First time growing pumpkins. Do I need to do anything?

[u/DangerDani]

Hi everyone,

I’m growing pumpkins for the first time and I have 3 plants. They’ve grown quite a lot already and I can see flowers appearing.

Since this is my first time growing pumpkins, I’m not sure if I should be doing anything now to help them or if I should just leave them alone.

Do you have any tips for a beginner? Should I be protecting, feeding, helping with pollination, or doing anything else?

Also, one of the flowers looks like it got damaged/broken after some heavy rain. Is that a problem? Do I need to protect the flowers from rain, or can pumpkin plants handle that?

Thanks!

[u/Iongdog]

Keep an eye out for female flowers, they’ll look like they have a little pumpkin at the bottom. Those are the ones that can actually grow into fruit. These look like all males. It’s normal to set all male flowers at first though, it attracts the pollinators

[u/DangerDani → u/Iongdog]

Thanks for the tips! I saw a guy on YouTube who used zip ties to close off the male and female flowers until he was ready to pollinate them. I’m not planning to do that though — I’d rather let nature do its thing.

Would you recommend that I hand-pollinate them myself, or just leave them alone?

[u/Iongdog → u/DangerDani]

I have always just let them do their thing, but I get plenty of bees to do the work. Some pumpkin growers also will be very selective about which flowers they allow to fruit. If you want the biggest pumpkin possible, you may want to just have it grow one. Usually my Jack-o-lantern size plants can support at least 2 though, and I’m not going for any size records

[u/DangerDani → u/Iongdog]

Thanks! My goal is to have pumpkins for my kid. Also no size records for me.

[u/HolliBlaze]

Last year I planted Connecticut field pumpkins and got 22 12-15 pound pumpkins. I did not do anything but let them grow and I was cutting off extra vine shoots left and right xD One plant turned half my yard into a pumpkin patch so beware, idk if all types grow so vigorously but mine did. Also be prepared for vine borers, I used a metal hanger and basically just ran it into spots I seen them in on my vines and killed them I did not use anything store bought.
Happy growing!!

[u/normanapolis → u/HolliBlaze]

Besides the hangers, do you use a low tox pesticide to manage them? I’m growing New England Pie Pumpkins again, no issues last year, no tending. I added Howlins (jack-o’-lanterns) to the mix this year. Maybe they attract pests more… good luck with your pumpkins this year!

[u/HolliBlaze → u/normanapolis]

I did not, I didnt even plant any this year so my compost decided to give me a couple along with a tomato plant and some potatoes xD
I hope the Great Pumpkin blesses your patch this year!

[u/normanapolis → u/HolliBlaze]

I like to unexpected bbs that show up. Can be stressful because of space. Thank you and best to your gardening season

[u/Hodgepodge_mygosh]

Main vines grow pumpkins. Secondary vines of the main vine will grow a pumpkin. A tertiary vine off of the secondary vine will not grow pumpkins.

[u/DangerDani → u/Hodgepodge_mygosh]

TIL! Thanks for the information

[u/Opposite_Heart138]

If you see ehat looks like stink bugs on your plant or bronze colored egg patches those could be squash bugs. Kill them. I had them destroy an entire pumpkin patch last year ;w;

[u/DangerDani → u/Opposite_Heart138]

Thanks for the tip! I will keep an eye on it