From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Belgium

does anyone know why pumpkins somtimes have no or almost no seeds?

11/5/2009 6:39:10 AM

Somers, CT

This happened to Don Young two years ago. He had two years to ask the question why. Sometimes it just happens. It is quite the heartbreak. Don made out this year though with two giants. Also, the 1068 Wallace only had about 200 seeds. I would write it off to nature and maybe even genetics.

11/5/2009 10:07:42 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

I would write it off to pollenation technique and viability. At some point the female was fertilized, and started the whole fruit growth process.

11/5/2009 2:04:04 PM

SE Minnesota

I opened my 1370 last week and only found 64 viable seeds but had lots of immature seeds..my question is even though this pumpkin was 100 days old was/did she still have some growth left in her?? Or is this a product of the cool summer we had here in Minny..thanks

Jim

11/5/2009 2:27:51 PM

Pataskala,OH

Maybe when a pumpkin seed is in low supply it makes people want to grow it even more and genetics that produce low seeds get bred on.

11/5/2009 2:53:56 PM

Colorado

I dont know rohnny-Ive wondered that myself.Theres been talk of some strains being close enough to a hybrid to be sterile.I dont think its environmental cause Ive had both fruit on the same plant have no seeds and the plant right next to it be full of seeds.

11/5/2009 3:22:39 PM

Eastern Washington State

Like Shannon said, pollination issues probably account for most of this, especially for AG X AG crosses. Successful fertilization once a flower is pollinated, as well as pollen viability itself, can easily be disrupted. Sudden changes or extremes in temperature or moisture can do it. Maybe chemical applications or who knows what else.

cojoe it could still be environmental if you take 'environment' to be a change in some condition, even if its something that changedd over the course of a few hours.

11/5/2009 5:35:53 PM

Colorado

Brian,are you saying selfing might get a higher seed count?

11/5/2009 6:01:45 PM

(rocky) Bonney Lake Wa.

Had the same thing happen with my 1370 I only got 5 viable seeds out of it.

11/6/2009 6:45:23 AM

Bemidji Minnesota

This year I grew very small patch, and did not really add a lot of nutrients, or even get a soil sample. Pretty much restricted growth, only about 100 square foot, and no ferts to speak of, besides maybe 50 pounds of aged manure, a but of lime, she did not get much more than that, and the water was not consistent either. Far less than most AG's get. The result was a pumpkin that was only 170 pounds

The pumpkin was Self pollinated too.

The seed count was very good, almost 500. I think that is good?

So, my guess is that perhaps when all the extra effort is put into growing a giant, maybe the plant puts more nutrients into the growth of fruit vs. seed?

I also used about 5 male flowers to seal the deal, there was plenty of pollen there.

11/6/2009 11:35:12 AM

Here's a good post on the subject from a while back:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=19&p=229007

11/6/2009 1:29:02 PM

Belgium

thanks all

11/6/2009 2:06:40 PM

Ohio

Posted by, nilbert 12/11/2007

Here are my low points in seed counts:

966.5 Leland '06 (1112 Daletas x 723 Bobier): 12 seeds
761.5 Leland DMG '06 (916 Golat x 723 Bobier): 4 seeds
523 Leland DMG '06 (1157 Daletas x 666 Hester): 0 seeds
603 Leland DMG '06 (1150 Daletas x 723 Bobier): 0 seeds
647.5 Leland DMG '06 (1142 LaRue x 1370 Rose): 0 seeds
829 Leland '06 (1028 Sherwood x 723 Bobier): 0 seeds
1061.5 Leland '06 (535.5 Leland x 723 Bobier): 0 seeds

All of these were hammered with pollen, so I don't think one can make a correlation between the pollinator and the number of viable seeds. But given the diverse genetic background represented above on the maternal side, I don't know that I could draw a correlation to the female, either.

What sticks out like a sore thumb, of course, is the year. In addition to having a ton of seedless pumpkins, I was splitting everything left and right. Obviously, some pumpkins are more genetically prone to light blossom ends and splitting, but could the environmental or nutritional factors exasperating the splits have something to do with the low seed counts as well?

Nature or nurture, I guess the question applies to pumpkins as well as people. I do not believe it to be purely genetic. And given my seed counts last year compared to every other year I've grown, I suspect the nurture side of the equation has a lot to do with it.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Neil, that still amazes me the 'LOW, to NONE' seed counts you had that year. Thanks for re posting that, I forgot all about that post.
Brooks

11/6/2009 6:44:18 PM

Bemidji Minnesota

Just wow, if it were not for the 666 hester, and the 1370 Rose there, I would say the problem may have been a problem with that particular 723 Bobier seed. Being that is was not just that pillinator, and that there were different females, my thinking is that is had to do with something other than genetics in that case.

11/6/2009 8:49:58 PM

Always a pleasure to share in the misery, Brooks. Glad I could help out.

Looking back on that, I think I should dig out one of those 761.5 seeds and grow a world record off it. That would make the remaining three seeds somewhat valuable.

11/9/2009 9:27:38 AM