[jb]

Hi, Can anyone advise on whether it is necessary to restrict pumpkins/squash to boost fruit development? There have been a number of posts on  monster pumpkins and how you restrict plants to one fruit to boost size but is that necesary for standard squash? Last year I grew little gem and got 14 fruit off one plant but this year I am growing baby bear which are supposed to have 5-6 fruit, similar size to little gem, but I already have 10 decent sized growing fruits.
I am a little confused about whether I should let nature take its course or control the plants so my main queries are:
Is there a 'good number' of fruit to leave developing for different sizes of squash?
If more fruit are left on will this increase ripening time as well as reducing fruit size?
Should I take out branches with no ripening fruit?
Should I pinch out growing tips after fruit has set?
Should I cut off developing male flowers after I no longer need them?
Sorry for the barrage of questions but the more I think about this the more questions I come up with  .
Jon
 

[cooperman]

i wait with baited breath as I have planted squashes for the first time this year and they are going bonkers - soon be out the lottie gate and off up the road at this rate!!

[Sal1610]

I'd like answers to those questions too!  At the moment I have a pumpkin with four good sized fruits (bigger than a cricket ball but not as big as a football), a couple with slightly smaller than tennis ball sized fruits, and a couple that appear to just have male flowers. Meanwhile all are growing rampantly and I'm sure if you sat and watched them you would see them grow! At the moment the only things I'm doing to control them is get one bed growing in circles (in theory) and a couple of plants growing up an old pallet.

I don't want show veg, or even pumpkis to carve, I'm just aiming for a good supply to eat and store, so any answers to Jon's questions would be much appreciated

Sal

[DD.]

I'm just letting mine do their own thing. (Jack of all Trades).

I've got 3 plants and each have got at least 4 pumpkins on of 12" to 18" diameter, which is big enough and more than enough for me. If any more come along then that's a bonus, so I wont bother nipping them out.