My problem is i have 5 male flowers on my vine..and only one female flower. It seems that one male flower opens per day..then die. Why will my female flower not open so i can hand pollenate it..otherwise i fear i wont get a pumpkin this year!! Please can someone give me advice as to help me encourage the female to open? Cheers!!

I agree that the leaf coloration is normal; it's typical of many varieties. The holes -- particularly in the first photo -- look to me like what's called "mechanical damage." Think of it as the leaf being battered by something (could be rain, hail, other plants, kids' toys, careless people or animals -- or perhaps only wind) and/or being battered against something (plant stakes, fence, ground, container or raised bed walls, other plants, etc.). If it were insect damage, there would be more leaf surface missing. If it were disease damage, there would be visible abnormalities or general decline in all parts of the plant or over the entire plant. This post was edited by missingtheobvious on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 23:32

Sounds yummy! Mom's in charge of the Pumpkin Cheesecake though! I may save to make later and use butternut squash and my hommade pumpkin butter. Deanna

Most publications and on-line information say to use 25% less agave nectar than sugar called for (3/4 c. agave nectar for each 1 c. sugar), but I've found I can use much less than that in most cases. It depends on other ingredients and what part (food science) the sweetener plays in the type of food. If there are sweet ingredients or spices, you can often use less agave nectar than 25%. In this wholegrain banana bread recipe - I use 1/4 c. agave nectar. BANANA-POPPY SEED BREAD 1 c. mashed banana 1/4 c. agave nectar (OR 1/2 c. sugar) 1/2 c. milk (I use homemade kefir) 3 T. vegetable oil 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 c. all-purpose flour (I use wholegrain spelt flour) 1 c. whole wheat flour 2 t. baking powder 2 T. poppy seeds (I substitute whole amaranth for an additional whole grain that is high in protein. They look like golden poppy seeds in the bread.) 1/2 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. cinnamon vegetable cooking spray Combine the bananas and agave nectar (or sugar) in a small bowl; stir well. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk, oil, and egg; set the mixture aside. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Make a well in center of mixture; add banana mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened. Spoon into 8-1/2x4-1/2x3-inch loaf pan (NOT a 9x5-inch pan usually used for quick breads) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a rack. Grainlady Note: I like to bake quick breads in a Danish Loaf pan (aka Tea Loaf Pan - see link below). It's longer and more narrow (12" x 4" x 2 1/2" pan holds the equivalent of a 9" x 5" loaf pan) with playing-card sized servings. It's easier to slice very thin slices from this type pan - important when control portion sizes. Plus, it bakes 25% faster than a 9x5 pan. -------------------- WACKY CAKE (a frosting-free snack cake) 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour (soft wheat, or whole wheat pastry flour OR 1-1/2 c. + 2 T. spelt flour) 1 t. soda 1/2 t. salt 3 T. cocoa powder (can eliminate) 1 T. vinegar 2 t. vanilla 5 T. butter, melted 2/3 c. agave nectar 1/3 c. cold water Mix ingredients in an 8-inch square pan in this order: -Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. -Make 3 holes evenly spaced apart in dry ingredients. -In first hole, put vinegar. In second hole, the vanilla. In third hole, melted butter. Mix water and agave nectar together and pour over all the cake ingredients. Stir well, using a dinner fork or spatula (be sure no dry ingredients remain in corners). Bake at 325°F for 30-35 minutes. One serving - 1/16 of cake (cut the cake into 16 pieces). For spice cake: Omit the cocoa and add 1/2 t. Penzeys Cake Spice (www.penzeys.com). A mixture of: China cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves. -------------------------------- Other agave nectar goodies (my original recipes): COCONUT ALMOND CANDY Melt: 2 T. butter in a frying pan Add: 1/2 c. long-shred UNsweetened coconut 1/2 c. chopped raw almonds Over medium heat, cook until the ingredients begin to brown. CAUTION - this will burn easily. Remove from heat. Add: 2-3 T. agave nectar 1 t. almond flavoring Stir well. Place in small paper candy cups. (I use a 100 size portion scoop for this - approx. 1 teaspoon.) Cool in a refrigerator at least 1/2 hour to set. Yield: approx. 20 pieces. PROTEIN PEANUT BUTTER BALLS 1/2 c. whey powder (vanilla flavor) 1/2 c. peanut butter 2 T. agave nectar 1 t. vanilla or almond flavoring Mix thoroughly with a dinner fork. *If desired, add 1/2 to 3/4 c. crisp wholegrain rice cereal to the dough. Roll into small (3/4 to 1-inch) balls. *Toppings - Melt 1/2 c. chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. You can also dip the balls in a little agave nectar and then dip in chopped roasted almonds or toasted unsweetened coconut. ---------------------- VANILLA ICE CREAM 4 oz. EGG BEATERS (DO NOT substitute raw eggs) 1/4 c. agave nectar 1 c. Half & Half 2 c. cream 1-1/2 t. vanilla In a 4-cup measuring cup or equal-sized bowl, combine Egg Beaters, agave nectar and vanilla and stir to mix. Add cream and half and half. Chill thoroughly in the freezer (just until ice crystals start to form on the edge. Process in an ice cream maker of choice AGAVE NECTAR CHOCOLATE SYRUP 1/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa Powder 1/2 c. agave nectar 1/2 c. cold water Mix, with a whisk (it takes a bit of mixing to get it smooth). Store in refrigerator. Serving: 1/2 c. ice cream and 1 T. cocolate syrup -Grainlady