Planting pumpkins query

[cityfarma]

I want to plant a few different types of pumkin and I want to collect the seeds for next year. I know pumkins cross pollinate so how far apart should the different types be planted to maintain the true types?

Is there a similar problem with watermelons?

Cityfarma

 

[Tororider]

Can't help you out, but will look forward to info, as I hope to plant some pumpkins for the kids for next year.

 

[randy41]

so you will plant only non-hybrids...right? I'm not sure of the distance required but I would think its a good long ways apart. pumpkins, and watermelons, are frequented by pollinating insects whose range is measured in miles.

 

[jinman]

so you will plant only non-hybrids...right? I'm not sure of the distance required but I would think its a good long ways apart. pumpkins, and watermelons, are frequented by pollinating insects whose range is measured in miles.

Great answer, Randy41.

I was going to say to only plant one plant. We've had pumpkins put out runners as long as 25'. That means spacing the plants over 50' apart and training the pollenators to only land on a single variety...not likely. I guess you could plant a field of only one type of pumpkin and also convince all your neighbors to do the same...or build a greenhouse and do your own pollinating. I think the easy answer is just to plant your seeds and take your chances. Do your own pollination in the field (use a cotton swab or pull the male blossom) and mark the locations you know you pollenated.

 

[Tororider]

Randy41,
Do you have specific non-hybrid varieties that you would suggest?

So you can't plant a mini pumpkin variety and a "normal" size pumpkin variety in the same field? Do gourds have any impact on this equation?

Thanks.

 

[charlz]

I think the 'rule of thumb' is something like 1/4 mile apart. Not likely to happen in a home garden. I have planted:

Jack-o'Lantern (Cucurbita Pepo)
Jack-b-little (Cucurbita Pepo)
Lumina (Cucurbita Maxima)
Baby Boo's (Cucurbita Pepo)

together as well as other squash. If they are from the same family they can cross. So far my pumpkins have come true from seed I have kept. Although next year will be the first year for Baby Boo from seed I am keeping.

I did have some kind of monster pumpkin/spaghetti squash (Cucurbita Pepo) that volunteered and that was interesting. They were orange and about 5 times the size of a spaghetti squash but smelled on the inside like pumpkin, taste was about the same as spaghetti squash.

So basically you take your chances but I like saving seed so thats what I do.

Charles

 

[randy41]

Randy41,
Do you have specific non-hybrid varieties that you would suggest?

So you can't plant a mini pumpkin variety and a "normal" size pumpkin variety in the same field? Do gourds have any impact on this equation?

Thanks.

I grow howden which is open pollinated (not hybrid). i also grow baby bear which is a small (mini) pumpkin and is open pollinated. then I grow some hybrids. i grow them all in the same field but I'm not looking to save seed that will be true to its origin. i think you'd be ok with gourds.
i also grow 2 varieties of open pollinated watermelons....sugar baby and crimson sweet. again I'm not looking to save seed so I plant them near each other.
i think theres a lot of info on the www about how to grow in order to save seed. i think it requires the use of barriers around the plant when the plant is flowering.

 

[Tororider]

So if I understand correctly, as long as I buy new seed every year It wouldn't matter what type of pumpkins I plant? Sorry if this is a terribly newbie question.

From what I have heard, pumpkins are pretty easy to grow? And if the seeds are really expensive(I am not looking to plant a lot of them, just a small patch) then buying seed every year shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for the help.

 

[zeuspaul]

That's right. Cross pollination is only an issue if you want to save seed for next year's crop. Buy as many varieties as you want and don't worry about getting strange pumpkins.

Zeuspaul

 

[randy41]

pumpkin seeds are cheap. pepper & seedless watermelon seeds are expensive.

 

[Tororider]

Thanks guys. Makes things easier for me. In a bit of research that I did last night it sounds like sometimes it is fun to keep some of your seeds and see what kind of monstrous mutation comes out. May do that along with buying new seeds.

 

[Highbeam]

Now I am almost certain that in my childhood gardens we would occasionally get the pumpkins and zuchinni too close together and get pumpkinni. We only used purchased seeds. Is it true then that the berry (or fruit) grown is only dependent on the seed purchased and not by the pollenator? Long skinny pumpkins and yellow zukes.

 

[Perdido]

Plant your seed about 4-6 feet apart, but have plenty of room for your vines to grow --- usually 15- 25 ft. Seed are cheap - $1.50 worth of seeds will make all of the pumpkins you will need. Save some of the seeds from your pumpkins and plant them next year.

 

[cityfarma]

I am able to plant the the different varieties about 100+ metres apart so I will try that and hope for the best. I will also sow them a month or so apart and hope that the earlier pumpkins will be true to seed.

My biggest problem in the garden is water. Although I have a 5+ acre dam, it is in a gully 20m below my garden. I do not live on the property so have to pump water up to a 23,000 ltr tank and use gravity to move the water to the plants. I use a number of hardware store timers that use batteries and a small motor to operate the water valve. There is not enough pressure to operate the normal reticulation valves. I set them to water twice a week. I also water them if necessary every two weeks when I visit.

This year I have planted a considerably larger area than before (not as large as on some other posts!!) so it will be interesting to see what happens. It is all seeds or seedlings at this time so not much to see. I will post some photos when it actually looks like a vege patch!

I have also noticed signs of rabbits (such as one hopping away ) so I hope they are not going to become a problem. I have found that the FEL is good for removing their holes


Cityfarma

 

[Georgia Boy]

A while back I set out some cucumber plants under a pecan tree and they crossed, I had pecans ten inches long and the cucumbers were good too but you had to crack them open with a hammer!

 

[charlz]

We don't have deer or rabbits right around the place so I have not had problems with those. I do have problems with mice, one pumpkin I pulled this year looked like swiss cheese!

So do you water the plants with a drip irrigation system? Is twice a week enough? I water twice a day in the peak of summer via drip irrigation.

Charles

 

[jinman]

A while back I set out some cucumber plants under a pecan tree and they crossed, I had pecans ten inches long and the cucumbers were good too but you had to crack them open with a hammer!

Glad you didn't plant watermelons under that tree, huh?

charlz: I have trouble with squirrels getting my cantaloupes, but I've never had anything but squash bugs and cucumber beetles get on my squash and pumpkins. We did have one female rabbit that kept trying to build a nest in our hay mulch this year. I never saw any damage from her though.

 

[charlz]

charlz: I have trouble with squirrels getting my cantaloupes, but I've never had anything but squash bugs and cucumber beetles get on my squash and pumpkins. We did have one female rabbit that kept trying to build a nest in our hay mulch this year. I never saw any damage from her though.

Those squash bugs are a pain. They do seem to prefer certain plants over others though. They like the Lumina pumpkins best and can do some damage there so I use Sevin. Next they seem to like the yellow straight neck squash, those plants are so prolific that the 'bug tax' doesn't really seem to bother them. That pretty much keeps them out of the jack-o-lantern's etc. until the end of the season when the yellow squash are gone.

Next year I am going to try using plastic mulch on some of the rows, mainly for weed control. With that I may try some of the tricks like laying shingles here and there for them to collect under for easy killing early in the morning.

Charles

 

[cityfarma]

So do you water the plants with a drip irrigation system? Is twice a week enough? I water twice a day in the peak of summer via drip irrigation.

Charles

Not a chance for me. The trip is 200Km each way. I have used the drip irrigation on melons previously and they grew ok. My soil is loamy clay and holds the water well. I do not water my fruit trees after the first few years. They are only given approx 20 -30ltr each 2 weeks (when I visit) in the first few years. To quote from My Name is Sue (Johnny Cash) "Ya gotta get tough or die". So far , so good as I still get plenty of fruit for my use.

My other potential problem is kangaroos. They already tear my fruit trees apart. I just hope they don't want to get into my fenced vege patch. I am happy (well sort of) to share with the parrots and 'roos but they don't appear to care much about sharing with me

This is also a sad time of year as it is time to cull surplus stock. Fortunately we have many who are prepared to assist in this task. Unfortunately poachers also think they can help themselves to the stock.

Cityfarma

 

[tallyho8]

And I thought we had large crayfish in Louisiana! You better hope that not many of our neighbors see that photo or you will have a sudden influx of crayfish-craving cajuns in your neighborhood.