pumpkins dying prematurely. please help

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skooltcher Lancaster, CA Jul 29, 2011

have a huge pumpkin plant sprawling all over the garden, but the pumpkins turn yellow and then to mush before they get they even develop. please help

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HoneybeeNC Charlotte, NC(Zone 7b) Jul 29, 2011

Do they start to grow and then stop? Or do the vines set fruit, but the fruit turns yellow and fall off before they start to grow?

I suspect it's the latter - this is caused by the flowers not being pollinated. Do you have bees visiting the flowers? If so, the fruit is not setting probably because the air is very humid. If you don't have bees - there's your problem.

If the weather has been cold during the day (under 65F) this will discourage honeybees from flying - although bumble bees will fly at this temperature.

Have you had lots of rain? This will prevent the flowers from setting fruit. Also, if you water with a sprinkler or by hose and get the flowers wet in the mornings, they will not set fruit.

I thinik I've covered everything :)

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skooltcher Lancaster, CA Jul 29, 2011

thanks, the latter is true. it's been mighty hot, no rain lately, i live in the desert. i see the occasional wasp, but few bees. i may be drenching the flowers when i water them. perhaps i can hand pollinate them.

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HoneybeeNC Charlotte, NC(Zone 7b) Jul 30, 2011

skooltcher - I see you live in the desert, so high humidity is not your problem. I suspect it's lack of pollinators.

Although I have never done this for pumpkins, you should be able to use a small, soft make-up brush to transfer pollen from male to female flowers. The flowers only bloom for a day, and are most receptive in the morning. If you see bees flying about, that's a sure sign that the flowers are ready to be pollinated.

I used to hand pollinate day lillies this way when I lived in South Florida.

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