A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 ahhhh my pumkin plant

has decided to take over my yard. I really wish I could show a picture, but seriously, 2 yrs ago when we grew pumpkin we got about 8 leaves and 1 4lb pumpkin. This year, planted in the same place it is huge!! I will measure it later and tell ya all how big.

But anyway can I cut it back to grow larger pumpkins and if so where, when and how?

Thanks
Colleen

You can cut off the tips to induce more female flowers to get more smaller pumpkins, or just pull off all the newly set fruit to pump more goodies into the existing fruit to get less, bigger pumpkins. Generally though, for a family situation, more smaller ones is better than a few big ones as they are harder to use up fresh if they are huge. Fun to watch grow though if they get massive. (My best is 15 Kilograms, Queensland Blue variety. Yummo. I think that's about 45 lb or something in old speak.)

Thanks I am aiming for 1 or 2 fairly large ones, to enter in our fair in Sept. I will, go thru it later and cut off the tiny pumpkins, to allow larger fruits.

Size isn't an issue, as we are canning them after the fair- its only a 1 day event.

I measured the longest vine on the plant this afternoon, it is a whopping 67 inches long and still growing, in fact I swear it grew 6 inchs overnite.

well now I am totally bummed out. earlier tonite we had a severe thunderstorm, not much thunder and lightening but plenty of wind and large hale, it shredded every plant in the garden, the only thing I may be able to save is the potatoes and carrots.

I'm so sorry to hear that! It seems Mother Nature has plans that differ from yours Better luck next year!

this pumpkin plant has no intentions of being beaten by a little hail storm. It has 3 vines with flowers some with pumpkins on them some not. AND we actually have 1 pumpkin growing already and growing fast. Funny thing this vine that it is growing on, grew thru my fence and onto the grasss outside. So we may get pumpkins this year yet.

Hi, topcat and Longy. I'm new here and also have a pumpkin patch on the side of our house. I was wondering--how did you figure out which fruits to cut off and when? I have about 9 growing pumpkins and they are all very small (the largest is the size of my fist). I have no idea when they grow to potential. When did your pumpkins get larger--is it a slow or fast process? ANY advice would be quite welcome! I hope it's OK to post here as this is my 1st day over here. It's just that your topic was exactly what I am dealing with. Thanks!
Sheri K.

there is an excellent website - the pumpkinpatch.com I think is the address and it tells you absolutely everything from soil,situation,fertilizers etc...
Check it out and grow a whopper!!