Oh No I Decapitated My Pumpkin Plant!!!

Sarahjovi

I acidently knocked a stick over my Pumkin Plant and it has completely broken the stem leaving just 2 leaves (the small round ones) at the base of the plant.

Does any one know if it will continue to grow and flower, or has it had it?

Thanks

Sarah:D

Kay_Peel

Hi Sarah - don't worry, all is not lost. I stood on my pumpkin last year and snapped the main stem. All that happened was that it produced some side shoots - they flowered and pumpkins followed.

Give it some TLC - I used a weak solution of seaweed extract (Maxicrop) and I watered it with warm water rather than cold water straight from the tap. If you haven't got a water butt (which warms the water nicely) then fill a watering can in the morning. Leave it out in the sunshine or in a warm place like a kitchen, and water your pumpkin later in the day.

They are tough little blighters.

k.

Sarahjovi

Interestingly, I poked the broken stem back into the ground and it still appears to be growing, the outer leaves have died back but it looks like new ones are sprouting!. It may be because the rain is keeping it alive and once the sun comes out it will die! The original plant is still alive but no shoots still.

Sarah

Zazen999

Hi Sarah
Usually, all squashes love the sun, so i don't think it is the rain necessarily keeping it alive but adding to it's existence!
I think the original plant will start up again once the sun comes out [for more than half and hour at a time, that is].

Sarahjovi

I think most of my allotment needs some sun! Luckily its fairly sheltered from the wind so when the sun does come out its very warm!

Sarah

katskorner

Just watch the slugs as they will kill off small squashes quickly. My son's two pumpkins got eaten overnight and I had to sow more. I bottle-cloched them to give them a head start and now they are growing well.

susan1

hi
i'm sorry i know i shouldn't laugh but every time i see this thread i crack up:D