hoping to make a challenge an annual event on GC Roslyn, so even if yours doesn't get away in time there is always next year

 

Shame you don't live closer Roslyn as I have some spare in pots and with their first flowers coming that you'd be welcome to...

I'm a little behind too with the 'Giants' (I have another variety that is flourishing and has been flowering for 3 weeks :thumb, so I'll just have to see how they get on..