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How does my vine look?
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Posted by Hanover301 Z,7,Va (My Page) on Tue, Jul 5, 05 at 5:43
| This is my Big Max vine at 12 feet with a few pumkins not yet polinated. A couple of them already shriveled up and dropped off. It's growing out of the base of a compost pile and is now almost out to a more open area. Do you think things are looking ok so far?
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How does my vine look?
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| Looks pretty good. I'd hand-pollenate those pumpkins. |
RE: How does my vine look?
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The leaves look nice and healthy.
Can you tell the difference between female and male flowers? If it was the females that shriveled up, was it before the flower opened up? Douglas |
RE: How does my vine look?
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| Douglas, they were small female flowers with a very small pumkin at it's base. They shiveled up before the flower even opened. Possibly the heat and humidity here ? Other than that I also think it looks healthy. It sure needs lots of water though. I need to make plans when I go on vacation in a couple of weeks. Thanks for all the input. |
RE: How does my vine look?
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| Hanover, you may have water stress on the plant. I'd personally try some heavy watering for the next week, and see if that works for you. Remember, you only have a ONE day window when that female flower opens up. There could also be some other mineral deficiency. Douglas, can you suggest anything here ? I'm finding an interesting phenomena on my plant. I have a single large (and growing) pumpkin. Interestingly, none of the new female flowers have "taken" after pollenation now that this pumpkin is growing on the primary vine of the plant. In fact, as you've stated, Hanover, some of the females have shrivelled up before they've even opened. Since the rest of the plant appears healthy, I can only guess that the pumpkin is sucking up all the nutrients and leaving nothing for any of the other pumpkins. Or, maybe my soil can only support the one pumpkin. Using similar logic, perhaps there is a deficiency in your soil or watering. I'd say it's worth a try -- we're getting too late into the season for you to wait and see if the problem self-corrects. |
RE: How does my vine look?
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| Thanks for the response. Since my last post I have 2 pumpkins that I hand pollinated (the bee's were working them as well) which are now the size of a baseball. For now I'll have to deal with the heat and humidity. 96 again today and my plant is getting a gallon of water twice a day. |
RE: How does my vine look?
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| More water is needed. These plants on average need 600-700 gallons a week for every 1000 sqf. |
RE: How does my vine look?
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Hanover,
Too much heat can cause pollination problems.
There are some experienced growers on the east coast that have reported females aborting before they even open. Some growers have been quite concerned, and no clear cause has be found. There are probably a number of factors that come into play. Wayne's thoughts could be a possibility. It sounds like you got some pumpkins set. I'd definitely make sure they get enough water.
I've heard that too much nitrogen around pollination time can be a problem. It may promote leaf growth, and prevent fruit set. I hope your pumpkins continue to grow healthy. Douglas |
RE: How does my vine look?
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- Posted by Revilo SoCal z22/24 (My Page) on
Tue, Jul 12, 05 at 21:06
| I have also experienced what Wayne mentioned about troubles with pollination once a fruit is growing. I hoped to set a second pumpkin on my AG plant, but somehow the plant refused to do so; female flowers either shrivled up before opening or did not set fruit after hand pollination. |
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