Question
Hello I am growing a small Pumpkin patch and am having a few concerns.  First off here is a little info on where I live. I live in the southwest desert in mesa Arizona and the temp right now is averaging around 103 at the hottest part of the day.  Now moving on to the pumpkins I have them planted in an area that receives partial sun so that they do not burn up, and I give them a nice watering every evening.  I have been getting male flowers for a few weeks now but not one has bloomed.  They tend to get to the point right before they open and then the start to wither and the fall off at the stem.  I am wondering why they are not opening.  I just got my first female flower and I am worried that I will not be able to pollenate her unless  I can fix this problem with the males.  If you have any ideas of how I can remedy this I would be most grateful.
Thank you :o)

Answer
The first flush of flowers are always males. Male blossoms only stay on the plant for one day and then wither and fall off. Once the females begin blossoming, they bloom profusely. This often occurs two weeks following the first appearance of male flowers.

I would be patient at this point. Given the growing habit of most squash, the problem will be corrected shortly and the female blossoms will begin blooming non-stop.

Good luck, and please write again if i can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike