Pumpkin help

[Veggieveg]

Hello All

I planted a seed from my halloween pumpkin last year and it grew! it flourished into a big plant, it would flower for one day and then the flower would die? im not sure why this is happening or what the function of this flower has? is it waiting to be pollenated?

Secondly i moved the plant outside about 3 weeks ago, the leaves are turning yellow and the plant looks rather unhealthy - i havnt done anything different other than puting it outside? any ideas, there is a pic below.

[image: Oh and is the the start of a small pumpkin? [image:

I really want to try and save this plant and get it back to a healthy stage after all, it was this little seed that inspired me to start growing my own veg this year.

Im also growing the below bits - i am actually quiet excited about it

[image: Peas!

[image: Carrots! [image: Peppers! [image: Pototoes! [image: Cauli & Cabbage

Im also growing salad leaves, strawberrys and more i cant wait for it all to grow fully. I have a small garden so have had to take to growing in pots anyone have any tips to save space?

[David Hare-Scott]

You need male and female flowers and a pollinator (generally bees) to get pumpkins. Pumpkins are self-fertile but the male and female flowers have to be open for the bees to visit the same day.

Pumpkins are grown as annuals in full sun so little wonder it is sick now.

Yes.

Don't bother start again. No, on second thoughts just don't bother.

..snip...

Grow peas, beans, smaller cucurbits etc upwards on trellises to save ground space. Use terraces or frames to stack your tubs and pots higher in the sun Be ruthless pulling things out and replacing them once they are past their best. Improve your soil to allow you to increase planting density.

Oh and don't grow pumpkins, they are just about the most resource hungry annual you can get. You could have all the veges you can eat in the space of one pumpkin vine.

David

[Veggieveg]

Thanks for this David, really useful. Yes it is the same plant, and yes it was inside all winter, this is my first time growing veg. The plants are quiet demanding.

[Pat Kiewicz]

Usually the pumpkin plant will produce male (pollen bearing) flowers first. These open for one day, then die and fall off.

Did you move it in one go from indoors to outdoors? Plants can be sun- and wind-burned if exposed too quickly to the elements.

That's a female flower. These will always have the small potential pumpkin behind them. If this blossom was pollinated when it was open, and if the plant is sufficiently vigorous to support a fruit, it will continue to develop. If if wasn't pollinated, or the plant is too weak, it will yellow and die.

A gardener has to be willing to gamble and accept a certain amount of failure. Then try again! (There's a lot that can happen that's out of your control -- mainly, but not exclusively, the weather!)

Hmm...the potatoes look rather cramped.

With container gardening, you need to be prepared to do a lot of watering.