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17 Apr 09 Robert B (Australia - temperate climate)

I have been growing Queensland Blues & Jap Pumpkins here in Sydneys West for a while and would like to know the following : Male flowers are plentiful usually at the start of the vine & female flowers are not as many but as the vine lengthens more females appear, so how far do you let the vine grow. If cut does the right ratio of flowers continue shoot or that stops everything, what you have is all you get and do you plug the cut end to prevent disease getting into the vine (read that on the net) Also everyone says when the vine withers pick your crop, mine was going great and green but I picked them (stem still green & firm) as I felt they were large enough but several had started to rot inside, we saved them luckey as another couple of weeks would have lost the lot. So how do you know when to pick. heard about tapping it sound hollow its ripe, pick a piece of skin with fingernail the skin can give you an idea. Noticed in the fruit shop many pumpkins have fingernail pieces dug out ??? somebody know something !!!!! As the pumpkin is pollinated & starts to grow do you sit it on a tile or similar keeping it off the ground ( for air & warmth circulation) sometimes when left on the ground the under side looks soft and worms and bugs seem to love that position.

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