Your comments and tips

21 Apr 10, Natasha (Australia - temperate climate)

I had two pumpkin vines grow out of the compost around december in which they are nice and healthy looking vines now and they both started to flower over a month ago. Every morning I check to see if any of the female flowers are opening in which I would then hand pollinate with a few male flowers. Although I have been trying to hand pollinate each female flower, they do not seem to continue to grow. The female fruit just withers and dies off without any progress in size. Can anyone give any advice? Thanks!

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29 Mar 10, Chris (Australia - temperate climate)

Have recently purchased a Kuri pumpkin and ready to plant its seeds I am told it has always been grown in isolation and boasts a pure history. Does this really make a difference if cross pollination occurs or should I maintain a single variety policy

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21 Mar 10, Steve (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Great tip from Yarralumla Nursery: I've had trouble getting my pumpkin fruit to set. I get small fruit up to 10cm that then wither and die. I've corrected acid, I've hand pollinated, I've water regularly and fertilized heavily, all to no avail. Someone at the nursery asked if the plant was large, healthy and still producing shoots - yes it was. They suggested clipping the ends of each tendril/shoot to stop it growing so the plant can concentrate on growing fruit, not leaves. It seemed to work - the next few flowers to polinate have progressed to a mature pumpkin.

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21 Mar 10, Nick (Australia - temperate climate)

I have planted 3 butternut pumpkin plants and they have all grown rambling vines about 3m long. Each has flowered and started to produce fruit but the now the leaves closest to where the plant comes out of the ground have all dried, died and fallen off the vines. This has left me with about 1m of dry woody stem and then 2m of plant with lush green leaves and small healthy looking fruit. This is the first time I've planted pumpkin so I don't know if this is normal behaviour for these plants or whether there is a problem with them. Any advice greatly appreciated.

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19 Mar 10, Ben Linke (Australia - temperate climate)

Hello, in early december 2009 i noticed a few pumpkin plants starting to appear in my chicken cage. i started watering them as soon as i noticed them growing. it took about 1 and a half months to take off and produce flowers. but the flowers kept falling of the stems and still are, what do i do to stop the falling off??. the plants are now covering about 25 to 30 square metres and climbing up the fences and on the roof. i have about 8 pumpkins on the plants, 3 which are quite large. because they grew with out my intensions i am unaware what varietys they are.. i am willing to send pictures to anyone who could please help me identify them!.. im almost certain that 1 of the few plants is a butternut... Help Me Please.... Ben

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12 Mar 10, David Pratt (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

With my Butternuts i use a half inch paint brush to pollinate my plants as i have seen very little bees about just go from flower to flower i have about 8 pumpkins per plant at the moment ( Just look to see theres a little bit of yellow on the brush and Bobs your Uncle )

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07 Mar 10, Bill Crosbie (Australia - temperate climate)

My butternut pumkins form, but die off after reaching only about 10 cm long.Out of one vine I have only managed one only fullsized pumpkin whereas I have lost about 6 to 8 . Soill is sandy with mulch, horse & sheep manure, and watered daily with plenty of sun. I need help for next season please?

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02 Mar 10, hayley (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Hi, I'm new to this. I am growing butternut pumpkins. They have spread everywhere and are getting beautiful yellow flowers but no pumpkins. What am I meant to be doing? I have had success with my snowpeas, corn and carrots...just not pumpkin. Can someone please help?

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22 Feb 10, Leonie (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi have had great sucess planting a pumpkin in straight compost. It has loved it and one plant has given me four decent size pumpkins with some smaller ones growing. Have trailed it up on some plastic lattace over a water tank which has worked a treat!

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21 Feb 10, kylie (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, I have a pumpkin vine growing in my garden that must of been here b4 i moved in and it has sprouted on it own. It only has 1 decent size pumpkin on it but i am not sure how to tell when it is ripe i live in perth western australia.

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