Your comments and tips

03 Nov 11, robert cowley (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Ihad lots of male flowers growing this year and few females,now Ihave the opposite,can pollen from the male flowers be harvested for use later?

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01 Oct 11, cheryl (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

has anyone herd of banana punkins before my inlaws grew these and they are a beautiful eating punkin but how well dpo they store ?

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23 Sep 11, Mark Logan (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I've heard that planting your pumpkin seeds into fairly poor soil and then fertilising once the fruit appears ensures you get more fruit and less leaves. Has anyone else heard of this?

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12 Aug 11, judy farrelly (Australia - tropical climate)

I notice that a lot of growers say that when a pumpkin sounds hollow, it is ready to pick; I have heard that you are supposed to leave them until the vi ne is dead; is this also true?

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10 Aug 11, judy farrelly (Australia - tropical climate)

to arthur stevens: you will probably find the bees have not pollinated your pumpkin flowers, thus the young fruit fall off; you could try hand pollinating them yourself; that's what I had to do this year (in CCairns)

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29 Jul 11, Helen (Australia - temperate climate)

Why have my butternut pumpkins developed rot after harvesting? They have been stored in a dark dry place.

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31 Jul 11, Karen (Australia - temperate climate)

If your pumpkins matured late in the season (o you platnted the seed late) they do not store well, you eat these first. The pumpkins that developed first are the ones that store. The other reason for rot is not leaving the pumpkins in the sun (dry outdoors area) after harvest for the skins to fully mature. Better luck with the next crop

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20 Jul 11, Sylvia Allan - Sgallan07 (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Karen, Yes I did get a couple of Windsor Black seeds, they were given to me especially from a generous person who gave me all they had, and I am to grow them and return a 100 seeds to them as well, I am waiting for the frosts to go, and will plant them Hopefully they are fresh seeds and I will be able to sell seed later this year. They will be available through eBay when I have harvested them. I hope to be able to make available over 100 varieties of pumpkin & squash seeds along with 6 varieties of Pie or Jam melon seeds.Kindest regards Sylvia.

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26 Feb 13, Evette (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Sylvia, Just wondering if you had any luck with the Windsor Black pumpkin. We have been looking for this variety for a while but havent found any. Do yuo have any seeds for sale? Best wishes Evette

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20 Jul 11, sgallan07 (Australia - temperate climate)

Japanese Pumpkins have really long runners (Vines) The male flowers always come first, then the females follow in a couple of weeks then you may have to hand pollinate them if there are not enough bees or insects. it is easy just pick a male flower and brush the pollen gently on the stigma of the female flower early in the morning, you can recognize the female flower because it has the small pumpkin under the flower. It is often suggested to cut the main long runner when about 10 feet long (3m) But here in the Lockyer valley the farmers plant acres of them & get tons of pumpkins, I am sure they don't go to that trouble, they just let them grow. A fertilizer PK of 6.6,6 is ideal as to much Phos. will grow all leaves and little or no pumpkins when the female flower isn't fertilized it will go black/brown and fall off. also if stung by fruit fly will do the same only if you break it open it will be full of fruit fly larvae. How ever when you have a pumpkin setting , you can grow it larger if you cut the vine runner off. can help protect it from fruit fly and birds by covering with straw or a larger pot with a bit of gauze in the bottom and place fruit fly traps. hope this helps. sgallan07

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