A pumpkin flower is an edible flower produced by pumpkin plants. It has a sweet and mild flavor similar to vegetables. It is grown and consumed all over the world. From soups to salads, it is used in many recipes.
Pumpkin flowers have two main types, i.e., male pumpkin flowers and female pumpkin flowers. Male pumpkin flowers develop first on the vines, usually a week before female flowers appear. They have a thin stem, face upwards, and bloom early in the morning to entice bees and other pollinators.
On the other hand, female pumpkin flowers usually lie flat on the ground and have relatively thicker stems as they hold the pumpkin in place. Furthermore, they are fewer in number as compared to male pumpkin flowers.
Female pumpkin flowers offer lots of health benefits. They have high amounts of antioxidants that improve your vision and immunity, saving you from many diseases. Moreover, they have nutrients that make your bones stronger. This makes female pumpkin flowers a healthy addition to any diet.
Having said that, if you have planted female pumpkin flowers at home, you may have noticed that they sometimes die even before opening. This could be worrisome for the landscaper if they do not know the reasons.
This article will take you through some of the most common reasons why pumpkin flowers sometimes die before opening. Let’s get started!
Female Pumpkin Flowers Are Dying Before Opening
Pumpkin flowers are pretty easy to grow. However, you may have seen them die while growing them. If you have no idea why it happens, you are not alone!
Wondering why your female pumpkin flowers are dying before opening? Here are a few reasons!
- No Pollination
No pollination is the most common reason why your female pumpkin flowers may die. Pollination is the process of transfer of pollen from the male organ of the flower to the female organ. It is usually carried out with the help of pollen agents, such as bees, that transfer pollen from one place to another.
As mentioned earlier, male flowers appear earlier than female ones. They appear approximately 55 days after the pumpkin plant has been planted and bloom for a week or two before the female pumpkin flowers appear.
When female pumpkin flowers bloom, bees take pollen from the stamens (male organ) and drop them to the stigma (female organ). This is how pollination is done.
If you notice that your female pumpkin flowers are dying, it could be because there is no pollination. It could happen due to a number of reasons. If there are not enough bees in your area, it may lead to this situation. While many insects can aid the pollination process, bees are considered best for this job.
So, if you want more bees, consider planting bee-friendly plants to entice bees and encourage pollination. However, if planting these trees yields no results, consider hand pollinating your pumpkin flowers.
- High Temperature
While the sun is your pumpkin flowers’ friend, harsh sunlight may damage them. Pumpkin flowers are usually planted during the early days of summer, just before the temperature gets too hot.
If the temperature is too high, it may cause the female pumpkin flowers to drop their buds. If they do not fall off, the female pumpkin flowers may shrivel and ultimately die.
Of course, producing flowers requires a lot of energy, and plants simply do not have that energy in extreme weather conditions. Moreover, it is seen that too high temperatures affect the pollination process as well.
If your area has a dry and warm climate, it would be a good idea to cover your female pumpkin flowers with a shade. Furthermore, make sure to water your pumpkin flowers regularly, or else they will rot off the vine before even opening.
Summer is the time when your female pumpkin flowers need your care the most. So, take care of them, and once the weather cools down a bit, you will have big vines that will cooperate with you.
The shades of plants are made of materials that filter light instead of blocking completely. Of course, your female pumpkin flowers need sunlight for their optimal growth and photosynthesis. So, blocking sunlight won’t be a good option.
Shade clothes nowadays have many types and are made of different materials to filter more or less light.
A shade cloth must be installed in the right place for the best results. Most farmers recommend installing it on the west side of the female pumpkin flowers. This way, it will beat the heat in the hottest part of the day.
And yes, you will need anchor points in your gardens, such as a tree or a pole, where you can attach the shade cloth and keep it elevated over your female pumpkin flowers. If your female pumpkin flowers have no such points nearby, you can install bamboo to attach the cloth, and they will work just fine.
- Lack of Nutrients
The lack of nutrients in the soil is another reason why your female pumpkin flowers may die before opening. Like all other plants, pumpkin plants also require soil nutrients for their optimal growth.
However, the nutrients in the soil are depleted over time, especially when you grow many plants in the same area for a long time.
If your female pumpkin flowers do not get the nutrients, they will not grow, and ultimately, they will die even before opening. However, if that’s the case, the male pumpkin flowers will also get affected.
So, what if your soil has insufficient nutrients? Well, one way to overcome this deficiency is to apply fertilizers. Fertilizer is an artificial substance that has all the essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, for the growth of your female pumpkin flowers.
Applying the fertilizer is a simple process. Simply spread them on the soil surface, and they will improve the soil quality. It would be better to contact a botanist and ask them about the appropriate amount of fertilizer if you are doing it for the first time.
- Lack of Sunlight
We have already discussed how harsh sunlight can affect your female pumpkin flowers. But you’d be surprised to know that lack of sunlight can also cause the pumpkin flowers to die before opening.
It’s no secret that plants need at least 6 hours of sunlight to grow properly. So, keep them in a place that receives enough sunlight. Once they have got enough sunlight, you can cover them with a shade cloth to protect them.
This way, your female pumpkin flowers will get just enough sunlight without getting damaged.
In addition to that, remember to water your female pumpkin flowers regularly. Like all other plants, pumpkins also require adequate watering for survival, and they may die in case of less water intake.
Here are a few steps that you should take to ensure the proper growth of your female pumpkin flowers.
- Moderate and regular watering. Also, don’t let it stay moist.
- Treat plants with high-quality fertilizers to ensure they get the nutrients.
- Don’t place the plants in an awkward or tight location. Make sure that it stays at an ideal place with enough room and appropriate temperature.
The Bottom Line
The pumpkin flowers have many essential nutrients and are planted all over the world. However, they sometimes die even before opening. It could be due to high temperature, lack of sunlight, or nutrients. Make sure to water your plants regularly and use fertilizers to get enough nutrients.