Your comments and tips

03 Sep 18, Jeff (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I have saved seed from a pumpkin we like and allowed to dry. I am soaking some in water and some in a damp paper towel and left some dry. None are showing any sign of striking. Do I just wait longer or will they strike if I plant some out?

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03 Sep 18, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Pumpkin seeds will take about 7-10 days to show any activity. Your best bet is damp paper towel or seed raising mix. As they are frost tender, pumpkin seeds need some warmth to start germinating.

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11 Sep 18, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Take a plastic tray you buy your meat or chicken in from supermarkets - 2-3

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03 Oct 18, Jess (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

I see that I should avoid planting pumpkins with potatoes. But how far apart do they need to be? Is opposite ends of the same garden bed ok? Thanks.

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08 Oct 18, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Depends how far apart you planted them - ends of a bed doesn't tell me much. Take into consideration how far the pumpkin plant will spread - could be 5-6-7m. Do you want them running through your potatoes. I would suggest planting any vine crop away from smaller crops.

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04 Dec 18, Robyn (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

I live in Te Anau and wonder what is a faster maturing pumpkin variety?? We had a good crop of pumpkins growing last year, but a rogue frost in mid March killed off the plant and the pumpkin crop did not ripen, and the weather is only coming good now (early Dec) to plant.

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05 Dec 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Look around some seed selling companies - email or phone them. Most times I see like 15-20 weeks to grow but which is early I don't know. Another way is to start the seeds early indoors or somewhere protected from the weather. You could start growing them in Oct say under lights. Sometimes nature throws us a big curve ball and stuffs it all up.

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09 Dec 18, (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

thanks

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22 Jan 19, Sal (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

I have 3 healthy pumpkins growing on the vine but the new baby ones are going yellow and dying. What causes this?

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22 Jan 19, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

They are going yellow and dying because they have not been pollinated. Try using a soft small paint brush, or something similar, to transfer some pollen from a 'male' flower (one without a tiny pumpkin behind it) to a 'female' flower - one with a tiny pumkin behind it.

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