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Location

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Circleville, Ohio

I tested 2 seeds this week and got nothing...notta...
My pumpkins stopped growing early (about350#)
Question - think the seeds are "no good"

12/16/2009 11:48:42 AM

Mtpleasant Michigan

Do you have any idea why your pumpkins stopped growing at 300#? The same thing happened to me, and I have heard everything from too much fertilizer to too much boron in the soil.

12/16/2009 3:16:53 PM

Joliet, IL

cut one open in half with a razor blade and see how the inside formation is. they might be premies and wont be fully developed. if they look good inside, try some more and get the heat up a little higher, closer to 90 then 85 and see what happens.

12/16/2009 4:06:09 PM

Cedar Lake, IN.

take the seed out of it's shell and lay the seed on a wet paper towel and fold the wet paper towel over the seed at a temp of 80 to 85 deg. it should start to root within 24 or so hours. Do this with four or more seeds.
It worked for me.

12/16/2009 4:44:54 PM

[email protected]

Low weight doesn't affect seed viability. Factors that limited weight COULD have impacted seed quality. Temps at pollination, improper fertility, moisture extremes, etc all may impact seed viability.

12/16/2009 8:51:22 PM

Pumpkintown, SC

The more important factor of a fruit "stopping early" as it pertains to seed viability would be "how early"? If the fruit didn't make it to at least 40 days of fruit growth, your seeds' embryos may very well not be fully formed. Although some seeds may mature a little earlier, 40 days is generally the mark to shoot for. Having said this, the only real test at this point is to continue to try to germ them. Good luck, BF

12/17/2009 12:10:02 AM

Circleville, Ohio

Thanks Everyone.
MM - I have no idea why they stopped early....I am a beginer - (I think that is the main reason) haha

Shazzy - will do - man I loved watching your diary this year.....

K - ok I will try....

SO - 29 days fruit growth is when they stopped

12/17/2009 6:06:10 AM

Pumpkintown, SC

29 days of fruit growth...Bingo!
But you may still luck out and find one that may germ. Good luck, BF

12/17/2009 2:06:18 PM

Circleville, Ohio

One germinated(7.5 days) - funny looking leaves though - dual color..........

12/18/2009 8:07:36 AM

Joliet, IL

try again with more warmth and soak the seeds longer more like 8 hours than 3 or 4. this might take a day or 2 off the germ period. by dual colors, do you mean whitish streaks in the center of the cots. sometimes this white areas will end up as a hole in the leaf or sometimes they just grow out of it. do not worry about how pretty cots look, just watch the seedling grow, try not to get it too leggy, and then see the formation of one or 2 first true leaves. if they developed fine, you should be ok.

drop test your seeds on a table. any sound of hollowness might mean its a premie. find the most solid pumb dense sounding ones. weigh them on a scale and take out the heaviest seeds. these might have better chances of being fully mature for a pumpkin that stopped growing so early.

glad you enjoyed the diary read...i just like to try to have some fun and document as much as i can for each year for myself when i look back year after year. and also explain why i am doing things for the new growers i give seeds to at work every year. thanks for the kind words.

12/18/2009 5:08:29 PM

Joliet, IL

pumb should say plump

12/18/2009 5:09:57 PM

Circleville, Ohio

Thanks Shazzy!!!!!

12/19/2009 10:14:46 AM