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Spooner, WI

Having troubles pollinating this plant it's a very large and healthy plant but keeps aborting My first attempt was a nice large 4 lobe second attempt nice large 5 lober They seem to take and get to the size of a baseball then start cantalouping Third attempt tomorrow on a secondary Forth attempt about a week out on main . Starting to get late in the year. Any thoughts

7/23/2023 9:33:07 PM

Westmoreland, KS

I had the same issue with my 2356 Mendi last year I had to pollinate on this stage growth. I would just pollinate everything don’t stop with the watering or feeding.

7/23/2023 9:50:05 PM

Merrimack NH

Do the male flowers on that plant have pollen? If yes, sounds like too much nitrogen. That's my guess, unless you have a sterile plant, which goes back to the male flower question.

7/24/2023 10:06:27 AM

Colorado

Some plants just have too strong a vegetative engine and wont ever set a fruit.As Jake said pollinate everything sometimes theyll hit puberty and set a fruit late or on a side vine.

7/24/2023 7:58:11 PM

Spooner, WI

Male flowers have good pollen in them .Im going to start pollinating everything with a different plant culled original plant only used it as a pollinator. This plant didn't want to set a lot of females to start with. The plant next to it was set out at the same time and has a 400 pound pumpkin on it . Hopefully I can get it to take because it will have a lot of plant behind her.To much nitrogen possible not much you can do about that is their?

7/24/2023 9:00:37 PM

Lakewood, WA

John Taberna, soil scientist, recommended that I flush the extra nitrogen out of my patch by watering the heck out of it, back in my first season. Nitrogen flushes out easier than other nutrients. If you're concerned about flushing out other nutrients, you have the option of completing a soil test afterwards.

Good luck to you, OJ65!

7/27/2023 12:09:56 AM

Portland, Oregon

I know these messages are a couple weeks old, but the comment about the pollen on the male flowers caught my attention. I'm having trouble getting pumpkins to set this year too. I've been hand pollinating but I don't see any pollen on the male flowers. It's been a couple of years since I grew a pumpkin, and it seems like pollen is usually quite visible. Do some pumpkin plants fail to produce pollen?

8/11/2023 12:08:28 PM

Syracuse, NY

Sound like a question for the Pumpkin Experts.
I'll refrain from commenting but you could but don't have to email me at pumpkinpal@msn.com for what I think, lol---eric g

8/11/2023 12:51:51 PM

Spooner, WI

I think I finally got her to take I started pollinating all the side vines now I have four basketballs to choose from . I might grow them all because this plant is so massive with two to three foot stems with elephant ears. Besides getting late in the
year Portland are you checking your flowers early in the day before the bees get to them A bee will wipe them clean in no time.

8/11/2023 8:44:28 PM