[Fairy Plotmother]

  I'm very pleased so far. 1 is the size of a football, grandson 3 ill be delighted. Several others of varying sies. I had to discard a couple which seemed to have gone rotten. Can anyone tell me why please?

[Totty]

I've let one fruit set, it measures 2ft from top to bottom, so half the circumference I guess!

Totty

[shaun_darbs]

Hi. My plant is huge. I would say about 4 meters long with loads of vines but the fruit keeps falling off. It swells to the size of a golf ball and then drops off. I am doing something wrong? Pls help

[JayG]

9 times out of 10 any squash fruit which fails to develop properly and rots/drops off has not been pollinated, even if it appears to swell a little beforehand.

Assuming you have both male and female flowers present at the same time you can make sure of pollination by using a small paint brush to hand pollinate (transferring pollen from a male flower to a female flower.)

Some say it's not necessary because the bees do it for you, but if they don't, they need some help!

[Annen]

Assuming you have both male and female flowers present at the same time you can make sure of pollination by using a small paint brush to hand pollinate (transferring pollen from a male flower to a female flower.)

Some say it's not necessary because the bees do it for you, but if they don't, they need some help!

Or if you haven't got a brush handy, just take off a male flower, tear off the petal to expose the stamens and make like a bee inside the female flower. It worked with my butternuts.

[shaun_darbs]

ok thanks for the info, il give that a go later

[Totty]

Gave the pumpkin a bit of feed today, it's thinned to just one and is growing rapidly. I'll take a pic tomorrow, anyone else got any pictorial updates?

Totty

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

Is there a prize for the smallest pumpkin?! 

[wil4025]

These are mine few days ago

[mumofstig]

Is there a prize for the smallest pumpkin?! 

No, but there is one for the prettiest 

[Totty]

Well this won't be the prettiest, that's for sure. Cannot lift it now. Feeding liberally.

Totty

[shaun_darbs]

hi all, i think my pumpkin has finally work. i hand pollinated it like you said, now its starting to swell. still only small but its getting there.

thanks everyone for the advise

[wil4025]

Ive got rid of a few to get two big ones. Loving how big they are getting

[Fairy Plotmother]

  Oh my word Bill......how much does that measure! I'd really like to know how big is big. I've never grown pumpkin before. I thought mine were quite large!

[mike0001]

I have nothing and cant tell what is male and what is female