Bees should take care of them. They are a lot longer season than watermelons or cantaloupes and may just not be ready to reproduce yet. They are also less heat tolerant. How are your temps.

I am trying to grow a couple of Big Max and not having much luck. I have planted seeds 4 times, and the ones that are growing are growing s..l..o..w. I have pumpkin pie ones growing too and those are taking off. I wonder if the Big Max need a lot more fertilizer than my other pumpkins.

Paul

Farmerdilla & Gsevens I grow my Big Max pumpkins in clay soil that has been primed with gypsum, topsoil (6") and Miracle Gro Garden Soil Fertilizer. Everything was growing well. The Big Max vines have taken over virtually everything. I have sprayed with Miracle Gro fertilizer solution. The Blossoms are there bees have been here and still no pumpkins..I am a thinking it is just not time of the year for them to grow as the cantaloupes and Watermelons are giving fruit already.

...and yes we are near 100 degrees every day. This is the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas
Jesse Jr.

Growing Big Max here in Maryland - 1st time this year for these. I have several basketball sized pumpkins sitting out there and another 4-5 baseball sized. I'll probably start cutting off anymore because that's all I need and I can focus the energy to make the ones I have bigger. I had one REALLY big one that was basketball sized by last week June and it was well on the way to superstardom until my golden retriever decided to um . . . retrieve it.

Don't know if what I'm doing is helpful or not, but I'll let you know just in case it helps. I've planted them with canteloupes and watermellons on a slight slope surrounding hills of corn and beans (3 sisters). I started them from seed in March indoors. I've been using sea kelp emulsion about every 3 weeks and Veggies Alive (from Gardens Alive) about once a month. Lots of mason bees all over the place every morning.

Jamadan,

Sounds like you are off to a great start with your pumpkins. I guess the zone must have something to do with it also because I have had blossoms and bees and voila !...nothing..

I like your idea of sea kelp emulsion. This Veggies alive you are talking about must be akin to the Miracle Gro I use. Either way, they have to be used a little more than I have been doing to give the veggies/melons a lot more nutrients.

It truly sounds as if you have a well performing garden. The Heat down here in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas does help alot for Watermelons and Cantaloupes but Big Max pumpkins don't seem to do well here no matter how many bees or how well fertilized the veggies get. I do appreciate your comments.

I bet they start setting when the nights start getting cooler.

Are you watering in the morning before the bees get to the pollen? Maybe it's too damp and no good.

I have grown Atlantic Giant for the past 4 years. This year is abnormal in my zone 5 Wisconsin in that I just saw the first female flower 2 days ago and the vine is only 4' long whereas in a 'normal' year it would already be 15-20' long.

Cukes, gourds, and watermelon are all fairly normal, but for whatever reason this just isn't a good pumpkin year. I have two friends, each an hour drive from me in different directions experiencing the same thing.

I don't want to even think how expensive store bought pumpkins will be this year.

To SheBear: I have watered usually around 10:00 am well after the bees have done their pollinating...but have also watered a little earlier at about 7:30 am right when the bees are pollinating and I do indeed see them pollinating...it seems to actually draw them to the flowers. If the wind ois blowing hard, I will even water at about 6:30 pm and the wind blows the water off the leaves and I do not get any leaf mold.

To JustaGuy:
I can not account for the short vines in your case unless it is due to the cooler temps you have up there or perhaps a shortage of fertilizer. Mine are so long ...20 -25 feet in length.. I will from now on plant them at the outer edge of the garden rather than let them totally take over the garden as they have done.

The first female flower on my big max opened yesterday. I went out to hand pollinate it, but the bees were all over it along with the only male flower open at the time. All the pollen in the male was gone. I hope they got it to the female. I should know soon.

The little pumpkin and the stem that are right behind the flower are bright yellow. Is that normal?

Thanks,
Paul

I am getting a lot of pumpkins on mine but most of them are rotting off. We have had a lot of rain. My sugar and Jack o'lanterns are doing the same. My soil is also full of clay. Pollination seems fine though.

Paul, The Big Max pumpkins have a yellow stem and fruit.

Justaguy2, we are in the same boat as you are up here. Too cool this summer (what summer) but it seems that our weather is changing alittle bit toward the warmer temps. Lets hope so. LOL.