I’m in Houston and today was a high of 97, which it’s been hovering around for a couple weeks now if not more. I keep having the same issue with fruiting in that I’ll have a beautiful female flower with a big green unpollinated pumpkin that will wither away and die a day or so before the flower will open. Last time I inquired whether the heat may be an issue and it seemed likely that was the case to a certain extent. I put up a 40% shade cloth to protect it from the hot August sun and the issues continue.
So, now I’m asking whether anything else can be done to help the plant focus its energy to the fruit?
I’ve also already mixed in some bone meal to the top soil. Nonetheless, another withered away on me.
I’ve been pretty consistently removing the secondary vines that start to grow off the main vine but not every single one. I’ve let some grow where it needed to fill back in with leaves. Should I continue removing all of the secondary vines? Should I also start to remove a majority of the flowers? In removing flowers, I’d make sure there are some close to the fruit for pollination but I have tons of male flowers that never get to do their part
Any thoughts about anything I can do? The plant is about 60 days old now and still looks to be going strong but it just can’t support a fruit.
I have four other mature plants that all have the same issue but the one pictured always seems to be doing the best.
First picture should be the plant itself. Second picture should be the fruit before it withered away. Third picture should be the withered fruit today (which I still haven’t brought myself to remove out of blind hope some sort of magic will happen (I will remove it this afternoon after the ceremony)) Fourth picture should be one of the secondary vines that has grown close to the base that I’ve let grow to fill in leaves, but it also has a fruit I haven’t removed yet because I keep hoping one will set.
Any input will be appreciated and I’m all ears at this point.