I’m growing a Big Max pumpkin this year. This is my second year gardening and first time trying to grow a pumpkin.

Does anyone know if this is a male or female flower? I think I’m supposed to seal the female ones until later but also think I remember reading the male ones come first.

  • LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.orgM
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    You can generally tell by how the flower is attached; male flowers will be right off the stem while female flowers will have a little bulb at the base. You may wish to cut back the flowers that are there currently, to encourage more vegetative growth. Getting a fruit to maturity is energy intensive for plants, and more leaves means more energy to make them when the plant grows a new set of flowers.

  • phikshun@lemmy.fmhy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    1 year ago

    Either low on nitrogen or the soil pH is way off. You should have a lot more leaves before it starts flowering, and they should be greener. Some fish fertilizer might pep it up.

      • Bumblebb@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        It can be either. You can get slow release non urea based osmocote stuff for pumpkins as they are very hungry. Consider putting some peas or beans in there after the pumpkin is done to help recruit fungi to convert your nitrogen into a useable form. Since it’s your first year you might have just had too young compost