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Housatonic MA

My pumpkin plant is growing nice and is in very good health,the main vine is out about ten feet.I have a lot of male flowers that are opening up but on all my females the little pumpkin gets to about the size of a marble and stops and so does the flower on the female. This has happened on four of them. What could be the problem and what should I do? Thanks

7/3/2011 9:31:17 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Hey grump, it's been happening to many this year. How far along is the plant? I had that happen to at least 15 females on 3 plants (main and 2ndaries) and then something just clicked and now they are fine. Where are you located? Has it been unseasonably warm or cold... rainy? Keep the females shaded and I set out some iced 2 liters by them during the hot part of the day a couple days before they blossom.

7/3/2011 11:18:35 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

grumpy,
We use a product called Recover RX 3-18-18. A few applications and we had more flowers than we could have imagined! We actually had two plants growing females every leaf node for a few feet on the main.
I would apply a bloom booster type product such as the 3-18-18.
visit us at www.extremepumpkinstore.com
Thanks,
Tom

7/3/2011 12:36:26 PM

Joliet, IL

http://www.unitedstatesag.org/foliar_feeding.html

here is good read for foliar feeding and this topic was discussed on the general message board recently with a thread titled., "what is wrong with my females". i used the same product tom mentioned 3-18-18 this year to strengthen the females i was losing in the heat and rain a couple weeks back and the 1725 responded nicely then with females growing to full development. i foliar fed and drenched around the base of the plant. like tom said, the females then start popping and ususally remain healthy all the way through. high heat or a plant starved for water on a hot day will still abort a small female. the best way to prevent this is a small table over the female all the way through development to keep it shaded. i only do this on the mains or a secondary pumpkin that i need to keep for insurance reasons if the main has issues. i also put a fan on a small developing female at prime locations on the mains for 3 days prior to opening to 3 or 4 days after setting if it is over 85. and then use the ice bottle on the day of between the fan and pollinated female. it seems like a lot of work, but not really considering all the work to get to this point. best of luck.

7/3/2011 1:49:34 PM

Housatonic MA

Thank you to all for all the info so far. I am new at this as it is my first year. Tom in your reply you mentioned two different things to use. Are they the samething or two different chemicals? Thanks

7/3/2011 7:21:37 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

The same thing, it was called 3-18-18 and the mqanufacturer changed the name to Recover RX 3-18-18.

7/3/2011 7:30:01 PM