[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[Dick]

Someone corredct me if I am wrong but I believe the aborted fruit is from a 
blossom that has not been polinated. I think the blooms with the little 
fluffies in the middle are girls  and the other with a yellow potruberance 
carying an abundance of yellow "dust" are the guys. To pollinate by hand, 
remove the male member and vigorously jiggle it amid the fluffies 
distributing pollen as you might imagine a bee extracting nector for honey 
and simultaneously pollinating the females. One male can satisfy several 
females but if flowers are abundant, limit it to two.

Some pollen is dead after, or above, 90 degrees F but I don't know if 
pumpkins are so affected. I have noticed on vine crops that early fruit 
won't set but a little later in the season things come together. Hand 
pollination can reduce the guesswork. But, if there are no bees, there will 
be little or no pollination, none is likely unless you do their job for 
them. Try to exercise the male in the cool of the morning to improve your 
odds. That might be a figment of my imagination but morning hand pollination 
seems to improve my own odds.

A little wilt is normal especially in recovery is rapid. If pumpkins are 
shallowly watered, feeder roots will be near the surface but deep roots qan 
take more heat stress.

Another problem, Pat, can be too much fertilizer. If the plant has vigorous 
vegetative growth, it does not percieve an urgent need to produce seed to 
perpetuate the species.

It is likely a polination problem but keep in mind that most pumpkins 
produce many more flowers that it can carry and mature fruit and some 
abortion is a normal action of the plant to not commit suicide by bearing 
too many offspring.

Water can also be a factor. Feeder roots will extend out as far as the 
foliage spreads. Restrict irrigation to a narrow circle aroynd the main stem 
and the plant will suffer. Fertilize and irrigate to the full extent of the 
runners if possible.

This leaves room for comment, Pat, and I hope others will support or abort 
the information, That is the process by which we all learn.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
University of Arizona Maricopa County
Cooperative Extension




----- Original Message ----- 
From: <patdress at msn.com>
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 5:59 PM
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page


> Pat Dressendorfer
> 85284
> patdress at msn.com
>
> We are trying to grow pumpkins for our grandchildren.  The plants are 
> thriving and producing many big, yellow blooms.  When the fruit gets about 
> 2 inches long, it drops off.  Are we overwatering, underwatering or ?? 
> The leaves wilt some mid-day but recover overnight.  Thanks for any ideas.
>
>
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