I have two Big Max pumpkins I planted around June 20th. High temps since then have been in the high 90's. I fertilize weekly. The plants are still kind of small (one is about 2 ft. x 2 ft. and the other is about 3 ft. x 4 ft.) so I was surprised to already be seeing what looks like buds for flowers on them.
There is one flower is particular I wanted to ask about, since it looks like it's already growing a fruit. Please let me know if this is fruit growing on this flower, or what I'm seeing.
That's a female flower that hasn't opened yet. If the flower opens and is pollinated, a fruit will start to grow, but if the flower isn't pollinated, the fruit will just wither.
Male flowers have much smaller bulbs at the base which are narrower than the blossom, whereas females have an immature fruit directly beneath the flower. When the flower opens, it will be clear whether the flower is male or female. Male flowers have a single, pollen producing stamen. Female flowers have a stigma that looks like multiple stamens without pollen.
More info here: https://www.gardenguides.com/12420149-how-to-tell-female-flowers-from-male-flowers-on-pumpkin-plants.html
It looks like a male flower to me. Whenever the males are small, they can look like females. In rare occasions, the plant is silly and decides to make female when it is young. In that case, just clip the female because the plant isn't ready for a pumpkin yet.
