"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"tina" wrote
Can any of you pumpkin experts help me. I have a couple of pumpkin
plants in a raised bed. one of them had 2 small tomato sizes pumpkins
growing on one stem, but they have turned brown & dropped off.
Touching one of them it looked soft & mushy.

Does anyone know whats wrong?

Sounds like the female flowers, the ones with the embryonic fruit behind
them, are not being pollinated. Next time a female flower opens hand
pollinate it with a male flower by transferring the pollen from the male
to the end of the stigma (central sticky out bits in both cases) of the
female. Could be the cold weather is putting off the pollinating insects.

Mine is in the greenhouse and the only fruit is swelling daily - there are
no pollinating insects in there. In fact the fruit was swelling before its
bud flowered.

There are still very many bees outside - and it hasn't been cold all week!
I'm in shorts and vest.

Not a pretty sight ...

Mary

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK