I recently started my first garden with pumpkins, and while one is growing great, the other buds are dying as soon as they appear. We're based in middle Tennessee, and the heat wave we've been experiencing lately has been intense. Could this weather be affecting my plants? I'd love to hear any advice or insights, and I've included some pictures to help illustrate the situation.
3 Answers
It sounds like your pumpkin plants might be facing some common issues. Squash plants often deal with pests like squash bugs and vine borers, which can drain their energy and nutrients. It might help to use barriers like netting to protect them or even spray some insecticide, preferably in the evenings so it doesn't affect pollinators. Don't worry too much if some parts of the plant die off; pumpkins can still produce fruit even if not every bud survives. Just try to remove any infected vines to limit the pests' spread.
Remember that not all flowers will turn into fruit; there are both male and female flowers on pumpkin plants. Typically, male flowers appear first to attract pollinators, followed by the female flowers. It might also help to plant some bright flowers nearby to draw in bees. Lavender is a beautiful option, and it keeps rabbits away too!
The likely culprit for your dying buds is a lack of pollination. If the flowers swell but don't set fruit, it could mean that they're not being pollinated. You might need to hand-pollinate the female flowers or get some pollinators to your garden to help with that.