I am so dissapointed-pumpkin

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growingup Tucson, AZ Aug 20, 2007

I have been fussing over my pumpkin patch for months. I was so proud that I was going to have my own patch, even here in Tucson, AZ. Well, when my vines set 20+ pumpkins, I was so happy. Now, weeks later, the pumpkins are all the same size-SMALL. I believe I might have accidentally planted miniature pumpkins. They have already turned orange from their original yellow color (they were never green) and they are great looking, but still, only about 4" diameter for the biggest. Ughh. Well, is there any hope that they'll get bigger? I have no idea where the packet is that I used. The pumpkins on the front looked like Cinderella pumpkins-large and flat, but I think that was just a closeup of a Munchkin or something. I wish I knew then what I know now, I would have paid much better attention. Here's my next question, is there any variety that I can plant now, that will be large enough to carve for Halloween? What a waste.

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GrammysGardenAZ Cochise, AZ(Zone 8b) Aug 21, 2007

Sounds like you did alot right to have so many little pumpkins. Enjoy them and plant a bigger variety next year. Most all take a long growing season. Use a black marker or paint for faces on the little guys ;-)

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orchardkeeper Harvard, IL(Zone 5a) Aug 21, 2007

Sounds like you planted Jack Be Little pumpkins. If you visit http://www.goestores.com/catalog.aspx?StoreName=premierstarcompany&DeptID=29152 you will see the seeds and if you click on hte description link you will see what you can do with the little guys you have. The late fall and winter is when most pumpkin growers will be trading seeds so that is a good tiome to check out the forum on seed swapping to get the type of pumpkins you want. In the meantime you can consult web site lik the Pumpkin Nook and others to get descriptions of the various pumpkin varieites. Hope this helps!

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kls_01 Champaign, IL(Zone 5b) Aug 21, 2007

I've never grown pumpkins, but could it be that you were supposed to thin the pumpkins to one per vine so that all the energy went into that one pumpkin to make it bigger? I had some watermelons this year, and they say that's what you are supposed to do with them. I got tons of little watermelons and couldn't bare to pick them off....they never got very big and ended up dying off....then there was about one watermelon per vine that survived, which got huge. There are two that I believe are on the same vine, and one is big, and the other only half the size. Just a guess!

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growingup Tucson, AZ Aug 21, 2007

Orchard Keeper~Thanks for the great links
kls_01~Nope. I've noticed from seeing other links on growing pumpkins, they have very telling characteristics that make it obvious that I planted mini pumpkins. They are great and healthy so I should be satisfied with that.

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