Thread: My pumpkin "patch" this year: one tiny pumpkin!

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Hey, folks. This is the second Southern California year in a row (I've lived here for four years now) that I've tried to grow pumpkins.

Last year was a colossal failure, but this year it looks like I might have at least ONE pumpkin, even though it's a mini.

I planted luminas (white; medium-size) and baby boos (miniature/tiny; white) and though I can't seem to get a lumina to pollinate, I did get one baby boo and here she is so far! About 1.5" across.



Isn't she cute??? So...I haven't given up hope on getting a carving-sized pumpkin yet...there's still a bit of time left in the season before it gets so hot that no female will flower...but that time is dwindling. Regardless, I WILL HAVE SUCCESSFULLY POLLINATED AT LEAST ONE PUMPKIN. I don't know why it's been so hard for me to grow these here; my other stuff has certainly grown...tomatoes, zucchini, cukes.

Anyway...if she grows to full size I will store her and then bring 'er on out this September!

Congratulations on the little one.

Awww! Such a cute wee bitty baby punkin!!!!

Thank you!

You can try hand-pollinating your luminas. It might be a lot of work, but it should pollinate your pumpkins.

My plants haven't gotten big enough yet. I'm hoping they make it in time. I've always planted when they suggest planting but my pumpkins always came in too early. This year I waited an extra week or two. My wolf pumpkins did not come up, though. I was really hoping they would.

Thank you, digbugsgirl! I do hand-pollinate. The problem is getting females to emerge. I added some calcium last week to encourage them. I have tons of males but as of last week, no new females at all. The ones I hand-pollinated prior to that did not set.

Where you're located, you do definitely have time. If you get babies and things get hot out there, you can always put a shade umbrella in the ground over them to keep them a few degrees cooler. If you get any, POST PICS! I love growing pumpkins (or trying to).

I think I heard somewhere that too much nitrogen will "stunt" the growth of the female flower. Can't remember if that's right.

I love growing pumpkins, too. Last year my patch did beautifully, that is until a stupid groundhog decided to feast on them. I've moved my patch this year so I'll be able to keep an eye on the pesky critters. I'll definitely post pics when they start producing.

Awwwww! She's adorable!

digbugsgirl: Yep, exactly, and I was using Miracle Grow and coffee grinds and both are very high in nitrogen. So I'm stopping those for the next 2-3 weeks and doing egg shells instead. They take a while to leech in but it's the natural way to do it. I can't wait to see your pictures!!!!

TheHidden: LOL. Yes. She looks just like me...she has her father's stem, her mother's rind....................

From what I understand of those really BIIIIG pumpkin contests, they only want one (and cut away a lot of the foliage as well), so maybe you'll have one REALLY BIG pumpkin!