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New Jersey

All the female flowers on my plant are staying around the size of a BB (oldest one is about 7 days) and have a tiny little yellow flower on the end of the baby pumpkin, not the normal green.

This is happening to the ones on the main, secondaries and even on the newest growth at the tip of the vine. Yet the male flowers keep blooming without problems.

I have no idea what is causing this. I haven't sprayed anything, watering has been consistent, and temps have been in low 80s.

Anyone have any advices? Thanks.

6/30/2011 11:06:10 AM

Joliet, IL

I hit my plants with 3 18 18 and many others I know use a bloom buster when this happens and it helps the plant switch from its vegetative state to a fruiting state which the plant sometimes doesn't know what it wants to do and is in limbo between the 2 states. Others disagree with using any ferts around fruiting or pollination stage, but a foliar application under and over the leaves will have 95% of all nutrients the are able t be absorbed through leaves in every root tip and entire plant in 60 minutes. This is an amazing statistic and has been studied extensively. I would like to hear others who agree or disagree and how many else take this action when needed.

6/30/2011 11:24:11 AM

3 acre corner in Whittaker,Mi USA ([email protected])

Listen to the shaz.....he knows his shiznit!! Erik

6/30/2011 3:47:10 PM

Joliet, IL

that should have read, "...that are able to be absorbed through the leaves can be found in every root tip..."

6/30/2011 5:14:18 PM

Joliet, IL

and foliar at dusk when the stomata are wide open and receptive

6/30/2011 5:14:59 PM

New Jersey

Thanks shazzy, I will foliar feed the plant tonight.

6/30/2011 5:55:51 PM

New Jersey

Good news!

I sprayed with a high P fertilizer last night, and now at the tip of the main vine there is already a normal sized female with a green flower on it.

Thanks again.

7/1/2011 10:39:44 AM

Aurora, IL

Shaz, if I am understanding you correctly, foliar at dusk, but what about the stomata? I thought you weren't suppose to spray the flowers themselves.

p.s. How did you do with all of the rain and cool days and nights?

7/2/2011 12:50:53 AM

Joliet, IL

hey deb, the stomata are the openings in the leaves. they are microscopic pores found mostly on the underside of pumpkin leaves. they open at dusk and therefore foliar applications are absorbed directly through these openings. the male part of the flower with pollen is the stamen which you might have mistaken when i said stomata. and i have done as well as possible with the rain and cool nights last week and directly to the heat yesterday. its always a battle, especially this spring and early summer. adapt and survive or survive and adapt. all part of this silly game we play. best of luck and here is a good foliar read.

http://www.unitedstatesag.org/foliar_feeding.html

7/3/2011 1:38:56 PM