Topic: pumpkins and squashes

[vickittyboo]

hi, I've got pumpkin and butternut squash plants in my garden and someone told me i have to 'pinch' something out of it to make them fruit, is this true? if so what bit do i have to pinch out as the person who told me didn't know. thanks

[daileg]

well i wouldn't pinch out Squash just leave em some people take the tendrills off the long like twisted twirly thingies i just leave the plant grow like mother nature intended  if anything i tend to hand pollinate the flowers this moves the fruiting process forward a little
you can do this by

first you have two different flowers one where there is a long stem the (male ) flower the other is the (female ) the one with the fruit Squash /pumpkin behind the flower

gently pull back the petals of the female flower there is a small bud need to take the male flower pull all the flower petals off in the middle there is also a little bud the female one can be parted open a little take the male bud and insert into the female bud gently this will pollinate the squash or gently rub across the top of the female bud 

[1066]

Hi Vickittyboo, maybe the pinching out you are thinking of is when the plants have 3 or 4 fruit on them, and in order to concentrate the plants efforts and energies into those fruit you can pinch out the growing tip ?

1066

[Squashfan]

What you can do is what 1066 says for bigger squash. Another option is if you have 3 or 4 good squash on the vine, you can bury the growing tip of the vine, and it will develop roots and add more weight to the fruits. It also controls the sprawl a bit.  :)

[1066]

What you can do is what 1066 says for bigger squash. Another option is if you have 3 or 4 good squash on the vine, you can bury the growing tip of the vine, and it will develop roots and add more weight to the fruits. It also controls the sprawl a bit.  :)

Thanks for that tip Squashfan, I'll try and give that a grow this year and see what happens.
I take your a fan of squash  ;D

1066