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Tx

Greetings- complete pumpkin newbie here, with a situation that I have never seen a specific answer to...

I planted my pumpkin seeds back in late april, and have gradually thinned them down for various reasons to one remaining vine, which is now approx 12-13 feet long. As it is in a smallish area in my yard, I have been training it, and it seems happy enough.

Now the situation...I have had constant and plentiful MALE flowers for a couple of months now, but have NEVER had a FEMALE flower...NOT ONE. EVER.

I am in North Texas, so it has had PLENTY of water this year, and plenty of sun as well, it is a good growing spot.

However, alas, Not a female to be found. I am about to paint a big rainbow on the fence, and pipe in some Village People. ;-)

Can anyone help? Anything I can do to discourage this stag party?

Also, now my vine is starting to sprout off from the base of the vine with a totally new branch, which is now about 3 feet long...should I cut it off or leave it?

Thanks for your patience and help!

Newbie Jay

7/22/2007 10:50:11 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

One vine?

7/22/2007 11:38:46 AM

Ham Lake, Minnesota

Sounds like you have one single long vine and no side vines except that one that is three feet, correct? I assume the plant knows that it does not have enough strength to attempt to fruit. Have you done soil tests? If the soil is poor, pH is down, small plant, no node roots, etc., I could see a plant not fruiting. Also could be in the genetics possibly? I have a cucumber plant that produces nothing but female flowers this year. Pretty dumb as it cant support that many and many abort. Let as much vine grow as possible, bury your sides, drench the mother and see what happens!

7/22/2007 11:44:12 AM

Tx

Yes, one long vine (12-13 feet) with one new offshoot vine from the base of the large one (3 feet). As I said, I only have a small space, approx 72 sqft. I planted 6, and I pulled the other vines early on beacuse they were not growing nearly as fast as this one.

Do I take the soil to a nursery to have it tested? What do you mean by burying the sides?

Thanks so much again for your help...my daughter has loved this whole project and fortunately she is young enough that she doesnt know what a rookie her old man is!

J

7/22/2007 12:23:41 PM

[email protected]

Understanding your space constraints it sounds like you're running out of room for the main. If so, the only option is to keep taking the secondary vines off of ONE SIDE. Then turn the main 180 degrees & head back toward the crown (base, stump, whatever).

Secondary vines are encouraged (and buried to promote rooting) as the more green pushing the fruit the bigger the fruit can become.

7/22/2007 1:22:25 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

J,
It's possible you may have some females in the growing tip of your mainvine. If you check, be careful, as things are tender in there. Some plants don't have their first female until past 12 ft. on the mainvine. I hope this is the case, and you grow yourself a nice pumpkin. If it's real hot down there, you may need to shade the end(tip) of your vine, so if there is a female in there, it doesn't get fried. If you do get a pollination, and it's hot(upper 80's F or greater), you should put some ice near the female, right after pollination, so it has a better chance of taking. Some use a gallon milk jug, filled with ice, and cover with a strofoam cooler. Good luck!

7/22/2007 1:29:39 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Agree Tom. Every time you cut a vine off (if it is a good portion of the plant) the plant can get shocked. Shock will cause the plant to go into survival mode (not fruit producing mode). Cutting off a leaf here and there is fine, but not large vines, and multiple times.

7/22/2007 9:14:10 PM

Tx

Thanks to all for the excellent thoughts...

Can someone explain what it means to "bury the sides"? And who do I see to have my soil tested?
Thanks again,
Jay

7/22/2007 11:21:45 PM

San Jose [email protected]

Jay

you have a main vine, its the one coming from the stump (steve loves this word), the one that is 13' long, anything coming out of the side of the main is a secondary or side vine, we usually bury them to promote some root growth, (the little buggers grow roots out of every leaf node)

now as for soil testing

do not worry this year, just go with what u got. Next year send your soil sample to A&L Labs, then post your results on these boards to get some advice

I gave a plant to a buddy of mine, he has hard clay, and just waters his plant, and i am sure he will see 200 lbs this year.

dont worry, just try to have fun your first year

good luck

gary

7/23/2007 1:02:02 AM

Tx

Thanks gary-
just to be clear- i should bury the entire 3 foot secondary vine that is now coming from the same stump that the 12 foot vine is coming from? Should I also be burying the tendrils that come off the sides of the main vine itself?
Thanks!
J

7/23/2007 6:55:52 AM

Selbyville, Delaware

Maybe it's a mutant.
One of my plants is a ribbon vine-no side vines, no females, basically useless.

7/23/2007 7:47:29 AM

Soil test - go to your local extension office.
Burying vines.... don't bury tendrils. Some growers cut them off, so growers keep them. It's up to you. Burying vines encourages roots to grow at each node (where the leaves attach to the vine) and keeps the vine in place during wind storms.

7/23/2007 8:35:24 AM

Midwest

njcooney: Have you considered using sticks, plastic hangers, fondue sticks, etc... to keep your secondary vines in place? If the main vine is growing down one side of the patch, I like Tremor's idea. If it's splitting the patch, you might want to attempt to think of some clever vine placement and you may be able to get longer secondaries and have a bigger plant to feed your pumpkin. IMO, it would be great to see secondary vines up to 8 or 10 ft. before cutting them. So, I'd leave the 3ft vine to grow more. About burying vines, there are people who bury the vine so you can't see it anymore. Only the tip of the vine is visible. Others cover the part of the vine where the leaves and vine meet. Both methods are used widely and work great. I pinch every tendril from my plant even before they uncurl.
Best wishes!
Greg

7/23/2007 1:54:16 PM

Tx

Success??
After reading Doug's message a couple of days ago, I took an old home depot bucket, sawed an opening from the lip of the bucket so that it could be placed over the vine without damaging it, to shield the tip of the 12' vine from the sun. Lo and behold, this morning, upon inspection, I am noticing what looks suspiciously like a female starting to form at the end of the vine!! when do you think I should uncover the vine, or should I just keep on shielding the female indefinitely?

7/24/2007 9:01:24 AM