Your comments and tips

03 Oct 08, Warren (Australia - tropical climate)

Liss, Pumpkins are not really heavy feeders in my experience also to seem to require little water. They really like sulphate of potash, that can be either burnt ashes or a comercial product. A few watering every 3 or four days will keep them thriving. A point to remember is that when the fruit begins to develop don't increase the water or the fruit may split. Hope this helps. Warren

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19 Oct 08, Geraldine (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hello Pumpkin Growers I am attempting to grow pumpkin for the first time. Do I need to grow at least 2 plants? I am not sure if the plants have both male and female flowers, or are single sex? Any tips appreciated; I do realise I will have to "encourage" pollination.

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20 Oct 08, Jaci (Australia - temperate climate)

Geraldine, each pumpkin plant should produce both male and female flowers. The earliest flowers that emerge will be male and all up there will be more of them produced in total than female. You may or may not have to encourage pollination. If you have bees hanging around they'll do it for you. Consider making your vegie patch more enticing to bees by companion planting some bright flowers (like calendula, nasturtiums, french marigolds, sunflowers, etc) to attract them. Anyway, the way to tell the difference between male and female flowers (in case you didn't already know) is that female flowers will generally have a bulbous base near the stalk, below the flower. Also, since they take up a lot of room, have you considered training the pumpkin vine along a fence or up the side of a garden shed? A workmate of mine had them fruiting up on his shed roof last summer.

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02 Dec 08, Millie (Australia - temperate climate)

How many pumpkins can I expect on each plant? Thanks

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28 Dec 08, Gina Pitronaci (Australia - temperate climate)

How does one know when pumkins are ready for picking? How long will a pumpkin keep, and what is the best way of storing them?

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04 Mar 17, Sam (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi peoples i have pumpkin (& potatoes..) growing around my compost :0/ i was wondering if i transplant the pumpkin do they like living in pots... i'm in a rental at moment so anything not in a container runs the risk of being left behind if we have to move at a minutes notice.... Thanks

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31 Dec 08, Dave (Spain) (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate)

Squash/pumpkins are ready usually from november through till feb,depending on when you sowed them.You can freeze cubed,without blanching ...easy!!

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02 Jan 09, Ray (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I am growing Butternut Pumpkins and am finding that a lot of the pumpkins are going soft and falling off when they are just starting to form , now I dont know if I am under or over watering

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30 Mar 15, colin (Australia - temperate climate)

the pumpkin has not been fertilised may be lack of bees so fertilise by stripping the male flower and dabbing it into the female flower and you get very good results with this method

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03 Jan 09, Brett (Australia - temperate climate)

We are not getting any female flowers at all on our butternut pumpkin vines. Does anyone have any clues? Last year was the same - not one pumpkin! Others we spoke to in our area had the same problem last year and we put it down to excessive heat, but this year has been much cooler so that debunks that theory.

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