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Woodward, Oklahoma

I have had ten different pumpkins abort off of 3 different plants after the get a little bit bigger than a softball. Any tips or information for help would be much appreciated.

6/20/2017 11:31:40 AM

Bottom of ohio

Shade them, stop frets for few days, make sure you are getting them pollinated early

6/20/2017 12:29:25 PM

Bottom of ohio

Should have been ferts

6/20/2017 12:30:12 PM

Brookfield, Wisconsin

How hot has it been. I will cover mine with small foam coolers and maybe put frozen water bottles inside. Never had one abort doing this.

6/20/2017 1:16:11 PM

Westmoreland, KS

Growing pumpkins is damn tough in our environment. The Cooler trick works great if you can replenish the ice bottles every couple hours from sun up to sun down.

I can't be home to do this so the best way I have found is to keep the entire plant cool throughout the day by watering it continuously every hour or so. My automatic watering system has worked best but even with this I still get a couple aborts. Put a fan on it to keep it dry but overhead water the entire plant and root system.

I used to stop with the ferts but with our climate you don't know if the first pollination is going to take or if it will be the third so you could be stopping with ferts for a couple of weeks.

Best of luck and don't give up you can get a pollination 30 feet out and still hit your 1000 pound goal!

6/20/2017 1:28:08 PM

Woodward, Oklahoma

So stop any thing with n or all ferts? Plan on trying the frozen water bottles how close do I put them and how many days?

6/20/2017 4:26:46 PM

stoughton WI

Try using frozen 1 gallon jugs of water. With a small fan blowing across them on to the kin. Frozen jugs will last a little longer, may have to change them every 3 or 4 hrs less if they are shaded as well.

6/20/2017 5:01:28 PM

Bethlehem CT

All good advice on here. I like to let the secondaries set some pumpkins just to get the plant in the fruiting mode. It is way harder to get them set on the main when it is hot and sunny. The main needs to be shaded or misted throughout the day to keep the plant from wilting and stress. With pumpkins on the secondaries they usually are shaded and the plant doesn't wilt as bad in the interior of the plant. If the sun hits the fruit it will cook it, thus causing it to abort. The pumpkins on the main are way out in front with all that hot soil around it. (no leaf canopy to protect it) That type environment is no good for setting pumpkins

6/20/2017 6:02:57 PM

Bethlehem CT

Get yourself an irrigation timer that will go off every hour or every half hour through the hottest part of the day. Set up some sprinklers or misters. If the leaf tips are wilting have the water go on more often.

6/20/2017 6:09:15 PM

your nitrogen might be high. I shut off any N about a week or so before i try and set one on. the fruit want potassium, the vines want nitrogen. You really want to ease into any heavy fertilizer till the pumpkin stabilizes. I use 0-50-30 half strength and have good results.

6/21/2017 12:28:58 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

That wire hut one used during the initial stage can now be used to shelter the pumpkin. I cover with a reflective car sun shield, works quite well for keeping sun out and water out. Pumpkin is covered with a towel.

6/21/2017 9:32:26 AM

Woodward, Oklahoma

Thanks everyone big moon thanks for all the good info really like the idea of pollinating side vine pumpkins to get it in the go mode.

6/21/2017 2:11:17 PM

Randlett, Oklahoma

Anyone have a guess of the temp around the pumpkin to set? Like say 85 or less or more like 75 or less?

6/21/2017 6:15:55 PM

Fullerton, California

I do mine at about 72*

6/21/2017 10:28:21 PM

Woodward, Oklahoma

Flashtone I have been using only 0-50-34 since June 15.

6/22/2017 12:32:59 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Been a big issue of mine over the years, I must have lost ~15 in 2012 before I had one finally take in August. Localized cooling with a cooler while the rest of the plant bakes does not help when it's 100+ and so humid the air is like soup... this stresses the entire plant. Try shading as much of the plant as you can during pollinations in high heat. I've had multiple canopies set up for 10 days at a time with sheets hanging under those just to get a fruit to take.

Fortunately, the hottest we've been here this year is only 97 and Trop Storm Cindy is bringing a nice cold spell in the upper 80's for next week.

6/22/2017 3:03:56 PM

Woodward, Oklahoma

I have already had 103 and it's not even July.

6/22/2017 3:33:40 PM

Woodward, Oklahoma

June 1 not 15.

6/22/2017 3:35:39 PM

Randlett, Oklahoma

Im thinking the cooler temps from Cindy will make or break my season...

6/22/2017 6:52:16 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Baker, were up to 108 in June,2012 (actual temp) and the heat index with humidity was pushing 120. Nothing would take. July was even worse.

The localized cooling works great, but my example above was for the extreme heat which it sounds like you had due to so many aborts.

6/23/2017 8:39:44 AM

Woodward, Oklahoma

Well this is not a bad year 3-4-5 years ago was horrible. 110 115 all July August.

6/23/2017 4:35:33 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Look for plants with 1625 genetics, good root systems to endure high heat climates

6/23/2017 4:46:39 PM

temps over 100 I have luck throwing a white t shirt over female and keep misters hitting t shirt every 5 minutes happened by accident lost 75 to abort 1 year except those that got wet they took

6/23/2017 6:03:37 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I do the pray method I close them back off with a zip tie and pray they make it I also recommend slowing down a heavy nitrogen fert program before fruit set and go to water with a bloom booster maybe she just isn't ready if she is growing hot and heavy due to temps and such... unsure I'm no scientist .... or maybe whisper things in her ear like how pretty she is how fat she will become and of course how many happy people she will touch just due to her shear size this fall encourage he to make a monster fruit ..... I'm no scientist but maybe ya never know she might like it

6/23/2017 9:09:09 PM

Woodward, Oklahoma

Big city I like talking to them! Glad I am not the only one.

6/25/2017 11:38:37 AM

Woodward, Oklahoma

The 1803 Hoelke is of the 1625 genetics.

6/25/2017 11:51:18 AM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I know ..... I keep stock in 1625 genetics around here.... lol

6/26/2017 10:38:00 AM