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Any pumpkin growers?

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  • 21-09-2011 12:36pm
    #1
    Penname
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭


    My pumpkin plants have flourished but the little female buds all died off so I read up and it said to artifically introduce the pollen from the male flowers to the female..... did that and now I have only one pumpkin starting to grow....

    My question is: its very late in the season to be only starting to get a pumpkin now and with this cold weather that's forcast for October, how can I protect this little fella? :o


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    #2
    Corsendonk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Penname wrote: »
    My pumpkin plants have flourished but the little female buds all died off so I read up and it said to artifically introduce the pollen from the male flowers to the female..... did that and now I have only one pumpkin starting to grow....

    My question is: its very late in the season to be only starting to get a pumpkin now and with this cold weather that's forcast for October, how can I protect this little fella? :o

    Straw around the plant, I normally grow my pumpkins up in the air supported by string, I get less rots that way with good air flow around the fruit.


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    #3
    Penname
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Penname


    Thanks Corsedonk. Have loads of hay (have guinea pigs) so will do that. I counted three that are starting to swell up so hopefully they will grow into proper fruit.

    Can you tell me more about supporting them in the air?


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    #4
    Corsendonk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Penname wrote: »
    Thanks Corsedonk. Have loads of hay (have guinea pigs) so will do that. I counted three that are starting to swell up so hopefully they will grow into proper fruit.

    Can you tell me more about supporting them in the air?

    I grow mine indoors, I have crop wires 8 feet up in the air that I tie support strings to. It gives me a nice even colour without the scarring on the one side from sitting on the ground.


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    #5
    Penname
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Penname


    Oh right, I'm limited in that mine are outdoors in a slightly raised bed. Maybe when they're a bit bigger, I can get my other half to do something with them, re. suspension .... right now, they're very fragile, only about 2 inches from stalk to end.

    Thanks again for the advice.


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    #6
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    My other half has grown some "atlantic giant pumpkins" last year and this year.

    1 pumpkin plant alone spread over 18 feet accross the allotment.

    She covered in the bases with straw and also manure,then placed a layer of hessian fabric around them.

    It worked a treat,they are huge.:D


    P.S-Pumpkins need to be fed and watered alot once they take and the male and female polinate,as they thrive on this.


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    #7
    Penname
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Penname


    Thanks Paddy. 18 ft, that's fantastic. They really are amazing plants. Will try and take a pic of my two, they have burst out of the bed and are growing along the lawn.

    The year before last I had just the one plant with one golf ball sized lad that I was keeping my eye on. One day, I decided to look in under the plant and found a football sized one that had been hiding under the foliage. To say I got a great surprise is an understatement. :)


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