My pumpkin

[Tashsteve]

Thought I would share this photo of our biggest pumpkin on the patch

This was a week ago so is quite a bit bigger now. Any tips on continuing healthy growth  until harvesting? I have been given the plants tomato feed twice a week.

Also I am growing squash plants in exactly the same conditions yet have not had one female flower yet but plenty of males. I know it's too late now to expect  fruit but what am I doing wrong? Seeing as the pumpkins are thriving I would of thought the squash would too.

Also is there any other people growing pumpkins? Maybe we should weigh them in when we are harvesting could be quite fun!

[Tashsteve]

[slyfox-mal]

nice pkn steve  keep feeding it and maybe shade it from the sun if you dont want to  ripen it to early if your intrested in growing  heavy pkns then maybe look in pumpkintastic section on here  a few people like to try to grow em big  so you can get some good tips on that section regards mal

[Dandytown]

If you can get hold of some seaweed from your local garden centre then a once or twice weekly watering would help

[Tashsteve]

If you can get hold of some seaweed from your local garden centre then a once or twice weekly watering would help

We live by the sea (our allotment is literally 50 metres from the waters edge) so could we just grab some seaweed from the beach? Thanks

[Dandytown]

I would certainly read up on how to prepare your own from harvested seaweed but for now you need to use either a water soluble granular powder of a liquid.  The latter would cost your around £5.00

Seaweed has lots of benefits for the soil, plenty of info out there on the web.

Best of luck

[Spireite]

I have 2 pumpkin plant s this year, and no results...I've just now been out to look and there may be ONE that is taking, but currently the size of a snooker ball!!!
All my squash plants have 1 fruit on each....and there was me thinking they would produce 3-4 per plant!!
PS...just had to educate my hubby on the different types of squash, as he's looking at them rather puzzled expecting to see butternuts!!!  :)

[chriscross1966]

Looks to be a decent pumpkin there:

Spireite: Try the variety "Winter Festival", T+M do it (amongst others). I've always found it reliably givbes half a dozen smallish squash per plant... this year some of them are bigger than I'm used to , but still plenty on there...the pumpkin "Becky" is pretty reliable for four-six head-to-football sized fruits if you want them for both carving and eatign...

[Spireite]

ChrisCross,  I currently have 2 Festival plants in the garden, and they have been my best producers this year.  I''ve managed 2 fruits so far, another growing,  with another 2 that have just pollinated...I think we will run out of weather for the last 2, but definitely one to try in the future 

[chriscross1966]

All squash and pumpkins like a bit of space around them, plus (especially with pumpkins) if the plant sets  fruit too soon then it stops growing as a plant to service the fruit....and as it's a smaller plant it doesn't do so well.... , it's just a thought but my plot neighbour set a fruit on his pumpkin in the first week of July, and his plant basically stopped growing (it wasn't very big)  and whilst the pumpkin he's got is pretty good it's not getting bigger very fast... mine set the second week of August (a lot later than I wanted but it was the first female flower to open) and the plant was pretty huge by then, so my pumpkin has been putting on mass at a rate of knots.... the other one was later still and is picking up weight fast too.... I doubt I'll beat my 114lb-er from last yearbut I'm hopeful of having biggest on site ....

[GrannieAnnie]

" mine set the second week of August (a lot later than I wanted but it was the first female flower to open) and the plant was pretty huge by then, so my pumpkin has been putting on mass at a rate of knots..."

I have either a squash or a pumpkin that seeded itself in an ivy bed next to a flower bed in July. I didn't have the heart to pull it out since it looked happy. Now it has one dandy sized fruit turning orange and hasn't even been fertilized or anything. I did slip a board under it in hopes it won't rot.