Allotments 4 All

Hi Folks,

I've got a problem with my Pumpkin.   :'(

This is the second fruit that has got to about plum sized and then started to rot from the flower. Has anyone any ideas? Is it too much/ too little water? The main stem has about another 4 pumpkins coming. Should I pull some off to concentrate on one or two?

Many thanks for your advice.

MP

Hi
I have exactly the same problem with ca. 80% of my round yellow courgettes (forgot their name) and about half of my butternut squashes in one corner of my plot (the other beds are doing fine).
The plants are really strong - ginormous actually - and have crept all over the fence and up an old tree, and they have lots and lots of really big flowers.
Then they fruit nicely and after they get to the size of a golf ball (round) or about 12 cm long (squashes) they start rotting rapidly from the flower.
I have so far harvested only 4 good ones - one managed to grow to about 12 cm diameter, the others were much smaller and  just starting to go off, so I picked them anyway. What I had was lovely, but I am disappointed about losing so many others. No idea what causes this. Any suggestions anyone?

A common problem early on.

You may try pollinating by hand, but in due course they will do it themselves.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_Pumpkin.html

and take the flower head off after it's been pollinated

Many thanks for your info. We haven't had any problems "up the lottie" but these are in a bed in our garden. Have also noticed a corgie with a similar problem in the same bed.



Once cut open......


Will try hand pollinating and see what happens.

Thanks again.

MP

It is Blossom end rot, same as the toms get,the later pollinated plants shoe should be OK

Thanks for the info. Never thought of hand-pollinating, as they are forming fruits so quickly anyway. As the rot seems to come from the flower, taking that off seems the logical thing to do (from now on).