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WALES, NEW YORK

Just curious... does anybody pollinate more than one on a main vine or go with one?? also if more than one is pollinated does it seem that the original one set tends to abort ??

7/14/2013 10:29:55 PM

Ny

I always pollinate more than one on the main vine. I had a pumpkin this year that was growing about 4-7 inches in circumference each day. Right now it's at about 350 pounds. Unfortunately, a few days ago it recently had a partial split at the stem. Luckily, the split did not appear to effect the main vine. Now the pumpkin is only growing at about an inch a day at best. I did pollinate other flowers on that same main vine. The second and third ones aborted after good starts. Flower number four, however, has a pumpkin currently growing at just as fast of a rate, if not faster than the first prior to that stem injury. Having one or more on a main vine to me is extra insurance in case something goes wrong with any single pumpkin. Unfortunately, unexpected pumpkin problems can pop up on any given day. I've learned the hard way.

Usually I try to pollinate 3 or 4 on the main vine and then go with the one that has the best qualities in the end. I've often found that the decision on what to keep becomes almost a no brainer over time. In my experiences I've found that the first one set tends to grow the fastest and the latter ones will be the more likely to abort or at least grow much slower, but that isn't always the case.

7/15/2013 3:20:10 PM

Cincinnati,OH

I keep pollinating the main vine kins. The first one to set (about day 15) usually makes the ones downstream abort.

7/15/2013 9:00:35 PM

WALES, NEW YORK

Thanks guys ... thats what I used to do but I wasn't sure if I wanted to waste any of the plants energy on a pumpkin that i wasn't planning on keeping ... btw purple pumpkin how the heck do you have a 350# pumpkin already !!! holy cow !!! lol lol

7/15/2013 9:46:46 PM

Ny

Brian, I actually started the plant with that 350 pound pumpkin in a mini greenhouse (with very thick and firm walls) as of early April. I germinated the seed in March. That particular greenhouse trapped in the heat very well. With heating cables, on an early April day, the day temperatures inside would get consistently up into the 70's or even higher. At night, I never saw it drop below the 50's. Although I can't afford to go the thick greenhouse route for every plant, it at least gives me a big head start on at least one or two plants each year.

7/16/2013 10:13:23 PM

WALES, NEW YORK

Wow cool stuff !! Thanks for sharing that with me ...

7/16/2013 10:35:10 PM