Jenn's late, but still trying pumpkins

[mickee311]

I started mine way late, we didn't buy the house 'till the end of May and didn't move in 'till the first weekend in June. I didn't intend on having a regular garden, but tilled one up a few weeks ago anyway. Didn't think it would hurt to try my hand at pumpkin growing, either. So, I started late, but I'm here.

I got this seed from the hamster food, and it got me hooked on trying. I am trying to train him over a bit, I just didn't make the garden big enough for these guys....Hopefully I can get him more over in the dirt. He has his first live female bud! He had one last week but it fell off almost as soon as it had formed.



He's trying to root off the main vine in several places!


Random pumpkins, I forgot what all I planted. Dill's, Connecticut Field, Sugar something or another...Ahh h***, I planted a bunch of varieties.


I have more pics, but they're small guys, I'll post them when they get big. Honestly, I don't know which set is the Dill's....Like I said, it's worth a try!

[douglas]

Looks like yer off to a good start mickee311 so glad you joined the rat race with the rest of us
I would begin to carfully cover the main but not to cover the male flowers, I had a few late pumpkins set in August that did well

[mickee311]

OK Doug, I did what you said. I went out this morning and covered Fred's main vine with mud (it had rained last night). I was very careful not to cover the flowers. I successfully covered all of his vine, up to the female at the end, after that, I didn't want to mess with it until that is fertilized and I can adjust accordingly. I also moved him over a bit so he isn't going over in the grass. I am so excited!!!!!

[chickenfarmer]

Great start girl. you should be proud.

[douglas]

It is alot of phun once you get started and thinking about fall picking them for Halloween

[mickee311]

It started being a lot of phun when I looked through the seed catalogs to order! Didn't have to wait to think about Phall. I loved it phrom the beginning!

[douglas]

AMEN

[chickenfarmer]

You should have great rewards with the autumn coming up.

[mickee311]

Here's updates on my biggest plant:


First female

Second female

Third female

Pumpkins, Watermelons and Peppers


I'd say my pumpkin from the hamster food is successful so far! I have a whole bunch of pumpkins that are growing, but this one is my baby for right now. My only big problem is that he and the watermelon are fighting for space! I never knew the watermelon would get so big! This is my first year gardening, so it's a learning process. Fred's secondary vine is running over into the melons and the melons are just going everywhere!

[Pharmer Phil]

it would and will be interesting to see what type of "seed" you got from the hamster food.
Check the package...is there an email addy?
If so, write them, tell them what you are doing, and ask the variety name!
I gotta say, they look mighty GREEN for pumpkins??
also, you can cut off the vining ends once you have all the pumpkins you want on a vine, save space/promote bigger, faster growth in the ones that remain.
Watermelon...what Type? I probably missed it

If they are a smaller variety, go UP, add a trellis, and use sum of those nylons fer a hammock for the melon to mature in.
LOOKIN' GOOD MICKEE, keep us posted!

[mickee311]

I checked the packaging ingredients and the only seed that is remotely like that is pumpkin seed. I will email them and see if they can tell me what type they have in there.

The watermelons...Well, two are Crimson Sweet and two are unknown, the tag on the seedlings said "Watermelon" and that's it. But they are already such big plants that I don't think I could get them up a trellis. Plus, the only thing I have are lightweight bamboo I used for my peas and they aren't strong enough. We are at the bill-paying part of the month, so it's darn impossible to get anything stronger, because of school starting and we have to get my daughter glasses and the like. Can you prune back the watermelon vines like you can with the pumpkins? My Table Queen squash is taking over the other side of the garden, so I might need to do that on it too.

BTW, what do you think that is, if not pumpkin? I would really like to know because it makes me nervous....I thought I was growing a purdy plant there and wanted it to be pumpkin so bad!

[Pharmer Phil]

No need for alarm...yet
Not sayin' they aren't punkies...
Flowers/vines look punkinee
They could very well be pumpkins, some do start off green...Like I said, will be interesting to see.
Besides, whatever it is will be purdy...right
I have trimmed the watermelon vines before and had a good harvest, the reason I did it here tho, is because of our short season, watermelons of the small variety, are all I have had success with, without trying for a giant watermelon, which would take as much work as the pumpkins!
Let us know what they source of the hamster feed says.

[douglas]

What if it's a prize winner squash

[mickee311]

The bigger female I had has almost dropped her flower and the pumpkin (?LOL?) is the size of a tennis ball now! It's getting a yellow tinge to it, so it won't be totally green for long. I must say, when I go out in the morning to look at them, I am amazed that I grew it. I have 3 more females that will open up tomorrow or the next day...Then I might have to start pruning the vines going one way because it has started to trample the watermelon plants. Either that or get my friend over here with his tiller and till up some more of the backyard, which I had planned on doing soon anyways. Everything is going beautifully!

Should I get some sand and put it under my babies so they dont sit in moisture or anything?

[douglas]

Some folks use a piece of plywood but I would go with the sand for drainage I would use some kind of covering for it as well to keep the sun off it to avoid scorching like so and this can extend a longer growing season as well

[Pharmer Phil]

Ditto on the sand. Just make sure you put down a spot of sand, larger than what you believe the punky might get...This is tough, the first year I used sand, we spread a spot out that was about 18" x 24" -3" deep, thinking the darn thing would "rest" there, well, It grew to 527 pounds, and was a flatty, this is good the flat ones weigh up more, but the bottom side had a 18x24 indent,
3" deep!!

[douglas]

I had a few flatties before, dey are kind of phunny

[mickee311]

Okay, I went out and took pics of my pumpkins. They were so healthy even yesterday and The end of the main vine is all sick looking. I don't get it. No sign of SVBs, nothing. I'm also including pics of the first pumpkin, hoping someone can tell me that it definitely is a pumpkin. Fred has about 5 more babies to be pollinated as well, and three are open today. I hope he isn't sick, I was so excited about my little bitty pumpkin patch.






Any ideas what might be going on? And if this is really a pumpkin plant? I know there has been some question.....lol

[douglas]

Looks like they be exhausted from the heat and your leave got burned a bit by the sun, try watering the plant up and down the covered vine for a while to see what happens, I did this for a while with one of my weak plants and she got much stronger and held up great during the heat wave

[mickee311]

Took some pics yesterday of my babies from Fred.




I had to cover up this one's stem because someone or something broke the stem halfway. It's got a will to live!




I need a bigger space. I have a whole bunch more plants, but they're still small so I won't post those.

[Compost Pharmer]

Good lookin punkin patch you got there mickee.