So this afternoon I decided to check out my pumpkin plant again, closer up, to see what I could find, so I lifted up some leaves....and lo and behold, there is a FEMALE flower. The first one I have ever seen. But the bud is brownish. I tugged on the bud and it's firmly attached. Does this mean the flower never opened? It opened but I didn't see it yet it isn't ready to fall off yet? It wanted to open but now it's given up and turned brown? (that bit, at the base of the flower bud? That's the start of the baby pumpkin!)
Here are some males. These will bloom soon. You can also see the fungus on the leaves.
The plant has now risen up over the hostas since it ran out of space behind the evergreen tree and is now growing into the yard, against homeowner's association bylaws. This plant is totally illegal in my community.
It's such an outlaw...
I don't see any other female buds on the plant.
What do you think about that one female flower???? Lost cause????
Where I live, pumpkin plants need no human assistance to make baby pumpkins. If that were my pumpkin plant, I would be thinking," good job local insects", there appears to be a baby pumpkin on its way - see base of female flower. More might follow if you feed the pumpkin some blood and bone - or maybe that is against the regulations too- rather smelly! Could you encourage the pumpkin to take up tree climbing?
ReplyDeleteI know totally zero about anything that grows. Look out for yourself the next couple of days. Heads up! Don't want anything to fall on that beautiful brain!
ReplyDeleteI knew it! I knew it! You have a pumpkin to watch grow! Congrats!
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