Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

Hope people aren't bored with pumpkins, I see someone else has already
posted about them today...

I have recently moved to Newfoundland, Canada and after growing
pumpkins for the last two years in the UK I thought I would try here,
and hopefully have some ready for the kids for Halloween. The plants
are growing well and look healthy and are producing lots of male and
female flowers but the embryo pumpkins at the bases of the female
flowers never develop into anything, they just shrivel up and fall off
when the flower dies.

I have been Googling tonight and I think I have found the answer:
pumpkins are usually pollinated by bees, there are very few bees in
Newfoundland so my plants are probably not being pollinated. So I
guess I'll have to get a small paintbrush and pollinate them by hand.
Is this likely the right diagnosis, and has anyone else had this
problem when growing pumpkins in out-of-the-way places?

Peter

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

Try it, but I have found that if there aren't enough pollinators (how many
is enough?) they will still shrivel and drop off. You might try spraying
them with sugar water and see if flies, ants, or butterflies will come to
them. There are enough other plants growing there that require pollinators,
and I don't see why pumpkins wouldn't work. If you could figure a way to
draw the black flies to them you might have invented something (we used to
live at Goose Bay).

Dwayne

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hope people aren't bored with pumpkins, I see someone else has already
posted about them today...

I have recently moved to Newfoundland, Canada and after growing
pumpkins for the last two years in the UK I thought I would try here,
and hopefully have some ready for the kids for Halloween. The plants
are growing well and look healthy and are producing lots of male and
female flowers but the embryo pumpkins at the bases of the female
flowers never develop into anything, they just shrivel up and fall off
when the flower dies.

I have been Googling tonight and I think I have found the answer:
pumpkins are usually pollinated by bees, there are very few bees in
Newfoundland so my plants are probably not being pollinated. So I
guess I'll have to get a small paintbrush and pollinate them by hand.
Is this likely the right diagnosis, and has anyone else had this
problem when growing pumpkins in out-of-the-way places?

Peter

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

wrote:
Hope people aren't bored with pumpkins, I see someone else has already
posted about them today...

I have recently moved to Newfoundland, Canada and after growing
pumpkins for the last two years in the UK I thought I would try here,
and hopefully have some ready for the kids for Halloween. The plants
are growing well and look healthy and are producing lots of male and
female flowers but the embryo pumpkins at the bases of the female
flowers never develop into anything, they just shrivel up and fall off
when the flower dies.

I have been Googling tonight and I think I have found the answer:
pumpkins are usually pollinated by bees, there are very few bees in
Newfoundland so my plants are probably not being pollinated. So I
guess I'll have to get a small paintbrush and pollinate them by hand.
Is this likely the right diagnosis, and has anyone else had this
problem when growing pumpkins in out-of-the-way places?

Peter

We have had success in growing pumpkins in newfoundland by attracting
bees. A tip that has been passed down was to surround the perimeter of
the patch with several varieties of perennial flowers that bloom
throughout the summer months and several potted or container plants in
the patch itself.

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

"Dwayne" wrote in message
...
Try it, but I have found that if there aren't enough pollinators (how many
is enough?) they will still shrivel and drop off. You might try spraying
them with sugar water and see if flies, ants, or butterflies will come to
them. There are enough other plants growing there that require
pollinators, and I don't see why pumpkins wouldn't work. If you could
figure a way to draw the black flies to them you might have invented
something (we used to live at Goose Bay).

Dwayne

I was stationed at Ernest Harmon in Stephenville in 1965/66. It was one of
the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I would sure like to visit one
time before I leave this old earth. So, figure out those pumpkins so there
will be some if I ever get the chance for that visit. G


--
J.C.

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

wrote in message
ups.com...
Well that's a coincidence, I (and my pumpkins) are in Stephenville too.
I guess you were at the US air base (now closed)?

Peter

Yes, certainly was. Enjoyed every minute of it too. I'm in South Texas now
and sure could use a little of that COOL Newfoundland air.


--
J.C.

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

the big joke at our house is to go out in the morning and have 'pumpkin
sex'...hand pollinating the flowers.

any day that a female flower opens, just pull one of the many male
flowers, peel away the petals, and rub it directly on the female
flower. Works every time!

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

I did this the other day and now I have about 4 little pumpkins.
--
:) Lynn


"sarab" wrote in message
oups.com...
the big joke at our house is to go out in the morning and have 'pumpkin
sex'...hand pollinating the flowers.

any day that a female flower opens, just pull one of the many male
flowers, peel away the petals, and rub it directly on the female
flower. Works every time!

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

Thanks for all those suggestions everyone. JC, as it's rather a long
way from Texas to Stephenville, I could email you some photos of the
town and airbase/airport as they are now, if you let me have an email
address - let me know if there's anything you'd particularly like to
see. Peter.

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for all those suggestions everyone. JC, as it's rather a long
way from Texas to Stephenville, I could email you some photos of the
town and airbase/airport as they are now, if you let me have an email
address - let me know if there's anything you'd particularly like to
see. Peter.


Maybe one of the old base and the town in general. Anything you think is
worthy would be fine. My address is real

Thanks,


--
J.C.

Pumpkin problems in Newfoundland
 

You're welcome JC, I'll wait until it's stopped raining before I take
the photos (this could take a while, it being Newfoundland... You'll
have to give me that email address again though, because I'm reading
this newsgroup via Google Groups (not a newsreader) and it
automatically edits out all email addresses containing an "@" symbol
(spam prevention I think). You could either write it here as "yourname
at yahoo.com" or email it to me directly at petgray at hotmail.com.

Peter