Instead of ovaries on a pumpkin, a barren flower - what to do and how to deal with it: we identify the causes of the problem and solve them

Pumpkin is a favorite of many summer residents: its fruits grow large, with a high nutritional value, and at the same time look bright and impressive. But not every gardener manages to grow a decent harvest. Often, thick and fleshy lashes are dotted with barren flowers, and the desired ovaries are never formed.

In the article we will consider the reasons for this misfortune, what are the methods of dealing with it and preventive measures.

Why pumpkin does not set fruit: how to fix it and what to do

The most common reasons for missing ovaries are:

• adverse weather conditions;
• mistakes in agricultural technology (wrong feeding, ignoring pinching);
• illness and pests.

Poor pollination

Like other monoecious plants, there are both male and female flowers on the same pumpkin bush. Ovaries are formed on female flowers, but without pollen transferred from male flowers, no fetus occurs. Due to the peculiarities of the structure of the flower (the genitals are deeply located), pollination is impossible without the participation of insects - bees, bumblebees, wasps.

The following factors can scare off pollinating insects:

• too cold or, conversely, hot weather (below + 12 ° С and above + 35 ° С);
• heavy rainfall;
• strong wind;
• using strong insecticides for pest control;
• lack of melliferous herbs and flowers on the site.

One of the easiest ways to attract bees is to spray the flowers with sweet syrup.

Excess fertilizer

Excess nitrogen in the soil lengthens the growing season, that is, leads to later flowering and ripening of fruits against the background of excessive growth of green mass.

For the pumpkin, there is enough organic fertilizers introduced into the soil in advance - from the fall. Additional dressing is done when the earth warms up to + 12-13 ° C and during the period of active flowering.

reference... A sign of an excess of nitrogen is dark green leaves and a too thick stem of the plant.

Dense foliage

Inexperienced summer residents are happy and proud of the rich foliage on the pumpkin shoots. But it is worth remembering that resources - water and nutrients - in the earth are limited and if too much of them enters the foliage, flowers and fruits will have to be content with scarce residues.

Reference. The main stem of long-growing varieties can be up to 15 m long, and the total foliage area is 30 m².

Do not promise a rich harvest and too long stems. Their timely pinching will help preserve the strength of the plant for the formation of ovaries. After that, lateral shoots begin to grow stronger, on which female flowers are formed.

Decay of roots

The pumpkin has a powerful root system that provides the plant with moisture and nutrients dissolved in it. If something interferes with the development of roots, the ground part of the vegetable will inevitably suffer - fruits will not form.

Fungal disease - root rot - depletes the plant and leads to its death. Typical signs of infection are brownish-gray color of the stem base and yellowed lower leaves, cracked and softened root.

The appearance of rot is provoked by:

• large range of day and night temperatures;
• insufficient lighting;
• watering with cold water;
• irregular weeding.

Another cause of root damage is mechanical injury during thinning of seedlings. To avoid this, it is recommended to cut off weak shoots, and not pull out.

Weak sprouts

Insufficiently strong seedlings are not able to give a good harvest. Most often, weak sprouts are observed if:

• the seeds were planted in cold soil;
• the landing site is shaded;
• not provided with sufficient food.

Pumpkin is a light-loving and thermophilic culture. If the climatic conditions are unfavorable for her, use a film or other covering material at the stage of active plant growth. The viability of seedlings will be provided by feeding with ash and a combination of nitrophosphate with mullein.

Council. When choosing varieties for different climatic zones, it should be borne in mind that the most thermophilic is nutmeg pumpkin, and the most resistant to cold is hard-barked.

Ovary rot

Sudden frosts or prolonged rains lead to the death of the ovary. The only salvation is the timely organization of the shelter, loosening, mulching, the construction of raised beds.

Embryo rotting is a natural defensive reaction of pumpkin to lack of pollination. To prevent an unformed ovary and a faded flower from attracting infection and pests, the plant seeks to get rid of them.

Attention! The number of ovaries depends on the variety. For example, female flowers in climbing varieties account for about 10% of the total, and in bush varieties - 40-50%.

Plant pests and diseases

Pumpkin can hardly be called a pampered vegetable, but diseases and pests are not alien to this culture.

Under unfavorable conditions (lack of lighting, waterlogged soil, cold temperatures) and in case of infection of soil or seed material, the plant is susceptible to bacterial and fungal diseases:

• bacteriosis;
• white rot;
• root rot;
• powdery mildew.

Dangerous for pumpkins and insects:

• spider mite;
• melon aphid;
• meadow moth.

In the fight against these problems, fungicides and pesticides are used:

• "Topaz" - from white rot;
• "Quadris", "Tiovit Jet" - from powdery mildew;
• "Fundazol" - from root rot;
• "Fentiuram" - for bacteriosis;
• "Actellik" - from the melon aphid;
• "Karbofos" - from a spider mite;
• "Fufanon" - from the meadow moth.

Prevention includes:

• feeding with mineral complex fertilizers to enhance immunity (zinc sulfate, potassium permanganate, copper sulfate, boric acid with urea);
• regular inspection and removal of damaged shoots.

What to do for the pumpkin to actively form the ovary

What to do if the pumpkin is empty? Knowing the reasons why the ovary does not form on the bushes and pumpkin lashes, it is easier to deal with the problem.

To get a harvest, you should spend:

• artificial pollination;
• plant formation;
• care activities.

Artificial pollination of pumpkin

The artificial pollination procedure is as follows:

1. Choose a male flower with abundant, dry pollen and remove the petals. As "donors" you can use related crops - squash and squash.
2. Bring the stamen of the "man" to the pistil of the female flower. To transfer pollen neatly, use a brush: run it over the stamen, then stroke the pistil.
3. If manual pollination is successful, the ovary on the female flower will begin to grow in size.

Keep in mind that heterosexual flowers appear on the plant at different times: male flowers are earlier than female ones, so it is important not to miss the moment of disclosure of the latter.

It is desirable to carry out pollination in the morning, in dry and warm weather. Both flowers should be open, without moisture inside.

Plant formation

A prerequisite for a rich pumpkin harvest is topping lashes and bushes. This will help the plant save trace elements obtained from the soil and direct them to the formation of ovaries.

Options for pinching climbing and bush varieties:

• leave one main shoot and ovary, remove the rest;
• leave the main stem and one powerful shoot with a total of no more than four fruits;
• leave one main and two lateral shoots with 3-4 fruits.

The tip of the shoots is pinched off, counting from the extreme fruit on the stem of 4-5 leaves.

Reference. The fewer shoots and ovaries remain on the plant, the larger the fruit will be.

Pumpkin care during flowering

During flowering, the pumpkin needs watering more than at other stages of its development. But you should not overmoisten the vegetable - this is fraught with the appearance of rot. Watering the soil under the bush once a week is enough, the water should be warm (within + 20 ° C). In order to prevent its stagnation, the earth should be loosened, and the procedure itself should be carried out in the evening.

During the flowering period, plant feeding is necessary. For example, a solution of 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate in a bucket of water.

Reference. Special preparations "Ovyaz" and "Gibbersib" increase the productivity. These products contain phytohormones that activate the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, due to which flowering is accelerated, and the ovary is formed even under adverse conditions. The preparations are intended for spraying in the initial flowering phase.

Caring for a pumpkin after pinching

In order to provide more nutrients, the lateral internodes can be rooted after pinching. To do this, sprinkle them with fertilized soil. Over time, the shoots should form strong roots that will provide the plant with resistance.

Ovary control

To keep the barren bloom from growing, control education ovaries... When the rudiment of the future fetus is found, you can pinch the shoot so that nutrition is distributed efficiently.

In favorable conditions, the lash will regularly "give out" female flowers, but if you leave them all, the vegetables will be smaller. To grow large pumpkins, it is better to get rid of excess ovaries.

Tips from experienced summer residents

If in the garden the pumpkin is blooming, but there is no ovary, use the recommendations of experienced vegetable growers:

1. Growing a late-ripening large-fruited pumpkin is risky, since due to worsening weather conditions at the end of summer, the number of pollinating insects decreases. Early and mid-season varieties are more suitable for a beginner gardener.
2. With artificial pollination, it is important to choose male flowers with ovaries growing in a sunny, lighted area. It is better to carry out the procedure on the same day when the flower has blossomed - it contains more pollen.
3. Bees and bumblebees don't like flowers with water inside. Therefore, watering should be carried out with closed buds, making sure that not the leaves and stems are moistened, but the soil. The plant will absorb the necessary moisture through the roots.
4. It is permissible to grow pumpkin in the same greenhouse with cucumbers. When the shoots reach 50-60 cm, they are taken out to open ground, leaving the roots in the same place.
5. The pumpkin takes all minerals from the soil, so you can plant in the same place no earlier than after 5 years.

Preventive measures

In order not to have a problem when the fruits on the pumpkin are not tied, we recommend taking preventive measures:

1. For the formation of ovaries, seeds will be required 2-3 years old. Material from last year's harvest gives almost no female flowers.
2. Crop rotation is of great importance for proper nutrition of plantings and prevention of diseases. Pumpkin prefers virgin and fallow lands and soil after potatoes, onions, and various types of cabbage. The site itself should be well warmed up by the sun.
3. The density of sowing influences the yield; it is considered optimal to plant 1-5 plants on an area of ​​10 m².
4. To avoid overfeeding with nitrogen, fertilizers are recommended to be applied in advance - from autumn.
5. Pumpkin requires rare but abundant watering with warm water. Waterlogging will lead to the formation of rot, lack of moisture - to dehydration and "discard" of flowers and ovaries.
6. In unfavorable climatic conditions, it is better to grow pumpkins in a greenhouse.When covering plants overnight in a plastic wrap, make cruciform incisions in it for better ventilation, otherwise the ovaries will rot.

Conclusion

The pumpkin looks spectacular in the summer cottage, but without pollination and compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, powerful shoots and large flowers will remain just decoration. The fruit will not ripen if the ovaries do not form or die. To avoid this, carry out a pinching of lashes, measures to attract bees or artificial pollination, monitor the balance of nutrients in the soil and control how the pumpkin blooms.