Pumpkin plants (flowers, growing, fertilizer, bug)

[aaengel1986]

Hello,


Although I've watched my mom over the years garden off and on, now my wife, I decided to plant pumpkins this year by myself.... I planted atlantic giants, jarrahdales, connecticut field, and sugar pie. Problem is, I think I placed them way too tight.... Will I have success in getting them to grow pumpkins? I have multiple areas throughout my yard, but the two main gardens have pumpkin plants tightly against each other.... the leaves and vines are growing big but they're a tangled mess and it is impossible to step in there, but the plants still seem to be growing, and I see little pumpkins starting to grow in a few spots.... but the biggest thing is, can I still expect big pumpkins or will they just fail eventually.

[Stagemomma]

I don't think them growing together will necessarily mean you won't get pumpkins. They're vines, so they're going to entwine, right?

I've redirected some of my vines by just grabbing the end and moving them in a different direction.

I just have a few sugar pies.

[Threerun]

Generally speaking most vegetables will have stunted growth if spaced too tightly.

[twinkletwinkle22]

I'm growing quite a few pumpkins and winter squash this summer. Some are quite close together in large grow bags and others are scattered in-ground around the yard because I couldn't stand to throw out the extra seedlings. The grow bag ones are quite close and doing much better, putting out more baby pumpkins that the ones in-ground that are not close together. I built a trellis because I do not have a lot of space for the vines to run and am now making pumpkin hammocks to support them on the trellis. Crazy gardener.

However I just had to remove quite a few leaves due to powdery mildew from the grow bag pumpkins and will be spraying them to try and halt that. Otherwise they are quite healthy.

The in-ground pumpkins have had problems with squash borers killing several plants even though I injected BT and sprayed.
Pumpkins take a LOT of work and attention. Here are some I've got growing: Blue Hubbard, Gold Hubbard, Jarradale, Marina Di Chioggia, Long Island Cheese, Fairytale, Waltham Butternut, Candy Roaster, Musquee de Maroc, Rouge Vif, Cushaw, and I just started Seminole because it is said to be resistant to squash borer.

I strongly suggest you get some BT and start spraying once a week (it's an organic type of bug killer). The other solution to squash borer is to plant a LOT and expect to lose some. I've seen a very healthy plant be killed in one day, kinda sad.

Also pumpkins like a lot of water and fertilizer but it has to be done at the right time or you'll end up with lots of healthy vines and no flowers to make pumpkins. Read up on that. Good luck.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by aaengel1986

Hello,


Although I've watched my mom over the years garden off and on, now my wife, I decided to plant pumpkins this year by myself.... I planted atlantic giants, jarrahdales, connecticut field, and sugar pie. Problem is, I think I placed them way too tight.... Will I have success in getting them to grow pumpkins? I have multiple areas throughout my yard, but the two main gardens have pumpkin plants tightly against each other.... the leaves and vines are growing big but they're a tangled mess and it is impossible to step in there, but the plants still seem to be growing, and I see little pumpkins starting to grow in a few spots.... but the biggest thing is, can I still expect big pumpkins or will they just fail eventually.

First time growing Pumpkins for me and I placed them tight as well. I got a ton of male flowers and vines everywhere I am controlling a few where to go. I saw 1 female flower so far. Still early. We have 3 months until October and if it takes 60 days to mature a pumpkin its still early.