feeding pumpkins ?

[Magiccat1978]

Can I use Growmore - J Arthur Bowers stuff to feed my pumpkin plant or what should I be using? A few have set fruit ( well 1 on each plant ) and a few a showing yellowing of the leaves so I think the need a good feed. Any help greatfully appreciated

[NOG]

Its a bit late to start thinking about feeding them...the Amreicans recommend diging a hole and filling it with 1 ton of manure then planting in to that.

I would not use Growmore as it takes too long to release I would use peleted chicken manure....add a couple of handfulls to a bucket of water and mix it up and use that.

[growingkasbar]

I feed my pumpkins with tomato feed and they seem to be doing ok. I now have 2 fruits on each plant

[Matt.]

Liquid feed at this time of year so it can be absorbed and used quickly. Tomato feed is probably good although seaweed feed are what a lot of growers use. However, I don't use any except for the odd dose of homebrew comfrey tea.

[Magiccat1978]

I had planted them with manure but it was 2 + months ago ( and no where near a ton ) I have fed them with tomato feed but they just seem to need a little pick me up, unless its normal for the first few leaves to go yellow and die off maybe Its my first year growing so all trial and error I guess Thanks for your help

[taff]

Some of the earlier leaves will go yellow and drop off, or you pull them off. You should worry if all of the leaves are yellow, or the plant looks generally unhappy.
One or tow yellow leaves is normal after this long.

[LizyDrippin]

On the pumpkin theme

Should I put anything under them to "cushion" them, and if I do what should it be?

I have a couple of crown prince and a squashkin

They've taken over a whole bed near enough (16x4 feet) they look great, with the sweetcorn and the beans rising above them

[Skotch]

On the pumpkin theme

Should I put anything under them to "cushion" them, and if I do what should it be?

I have a couple of crown prince and a squashkin

They've taken over a whole bed near enough (16x4 feet) they look great, with the sweetcorn and the beans rising above them

It's recommended you pop a board or straw or something along those lines under the fruit to keep it off the soil - stops bugs getting at it and also prevents rotting through contact with the damp soil. Especially recommended given the current weather. If you can, I would also give them a bit of a turn to expose the underside to the light a bit more

[teakdesk]

I would not use Growmore as it takes too long to release I would use peleted chicken manure....add a couple of handfulls to a bucket of water and mix it up and use that.

[rant mode]

Growmore and pelleted chicken manure are both slow release if scattered as pellets.

You can dissolve Growmore just like chicken manure pellets if you want a liquid feed.

However, chicken manure pellets are very high in nitrogen (which gives lots of leaf) and very low in potassium (which would give fruit if there was any). Growmore has an even balance of nitrogen and potassium. Tomato feed is high in potassium for fruits.

Chicken manure pellets are very high in acid so are good for ericaceous plants
but not for plants that like a neutral soil.

Chicken manure pellets come from battery hens (unless the tub states otherwise - which probably cost more) and I refuse to support this industry by buying them.

[/rant mode]

[Magiccat1978]

On the pumpkin theme

Should I put anything under them to "cushion" them, and if I do what should it be?

I have a couple of crown prince and a squashkin

They've taken over a whole bed near enough (16x4 feet) they look great, with the sweetcorn and the beans rising above them

Ooooh a squashkin, I tried some of those from Marshalls but 3 didnt even germinate and the other 2 didnt make it I'd be interested to know how yours are getting on, might try again next year - although the seeds were quite expensive. good luck

[bluemoon]

I try to feed my pumpkins at planting time, a huge hole with compost and BFB in it, I suppose tomato feed would be your best bet at this time of year.

As for cushioning them, we save those bits of polystyrene which come packed around things and use those. It's the only way I've ever found to recycle the stuff.

[stupot]

I took over an allotment with a raised bed that needed filling - I filled it with guniea pig waste (newspapers, half eaten carrots and you can imagine the rest!) taken from a a lady that breeds guinea pigs nearby. I then chucked a few inches of top soil on top, coverd with plastic and then have grown pumkins through the plastic. I put a mound of compost with chicken manure on top of all this under the plastic and planted the pumpkins into this. I'm growing 'hundredweight' and they are going great guns. One pumkin is size of Frank Sidebottom's head!!!

[maytreefrannie]

I'm growing 'hundredweight' and they are going great guns. One pumkin is size of Frank Sidebottom's head!!!

Who's Frank Sidebottom and what size is his head?

(Just trying to get the picture).

[LizyDrippin]

Ooooh a squashkin, I tried some of those from Marshalls but 3 didnt even germinate and the other 2 didnt make it I'd be interested to know how yours are getting on, might try again next year - although the seeds were quite expensive. good luck

I planted two seeds both came up bit one died quite quickly, the other one is in the bed. It is a lot smaller (ie not as long and much bushier than the crown prince) only just getting flowers on it although some do look like females so here's hoping

I love growing squash/pumpkins such a huge plant from such a little seed gets me every time, and searching under the leaves to see the first tiny fruits, it's one of my favourite things gardening wise


.

[maytreefrannie]

I've fed my one pumpkin plant with
nettle/borage mix - occasionally
dandelion/borage mix - occasionally
organic seeweed feed - occasionally
leftover wine / elderflowers from making elderflower cordial / leftover cider - once each (all well diluted)
homemade compost soaked in water and watered in - occasionally


You can see the plant has got a mixed diet - mostly though, it's been left alone as we've had plenty rainwater, and seems to be doing fine.