Okra falling off, & when are my squash pumpkins & melons ready

[matanai]

So I have three okra plants and they're about waist height right now. I'ts neat watching them grow since I have never seen an okra plant before, since the little okras point up! (also neat watching the peppers that do this too

Comments

[xtricks]

Not sure where you are but winter squash (pumpkin and butternut) fruit much later than zucchini and cucumbers and etc (not sure about spagetti squash). They also have long seasons.

I wouldn't expect your butternut or pumpkins to be ripe until sometime in September.

[matanai]

Ok, good to know! My spaghetti squash are already HUGE, just waiting for them to turn yellow now... *salivating* Watching nothing happen with my butternut and pumpkin though, except that they're growing everywhere.

[mamculuna]

The butternut should fruit when the zucchini does (see that above poster disagrees, but mine come at the same time)--maybe yours aren't getting pollinated? And I've never had okra fall off. I usually pick it at about 2 1/2 inches, while it's still tender.

[matanai]

I guess it's possible? The butternut are right smack next to my cucumber zucchini and spaghetti squash though and they're all flowering. Hrrrm. Maybe the pollinators are too busy with everything else. :)

[mamculuna]

Well, I read that it takes 90 days from planting the seed, and I'd imagine you've had that long. If you're getting blossoms, the first ones may be male, but eventually you should get some female. They should have little tiny squashes which will grow once they're pollinated.

[matanai]

My cantelope is flowering like CRAZY but so far no little fruits yet... same with the pumpkin and butternut! come on already! I want to see little tiny weird shaped fruits!

I'm in zone 6... uh, 6b or something, SE Ohio. My garden has kind of bounced back from the storm, well, they're all knocked over but still going. Some of my spagetti squash vines crushed themselves under the weight from the wind and rain and their own heavyness on the fence though so those parts will probably die off >_< It's too much of a mess to crawl in there and fix it now. *shrug*

Hee! Lumina pumpkins look so silly... I only wanted to grow one (I sent the rest of the seeds to my mom) so I just got a standard jackolantern type.

[matanai]

I think I planted my pumpkins around the same date as you did, I can't remember now... I don't have the seed pack anymore (went off to my mom also) so I have noooo idea... I figured I'd just pick them whenever they look carve-ready.