I need help with my pumpkin plant and slugs?

Question

Im not sure, but i think these slugs are killing my pumpkin plant. Its a strong big plant, with the main vine about 5 feet now and lots of flowers plus its full of HUGE leafs. However, the flowers kept dying, and no pumpkins have started to form. I started looking at the dying flowers and found a slug in one, then i found another and another and another. Are these slugs keeping my plant from producing fruit? And what can i do about it using the least amount if no pesticides at all, i dont really even use anything like miracle grow.

Answer 1

While slugs are (or can be) a problem in any garden they are not the culprit in this instance, in my opinion. The slugs are only eating the spent flowers (which are probably all male blossoms, anyway) but are not causing any actual damage. Squash and pumpkins have a habit of sending out male blossoms first, followed by female blossoms. The first of these will contain a special pollen that is very attractive to bees. This sets up a pattern for the bees to visit the blossoms early in the morning (they bloom right around sunrise). This way, once the female blossoms appear there are male blossoms to collect pollen from and, since they have been 'programmed' to do so, bees to collect and distribute that pollen. If, by some chance, there are no bees in the area you can easily pollinate the female blossoms yourself by picking a male blossom, removing the petals and directly transferring the pollen to the female blossom. You can tell the female blossoms because they will have a small pumpkin under the flower whereas the males will have a long stem.



To get rid of the slugs try the beer-in-a-saucer trick mentioned by others or spread broken egg shells under the pumpkins. There are other options that don't involve chemicals, as well. Google will find most of them for you; some work and some don't.



Good luck and enjoy!

Answer 2

Beer works great at killing slugs. You must dig a hole the depth of the containers that will hold the beer.Place the containers into the holes you have dug. Fill each container 1/2 full of beer. Slugs like the smell of beer, so a strong smelling beer would be best to use.The containers do not have to be big,but the top must be open to allow the slugs easy access. A washed soup can or something similar in size works fine . = )

Answer 3

in case you planted all of them in a single hill, no they won't be ok. Their roots and stems will all be too close to to a minimum of one yet another and that they'll kill one yet another. Pumpkins prefer a super number of area, the two above and under the floor. while they initiate arising, pick 5 of the main useful-finding ones and pinch off the the remainder of them. save an eye fixed on them. while they have various gadgets of leaves, pick the two ultimate and save those; decrease the stems on the the remainder of them.

Answer 4

if you have flowers you need to hand pollinate with a soft artist brush , slugs attack the soft green plant , also spray leaves with a mixture of water and milk to prevent powdery mildew

Answer 5

Snails love beer. Half fill a plastic container with beer and they will go in there to get it. They will get drunk on the beer and drown in it. I know this sounds weird, but it works. I have caught lots of them this way.