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Why no female flowers?

Pumpkin    None Given

I have 4 mini pumpkin vines, they seem healthy, lush green vines with lots of yellow flowers. They have been flowering for over two weeks now, but no female flowers. Is there anything I can do to encourage the plants to produce female flowers, so that I can have pumpkins by the fall?


Posted by: Rosanne (1 point) Rosanne
Posted: July 7, 2016




Answers

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Generally the pumpkin plants produce male flowers first (especially in large numbers) and female flowers arrives one or two weeks after male flowers. So I would say just watch and nothing to worry yet! The female flowers will develop soon. Usually pumpkin plants produce flowers in 10:1 ratio (male:female).
To encourage lateral branches and increase fruit numbers some people pinch off the main vine tip when the plant is 2 feet long. But I believe it is too late for your plants.

Also please keep in mind that once the female flowers arrives they need honey bees for pollination. If your garden lacks honey bees you can do hand pollination by using soft brush or gently rubbing the male and female flowers.


Posted by: Dr. Ravishankar Narayana (15 points) Dr. Ravishankar Narayana
Posted: July 8, 2016




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