[Arid_gardener] RE: Pumpkins Not Getting Pollinated

[Carolyn Hills]

Hi Pat --

Sounds like your pumpkin flowers are not getting pollinated. Pumpkins
produce both male and female flowers (the female flowers are the ones with
the tiny pumpkin at the base of the flower). If the bees and ants are not
pollinating the female flowers, the flower will brown and fall off and the
tiny little pumpkin at the base will shrivel and die. You can pollinate your
pumpkins yourself. Take one of the male flowers (the ones without the little
pumpkin at the base) and peel off the petals. Use this flower like a
paintbrush to brush pollen into the female flowers. If you do this every
couple of days on the newly opened female flowers, you should start getting
squash. Most master gardeners I've talked to recommend doing this process in
the morning when the pollen is fresh.

If your pumpkins looked wilted in late afternoon but are recovered in the
morning, sounds like you are watering correctly.

Hope this helps!

Carolyn Hills
Maricopa County Master Gardener Volunteer

-----Original Message-----
From: arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu
[mailto:arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu] On Behalf Of
patdress at msn.com
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 8:00 PM
To: arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu
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.


_______________________________________________
Arid_gardener mailing list
Arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
http://CALS.arizona.edu/mailman2/listinfo/arid_gardener