This week has seen the appearance of both male and female flowers on the giant pumpkin plant. Males can appear first.
How do you tell them apart?
Female Giant Pumpkin Flower
The female flower has a small ball at the base. This is a baby pumpkin waiting to be pollinated.
Male Giant Pumpkin Flower
It’s pretty easy to tell the male giant pumpkin flower from the female. The male giant pumpkin flower has no pumpkin at the base. They can appear before the females and also open first. Don’t panic if this happens.
Eventually you will end up with both opening at the same time. Then it’s everyone’s favourite time of the pumpkin calendar, pollination. By hand which is better. Or letting the bees do their thing.
When Did I Pollinate Last Year?
Checking my notes I pollinated around the 7th of January last year. I’m looking to do it a lot earlier this season.
Taking notes during the growing season is important. Milestones, application of products and growth are the key areas. This data allows you to compare seasons and work out what is working for you.
Training Vines
Due to not having much soil in the tiny pumpkin patch, bamboo stakes don’t really work for training the vine.
I was using some paving stones I had. Then I thought why not use these garden gnomes that keep on turning up.
I’m still hoping to turn the vine around more and get more length in it. I can’t bury vines like a normal grower. So will be putting bags of compost down to bury the vines into.
Leaf was weird Looking
I was going to take a photo of a couple of the leaves looking strange. Not sure if the plant was stressed, too much nutrients or what. But the soft wet looking spots cleared up and the leaves are OK now. The first leaves are getting hammered by the sun.
When I look at a shot of the patch, I wish I was growing in a bigger better more normal pumpkin patch.
Miniature Pumpkins
These are growing well. I did think I was going to move the two pots. But with so much growth, they can stay put.
The ones out the front are growing good also. I’m looking forward to a lot of miniature pumpkins this season.
How’s Your Season Going?
If you are a grower in the Southern Hemisphere, and want to see how other growers are doing. Join the Southern Hemisphere Giant Pumpkin Growers group on Facebook.
We check in every Sunday and share photos of what our plants are up to. It’s an ideal place to ask your giant pumpkin questions.
Next blog post I’ll fill you in on the slight drama that has been my watering plan for this season.
Growing giant pumpkins is a passion that I love sharing. 🎃 If you’ve found my content helpful or entertaining, why not say thanks with a coffee? ☕
It’ll fuel my next giant pumpkin adventure!
