FAQ on Atlantic Giant Pumpkins
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General
Starting Early | How do I enter a
contest? | Are there any good books or other sources of
information? |Who holds the world record? |
Recommend for putting under the pumpkin once the fruit is
growing? | Where can I buy good seeds? |
Which vine to choose? | Milk feed your
pumpkin.
Growing Tips
Watering | Mounding|
Bug problems
Cucumber Beattles | Vine bores
Plant problems
Split stems/Stem stress | Yellow
stem | Deformed leaves | Enormous
seed leaves | Plant stress | Leaf wilt | Light green leaves are OK |
leaves wilting on hot | Hail storm
Propagation
Heating cables | Underminated
seeds|Growing tips | Seed |
Pollination |PH levels |
Starting seeds indoors
Fertilizer
Fertilizer program | Best times are to
fertillize the pumpkins.
Weight
Weighing process | Weight table
(over the top method) | Weight of a pumpkin
Spring fever
For many,
conditions in the old pumpkin patch are not great yet. Don't jump the gun as
many beginners do. If conditions are sloppy.....wait. They will get better
soon. It is about time for some to start seeds inside. Some of us must wait a
little longer. By starting a plant 3 or 4 weeks early, you are hurting
yourself. Large plants do not transplant well and get all stressed out.
Determine a good transplant date for your area and count back 7 to 10 days.....
no more. That is the right seed starting date. You will also hear of people who
jump the gun . What good does it do to have a 15 foot vine in a greenhouse now?
You will have a mature pumpkin at the beginning of Sept. Atlantic Giants only
grow about 130 days unless you are in a cool climate. So wait until your garden
warms a little and when all the jack rabbits have quit growing in August and
September, you will pass them by!!!!!!!!!!! P.S. If you are sitting with an
enormous, pot bound seedling and are wondering if you have made a big mistake,
start some more plants........ I haven't put a seed to the soil yet and don't
plan to for a few more days. Good luck!!!!!!!
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Split stems/Stem stress
I grew a 300# plus pumpkin last year. When it started to grow tall
the stem began splitting from the vine. I have had this trouble before. Should
I cut the root that grows from the stem or will that slow the growth of the
pumpkin or do you have another solution?
Stem stress is
very common in pumpkins over 200 lbs. My 28 page growing manual goes in to it
in depth but basically most people cut off the tap root at the pumpkin and a
couple on either side of the pumpkin. This allows the vine to raise off the
ground as the pumpkin grows tall. You can also have trouble with the shoulders
of the pumpkin growing so large that they push against the vine and split it
off that way too. When the pumpkin is about the size of a basketball you can
slowly move the pumpkin perpendicular to the vine. This should be done in small
steps over a period of a week or you will snap it off. There is no warning when
the pumpkin is about to crack off so go slow and don't move it much each day.
Also if the fruit sets on the left side of the vine, you can train the vine to
the right which gives the shoulders more room. Side vines can also wrap around
the large pumpkin and cause splits. Train the side vines away from the area
where the pumpkin will eventually be so there is room.
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I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAD ANY COMMENTS ON A
WATERING SCHEDULE? HOW OFTEN DO YOU WATER? I
HAVE FAIRLY SANDY SOIL.
I water deeply,
the whole patch, every five to six days from the last watering or 1" of
rain whichever occurred last. I may, at times, give additional water at root
zone depending on weather conditions and growth rate. I often boarder on
disaster to push for optimum growth but this must be learned by trial and
error, hopefully not too much error. George Brooks
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Could you suggest any chemicals for weed
control on pumpkins...give up on hand control on 10 acres!
Concerning
weed control on pumpkins. For competition pumpkins, I believe mechanical
weeding is the only way to go . With black plastic you have trouble with the
tap roots rooting and there is the possibility of decreased oxygen in the root
zone. Chemical weed control may kill some weeds but it will also make your
Atlantic Giants half sick. Use a swan neck hoe and skim them off shallow when
young. A weed that is one half inch tall is much easier than a 6 inch weed. If
you skim and don't disturb much soil underneath you will not bring up new weed
seeds. Weeds usually only germinate in the top two inches of the soil. If you
skim weeds twice you will have little trouble, plus the plant shades out a lot.
I am also a commercial grower of regular pumpkins......they are a different
story. Many farmers use mechanical methods.... the same principles apply...let
em come up and skim them when they are young. You can use a 4 foot black
plastic mulch layer that can also lay drip tape underneath at the same time.
Plant in rows about 10 feet apart... plant spacing every 2 feet. This keeps the
young plants weed free. Just before the vines crawl off the black plastic you
cultivate (shallow) between the rows with a harrow or rototiller. I have a
large tractor mounted rototiller that works well. I put the tractor in third
gear and move fast. This clips off the weeds and doesn't penetrate the soil too
much. By the way, as the vines crawl I sidedress with Urea then till, so I
incorporate the Urea and clip weeds at the same time. The one problem with this
method is the plastic is a pain to remove. I have a mulch pulling machine that
works great on sandy soil. On heavy soil it is tough going and mechanical or
chemical weeding is best. Chemical weeding...... I have a license for
restricted use chemicals. What I am about to say should not be followed by home
gardeners.... only properly trained and licensed applicators. There are two
types of weeds... broadleaf and grasses some chemicals control one and not the
other. Prefar is registered for pumpkins in my state to control grasses....
growers claim mixed results. Command controls broadleaf weeds but
WARNING!!!!!!!!!! over spray on a windy day may turn the neighbors trees white.
Not a good idea. Command on wet Spring soil can also damage the pumpkin
seedlings. Premerge was a good one but it was taken off the market. If you
don't have a good feeling about these chemicals... you are right! There are not
many or any good choices out there. The stale seed bed method may be the best.
Plow, harrow and prepare your seed bed and apply prefar for grass. Don't
disturb the soil and let the weeds come up. When the weeds are about 2 inches
tall burn them off with Paraquat or round up. Remember!!!!!!! Check with your
State. What is allowed in my State may not be in yours. I wish we had better
weed control for pumpkins but it isn't out there now. pumkinguy@aol.com
The last time I
checked, the only herbicides cleared for pumpkins in Illinois were Command (
which is excellent for grass control, but misses pigweeds) and Amiben (
difficult to find, but does get the pigweeds). Command must be used carefully
because it turns many plants white---including lawns and shrubs. I think there
is a new product coming out, but not yet available. I find hand weeding 3 acres
is too much---so I agree that on 10 you need help! Check with the local
Cooperative Extension Service office for recommendations in your area. Many
herbicides require a pesticide applicators license to apply. Harold Reetz
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I currently have two pumpkin plants growing. One has a green stem
the other one has a yellow stem. Both have
green leaves. Which is better & what can I do about it?
Yellow Stem is
a trait that often shows up in Atlantic Giant Pumpkin plants. To my knowledge
it is nether good or bad. There is also a trait that Yellow Spots show up on
the leaves off an on. Pumpkinguy may have some more info on this. George Brooks
GBpumkin is
right on the money. I have seen large pumpkins on both yellow and green vines.
It is a genetic trait like blue eyes or brown eyes. Some vines are half yellow
and half green. Some day you may see a big flat vine about a foot wide.....they
are bad......... we can talk more about them later. Squash vines are usually
green but pumpkins could go either way.
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I am considering using heating cables because of the relative low temperatures we are
seeing this spring in Wisconsin. I would like to know what type of heater
others have used in the past. I am assuming that pipe heating tapes or
gutter/roof heating cables are used. The problem I see is thermal control. Pipe
and gutter heaters don't seems to regulate in the right temperature region. Has
anyone come up with a better thermostat solution? Does bypassing the thermostat
and letting them run wide open make sense? Help!
I use a (7 watt
?) soil heating cable with a built in thermostat. Never bypass the Thermostat,
they work very well as manufactured. I've been using them for 10+ years, your
seeds will jump right out of the ground in 4 -6 days. They can be bought at
most Garden or Farm Stores. If you need more info let me know and I will see if
I can find the package. George Brooks
Out of
curiosity, do those of you who use heating cables to warm the soil around your
pumpkins leave them in all summer? Here in Central PA the ground is still too
wet to till. Without some really good shelter it will be too cold to start
outside until around June 1. Most of us will start our plants inside around May
15 and put them out around June1.
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I HERE A LOT ABOUT MOUNDING FROM
EVERYONE. BUT HAVE NOT HEARD WHY YOU DO IT? AND HOW BIG OF A MOUND DO YOU MAKE?
(HEIGHT - CIRCUMFERENCE) CAN TWO VINES PRODUCE A GIANT FROM THE SAME MOUND OR
IS THIS NOT A GOOD IDEA?
Not sure what
this mounding is that you speak of. Some people grow pumpkins on raised beds. A
raised bed would tend to warm a little quicker in the Spring. If you tend to
have wet spring soil, a raised bed would help to keep your pumpkins feet from
getting too wet. My guess would be that a large mound or raised bed would be a
waist of time. When I say large I mean 10 by 10 feet or larger. By the time the
roots get out that far it is June and things are warming up anyway. One beauty
of this sport is that no two growers do things the same way. Everyone has their
own growing techniques and many work quite well. One thing that all top growers
share is that they all follow good gardening techniques. Another type of
mounding or soil covering that many people do is to bury their vines or tap
roots. Putting soil on the vines helps hold the vine down and encourages more
tap rooting. If you put soil on the vine where the leaf stem connects, you will
develope a second tap root out of the top of the vine. You now have double tap
roots.......... how about that!!!!! Double the tap roots.....that can't hurt.
Some people plant pumpkins in hills... this doesn't necessarily mean that you
plant the seeds on a hill. The term hill also can mean a group. Some farmers
still plant pumpkins in hills (groups) in a square pattern. The benefit to this
is that they can cultivate in both directions. I plant about 13 acres of
pumpkins in rows so I only cultivate in one direction. Lgourd hills his young
plants for weed control and it sounds like it works quite well. One of my
farmer buddies does a similar thing with his cultivator. When the young plants
are tall enough to take it, he cultivates shallow and close to the plants and
it is set up just right to kick soil on the plant without covering it. By the
way.... on Atlantic Giants it doesn't hurt to mound up some soil around the
base of your plant. Just before the plant flops over and turns into a vine, it
is very vulnerable to sudden wind. It can snap the plant right off, so hill
some soil around the base of the plant for extra support and don't forget wind
protection. GBpumpkin would be a good one to talk to. He has a modified raised
bed and composting approach that seems to work well. There are some top growers
who mound or use raised beds but it is by no means a universal or required
growing technique.... to each his own or to each her own. Top 3 growers in the
world last year were women!!!! Come on guys get on the stick. pumkinguy@aol.com
The main reason
I have heard for mounding is the improved drainage and increased soil
temperatures. Pumpkins are real heat lovers. The mounding method increases the
daytime soil temp in, say, the top 6-12 inches of soil in comparison to outer
areas. Also, the term "hill" refers to the technique of planting more
than one seedling or seed in a small clump. The term applies to the planting
technique even if no mounding of the soil in the middle is performed. My 2
cents, Dan Gardner (dang@athenet.net)
There has
been some questions about mounds so I thought a Photo might help. Attached you
will find a Photo of my Pumpkin Mounds. It is in a .jpg format that can be
viewed my all Photo Reader programs or imported in most Word Processors with a
JPEG Filter. If someone would like it in a different format, let me know.
George Brooks
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EARLY PUMPKIN GROWING TIPS
When growing
under a cover, especially glass, watch the moisture level. They can dry out
fast even in wet weather. Never fertilize with granular fertilizer, they give
off a gas that can burn the vegetation in an enclosure. Use a liquid
fertilizer, preferably a mild one made from Fish or Seaweed. Pumpkin leaves
will often be lighter in color during cool weather giving the appearance of
lack of nutrients. Avoid fertilizing in cloudy weather, it will encourage
growth that may not be adapted to sunlight and may burn when the sun comes out
again. In areas effected by this pest it is very active in early Spring. Corn
Seed Maggot, eats the seeds before they can germinate, making it look like the
seed was infertile. Treat seed hole with an insecticide that is listed for
maggots of any kind. Beware of Ant activity around your young plants. This
could mean they are farming Strawberry Root Aphids on your young plants. When
you thin your Pumpkin Plants look for greenish blue aphids. Treat with the same
insecticide you would use on ants. Good Luck George Brooks
I am not an
advocate of early seed starting ....... best to plant when growing conditions
are right. However, at this point in time you are running out of growing days.
If your weather is that bad, that late in the season you should build a small
greenhouse out of 2 by 4s and plastic and provide ventilation....... temps over
90 to 95 are N. G. IT is not a good idea to have big potbound seedlings to
transplant. I would start some right away and build some protection for them
and put them out next week. Plants that have just come up, transplant much
better than big ones. The greenhouse doesn't need to be big. 4 foot square and
3 feet high is good enough. Try to get the plants in the ground by mid May. The
2 extra weeks may help if you have a big one that is still growing in mid Sept.
good luck pumkinguy@aol.com
Zach, Tough to
say what is wrong with the plants without seeing them. You should use
sterilized seed starting mix...that will eliminate any soil problems. In a
greenhouse you can suffer ethylene injury to plants if you use a space heater
that is not vented to the outside. Another problem with wilted or weird 3rd
leaves can come from over fertilization in pots. Actually if you can get a
plant up quick and transplanted within a week or 10 days you should not put any
fertilizer on them at all until you transplant and then use a high phosphorous
starter fertilizer like a 15-30-15. The problem most people run into with
fertilizer burn is that the normal fertilizer strengths that you use in the
field is way, way to strong. One or two tablespoons per gallon will zap them
every time. As the pot begins to dry out, the fertilizer is still there but the
water has decreased so soluble salt levels increase. In a normal root hair, the
level of salts inside the root is higher than the level in the soil. This
enables the water in the soil to pass through the cells of the root hair and
into the plant. Where the problem arises is when soluble salt levels are
greater in the soil than inside the root. The root shuts down and can't take up
water. The plant (3rd leaf) wilts, turns dark green and may have a crinkled
look. Up quick and out within 10 days, no fertilizer until transplanted, and
you will have nice seedlings every time. If the plants are really messed up,
start some new ones right away. As far as the proper temperature in the
Spring.....most areas don't get warm until mid May so if you want to be an
early bird you must create a greenhouse environment to bring temps up to an
acceptable level. A typical Spring day in New England may only be 50 degrees.
For all practical purposes, photosynthesis does not take place at 50 degrees
and below so the plant can't make food for itself. As the temperature increases
to 60 or 65 things start slowly. At 70 to 80, things are going along at a good
clip. Temperatures of 90 and above are not good and is something that hurts me
where I grow. As the plants begin to wilt from the heat, photosynthesis begins
to shut down again. The metabolism of the pumpkin plant is similar to our own
body. Photorespiration and respiration burn up some of the food in the plant.
For every 10 degree C increase in the temperature, the rate of respiration
DOUBLES! Very hot days and hot nights are not the friend of the pumpkin plant.
Too much photosynthate is burned back up by the high rates of respiration. You
will notice on a map that virtually all of the giant pumpkins have come from 42
degrees N latitude. Day length is slightly longer at 43 or 44 degrees but just
a matter of 5 or 10 minutes in July or August. Temperature is the main problem
down South. This is a matter of some debate but I would take a temp of 80
degrees in the day and 55 or 60 at night. Unfortunately, I fall outside these
temps quite often. Howard Dill doesn't like to plant big, old seedlings so he
plants a few, weights a few days, plants a few more, etc. When conditions get
bearable, he puts out the nice young seedlings. He also uses a little
greenhouse for Nova Scotia weather can be rough in the Spring. I hope some of
this helps you. pumpkinguy@aol.com
I REMEMBERED I
HAD AN OLD WATERBED HEATER LAYING AROUND!! SO I MADE A BOX ON TOP OF AN OLD
TABLE IN THE BASEMENT. PUT THE HEATER IN THE BOX. COVERED THE HEATER WITH
PLASTIC. ADDED A 1 INCH LAYER OF SAND. MOISTENED THE SAND WELL. THEN PLACED MY
POTS IN THE SAND AND COVERED THEM WITH CLEAR PLASTIC. PUT A GROW LIGHT OVER THE
PLASTIC. WITHIN 16 HOURS I NOW HAVE 5 PLANTS THAT ALL ARE 2+ INCHES TALL. I'M
SO HAPPY!!!
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In analyzing the ungerminated seeds, I noticed a milk like substance
from the seed. I wonder what cause this and how I can increase my germination
rate? I do know it could have been a variety of things such a heat, excessive
watering, etc. I feel my failure was due to watering and potting soil. The
potting soil had an incorrect ratio of peatmoss, perlite and vermiculite, and I
watered to often. I assume the potting mixture should be almost dry before I
water again. I have planted new seeds. COMMENTS PLEASE
Duncan - You
are not the only one with the problem of expired seeds appearing milky inside,
and my germination rate is less than yours if its any comfort. Rather than
write you personally, I'll share my thoughts with the group, as I'd like the
same answers. I just happened to see Pumkinguy's helpful response after I typed
this, but will send it anyway. As you know, Duncan, we have a glassed in porch
in which there is a portable heater and a bench covered with sand. Under the
sand is a heating cable, and 12 inches above that a grow light. I have
surrounded the light and peat pots beneath it with a plastic camping blanket
with a reflective silver coating on the inside, and covered in at both ends to
reduce drafts and heat loss. In this compact chamber I can maintain an air
temperature of between 70 and 85 degrees. I found that the pots dried out
awfully quickly inside, so I decided to lay some thin cedar planks between the
pots and the sand and saturate the planks with water. This seemed to raise the
humidity, and reduce the need for excessive watering. I planted more seeds
yesterday and hope this helps. What p....s me off, after all this technology,
is that when I turned my compost pile over the other day, there, at the bottom,
were dozens of squash seeds germinating like crazy! By the way, I'm using
Sunshine Mix #1, made by Sun Gro Horticulture of Bellview, WA, which is
supposed to be pretty good stuff. To be certain of sterilization, I nuke the
mix in the microwave before planting. I only have room for one pumpkin, and my
only successful seedling sits, in near dormancy, in a gallon bucket outside in
the coldframe - apparent healthy, but no doubt cursing me for being planted too
soon.
The milky stuff
was fungus. You probably didn't put an antifungal powder on your seeds. Then
you watered too much and at the same time didn't have a high enough temperature
to germinate your seeds. They sat there in a temp not high enough to sprout and
rotted. I'm sure you'll get a lot of advise on this one because I think it
happens a lot.
Reguarding
your question about germination, I and many of my friends have had the same
problem. I have spoken with Howard Dill recently about this and he said he has
received many phone calls from all over and everyone seems to be having the
same problems with last years seed stock, it only seems to be from the seeds
dried out of the 1995 pumpkin stock. If you have older stock try germinating
that. He's not sure be Howard thinks it could be from people not taking the
seeds out of the pumpkins early enough and they are cooking inside the
pumpkins, and not being dried out properly. The other cause could have been
from last years weather there was so much heat and so little water, the seeds
could have cooked inside the pumpkins last growing season. In any event they
seem to be already dead and we are planting them which is causing them to rot
and decay in the soil and that is the white film you are seeing.
Did you use a
fungicide on the seeds? I have had lower germination numbers when I fail to use
it. Daniel J. Gardner (dang@athenet.net) Internet Pumpkin Enthusiast Giant
pumpkin webmaster: http://www.athenet.net/~dang/pumpkins.html |
There are a few
things you can do to improve germination percentages. The seed itself could be
a factor. Some seeds are better than others. Assuming that there is not a
problem with the seeds, next look at temps..... . The Atlantic Giant is
temperature sensitive and should never be started at temps of 70 or lower....
you will get little or no germination. Soil temp should be a minimum of 80
degrees and is even better @ 85. 90 to 95 degrees will make them come up quick
but I hesitate to recommend a temp that high unless you have precise
temperature control. If your temperature runs away and gets up into the 100s
you may cook the seeds so 85 is a good safe temp. The white exudate that you
see is just the mush (highly technical term) from the broken down seed. Bottom
heat is good for seed starting and propagation mats are available from
greenhouse supply places. Sterilized light weight seed starting mixes are the
best. My favorite is Peters seed starting mixes..... they are easy to wet too.
Some people file the edges of the seed to help it crack open... don't file too
deep and damage the seed. Some seeds just aren't viable or are hollow inside.
Al Berard likes to take his seeds and drop them on the kitchen table from a
height of about 6 or 8 inches. The hollow seeds don't have the same ring to
them. That is about it. Oh, also you may try a little Captan on the seeds @
planting. pumkinguy@aol.com
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I have one question I need answered. I have four plants started in
one of the greenhouses at a farm I work at. The plants look weak. One has a
droopy third leaf while the others look like they have
deformed leaves with little yellow spots on
them. Should I be worried. If so , what should I do to correct the problem. I
plan on putting the pumpkins in the ground within the week. I was also
wondering what temperature it should be outside to plant the pumpkins. Is it
too early? Last year I started late and had some trouble. This year I hope to
start on time. Am I on time. Thanks Zach
Zach, I'd start
some back-up seeds on a regularly schedule, just to be sure. If you aren't
happy with the looks of the seedlings you can go for the next group. Too much
moisture/heat may be your problem in the direct sun greenhouse. Try to put a
sun blocker above the seedlings to block some of the direct light and heat.
You're not too late! I've not planted a seed yet. Ray Waterman/WPC
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Is it possible to get two differentseed
colors from the same pumpkin?
I have seen
slight differences in seed coats when looking at seeds from the same pumpkin.
It seems to me that it was the Holland 792 that had some smooth seeds and some
that had tiny pock marks the size of a pin prick....... I may be wrong on this
one but I am pretty sure it was the 792. Weir's 914 had seeds that were shaped
the same but some were a little darker.... kind of off-white and light brown.
Since 1983 I have carved probably 4 or 5 hundred Atlantic Giants for my
Halloween celebration and virtually all were either brown or all white. In a
brown seeded pumpkin you will see some white ones but they are usually skinny
and not viable. I have never seen plump dark brown seeds and plump white seeds
in the same one. I have seen brown seeds with white tips on some. By the way,
in case some of you hadn't heard, some of the largest pumpkins have come from
white seeds, so they are not necessarily inferior. Lgourd may have some input
on this.... he has cut open a few. I am quite confident that if you use
different types of male pollen on one female flower that the genetically
different pollen grains will germinate, grow pollen tubes, and send different
genetic material into each ovule that will end up being a mature seed. I had
some seeds in 1986 that if you planted 10 seeds....8 would be beautiful orange
and 2 were pure green squash. It is quite common to see many traits from seeds
out of the same pumpkin. The 792 will give you nice big orange ones or smaller
white pumpkins that are shaped like cartwheels. To straighten one out
genetically would take 5 or 6 years of inbreeding and type selecting to produce
consistent specimens. When making a true hybrid ( which the Atlantic Giant
isn't) you must inbreed two lines until you get consistency .... usually 5 or 6
inbreeding then you cross pollinate the two dissimilar types. The resulting
seeds from that cross will be hybrids and may show heterosis or hybrid vigor.
Many (most) people cross pollinate different males and females, hoping to get
some hybrid vigor but the seeds are such an open pollinated hodge podge
(genetically) that there is no predictability. Seeds are a big gamble, even
when you are using good ones.
pumpkinguy@aol.com
P.S. My guess would be that the color of the seed coat comes from a gene
from the female......If the seed coat color gene came from the male flower, you
could pollinate with white seeded pollen and some brown seeded pollen and get
half of each color in the next batch of seeds. I have not seen this happen so I
must assume seed coat color is a female trait.
Not usually but
it can happen, it may also mean one of the colors is infertile. George
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Is there any correlation to enormous
seed leaves and a very thick stalk at an early age to the growth of a
larger than average fruit. The seed leaves of this plant grew to well over
5" before growth of true leaves even began. Also the stalk of the plant at
21 days is well over 2"
I have not
always had the best plant produce the largest Pumpkin.
Large seed
leaves and a 2 inch stalk @ 21 days does not insure a larger specimen, but I'll
tell you what........... given a choice, I'll take a nice vigorous plant like
that any day. Large seeds don't seem to have any bearing on ultimate pumpkin
size. You have to like the position you are in right now. Things are getting
serious in my part of New England now. We need a drastic weather change very
soon. Waterlogged soil and air temps of 50 if we are lucky. I normally prepare
my patch with tractors, etc. I actually got stuck with a 4 wheel drive tractor
today......that's bad. 55 degree soil temp today...... transplants are still in
the greenhouse and must be transplanted in the next 3 days so they don't get
too big. pumkinguy@aol.com
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Where can I buy good seeds?
You can buy
Atlantic Giant Pumpkins seed at any licenced retailer or seed distributer.
Check your local major nursery store. You can buy the seeds via mail order by
reading the Secrets page.
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How do I enter a contest?
Join a local
Society which is defined on the .
Unoffical Giant
Pumpkin page
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Are there any good books or other sources of
information?
How-to-Grow World
Class Giant Pumpkins - by Don Langevin
The Pumpkin King -
by Al Kingsbury
Pumpkin Growing Tools
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Who holds the world record?
990 LBS Herman
Bax, 1994 Ont. Canada
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TWO OF MY PLANTS HAVE BROWN SPOTS ON THE SEED LEAVES KIND OF A RUST
COLOR ? WHAT IS IT? HOW TO TREAT IT? IT SEEMS TO BE ONLY ON THE OUTER EDGES OF
THE LEAVES.
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With new seedlings planted,
1) What is the correct fertilizing program
prior to pollination? Daily or weekly applications?
2) What is the fertilizer ratio?
When the pumpkin is pollinated,
1) What is the correct fertilizing program after pollination? Daily or weekly
applications?
2) What is the fertilizer ratio?
If you ask 20
top growers, you might get 10 different answers on this one. Before any
fertilizer is put on a soil test should be done to detect deficiencies or more
likely fertilizer levels that are too high. Many giant pumpkin growers get
carried away with fertilizer amounts. Every fertilizer has a salt index.....
the higher the number, the more likely it will burn the plant. If your potash
levels are very high it would not be a good idea to use a high potash (K)
blend. I surveyed 20 growers a few years back and the general trend was to use
a high phosphorous fertilizer like 15-30-15 in the beginning. In cool spring
soil the blend should have some of the nitrate form of nitrogen in it. Nitrates
are available to the plant when things are cool. After pollination, many use a
higher nitrogen and potash formula 20-20-20 or even higher on the first and
third numbers. A point of information.... The first number on the bag is the
Nitrogen, second Phosphorous, third Potash. pumkinguy@aol.com
Foliar feeding has become very popular lately and I do it myself. Foliar
feeding, however, does not work very well and I'll tell you why. Two years ago
I had a long talk with one of the technical experts at Peters plant food. A
VERY small percentage of the foliar fertilizer actually enters the plant
through the leaf cuticle. Peters did studies where they covered the pots that
the plants were growing in and they found little plant response to foliar
applications. Other plants that didn't have their pots covered showed a good
response. What was happening was that most of the foliar applied fertilizer was
actually being washed off and entering the plant through the roots. If you look
at an Atlantic Giant leaf, you will notice that if you apply water to the leaf
it will run down the leaf, down the stem, and right into the tap root at the
base of the stem. So foliar feeding does work but it doesn't enter the plant (
at least most of it doesn't) enter through the leaf but through the roots when
it is washed off with watering. A small percentage does enter through the
leaves and the best form of foliar nitrogen is urea....stay away from high
amoniacal formulations. As far as doubling or tripling dosage.... some do it
but it is a risky business. Remember this is fertilizer and it can burn. I
would personally go with rec. dosages. pumkinguy@aol.com
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Plant stress
I have a plant that is 28 days old on Sunday it's about 4 ft long.
The question I have is it has allot of male flowers and a pumpkin out on the
main vine. What would cause the plant to do that a such a young age?
Stress can
cause a pumpkin plant to flower and show fruit prematurely. Too much
fertilizer, water stress, etc. I have seen Atlantic Giants in small pots that
had dried out and had flowers and small pumpkins on a one foot vine. If the
area you have planted in is way too hot (fertilizer wise) it is not too late to
start another plant but time is of the essence. Study what you are doing
differently this year and you may have the clue. Mega doses of foliar feed
might do it. There is something definitely wrong for a healthy plant doesn't
reach your stage for 50 or 60 days depending on climate.
I thought of
another thing that could cause a small vine to have flowers and fruit. Too much
water in the root zone (flooded soil with no air). I planted some field
pumpkins on the edge of a field where the drainage was poor. We had a wet
spring and with all the water in the root zone, there was no oxygen and the
roots were damaged and stunted. The result was that I had very small plants
with early fruit and blossoms in that area. The rest of the field was OK. With
the unusually cold and WET spring that we have had in New England, that is
another possibility. pumkinguy@aol.com
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Would someone advise me on how to deal with
cucumber beetles. In previous years
I've been using Thiodan to control vine borers, squash bugs,and cucumber
beetles. This year Thiodan don't seem to be working. I never seen so many
cucumber beetles. They just destroyed three of my plants in one night. Also
would someone tell me how many main runners I should allow to set on. Last year
I let my plants go wild. I'm told I should trim. Any help you could give me
would be greatly appreciated.
Seven is the
most effective weapon again cuke Beetles. George Brooks
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Leaf wilt
My plants are 4 wks. old and have been outside in a greenhouse. I
removed the greenhouse when it finally got sunny and warm. My plants seem to be
growing well and have good color. This is the first time since they have been
growing we got good sun, as soon as the sun hits the plants they start to wilt
and look bad if the sun goes away or I shade them they perk back up and look
fine. They have plenty of water maybe to much. I've been using maricle grow
15-30-15 once a week on them. I don't understand what is causing them to wilt
when the sun hits them. Hope someone can help me with this.
What you are
seeing is temperature stress. As you have said, there is plenty of water in the
ground but they wilt. On the underside of your leaves you have stomata (pores),
When the temperature gets hot with full sun, the leaf temperature soars.....10
to 15 degrees higher than the air temperature, the stomata close to conserve
water and the plant wilts. I have been battling this for years in Connecticut.
On a day where it is 90, you may have field temperatures of 110 to120
degrees..... put a thermometer out there in the patch....you will be amazed. I
have used intermittent water sprays for the last ten years during the heat of
the day. Don't believe the storys you hear about water droplets acting like
magnifying glasses and burning the leaves.....old wives tale. You will not have
any extra disease pressure as long as you don't keep them wet too long. Use a
low volume sprinkler like a Naan Turbohammer.... about 7 dollars each. They
will spray a 30 foot circle with only .33 gallons per minute. Leave the spray
on for 5 or 10 minutes with the rest of the hour off so the leaves dry. That is
the trick to keep disease under control ...the leaves must dry in between
watering cycles. The tiny sprinklers will not make a muddy mess because there
is little coming out of them. The evaporative cooling will make the leaves come
right up. To try this just take your hose and spray the leaves for 5 minutes on
one plant, wait another 5 minutes and your plant will be standing at attention.
Shading will accomplish the same thing but too much shade will cut down on
photosynthesis. pumkinguy@aol.com
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Weighing Process
Some time ago I read how one could judge the weight of a pumpkin by
the circumference of it. Does someone have information about that? Any thoughts
for judging the weights as they grow would be helpful.
Measure your
pumpkins at least weekly. Gains in circumference can average four to six inches
in a 24 hour period. Measure the circumference of your pumpkins first parallel
to the ground around the entire pumpkin, from blossom end to stem. Next,
measure over the top in both directions: from ground to ground along the axis
from stem to blossom end, then perpendicular to the stem-blossom-end axis. Add
these three measurements together (inches), then multiply by 1.9 to give an
estimate of the pumpkin's weight.
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Which vine to choose
Well it's do or die time. Should I pull up my largest pumpkin vine
or will it eventually come around? My largest of three vines refuses to flower
while my other vines already have several promising candidates on each. Is
their some type of "infusion" I should try before yanking the big
one. The reason I hesitate to pull it is this plant should produce best because
of it's lineage. Any ideas?
How long is the
vine? If it doesn¹t produce by 15' I would take it out but that is a very
personal decision for you to make. George Brooks
I agree with
GBpumpkin. If you are out over 15 feet with no blossoms, something may be up.
It seems to me that one of the lady growers had an 800 or 900 pounder out about
20 feet last year. Can't remember who it was. You must have started very early
to have vines that long already. Most growers don't set fruit until late June
or early July. Seems to me that the lady that set fruit @20 feet , set fruit
around the third week of July. If the plant is not crowding the others out, I
would leave it. If you are in a warm growing area, 70 days after fruit set is
enough time for fruit development, meaning if you set fruit now you will be
close to done by the end of August. Thats a long time for a ripe pumpkin to be
sitting around waiting for the October fairs. Growers up North or in the
Pacific Northwest have cooler weather and a long slow grow. They need more
time. A pumpkin has a biological time clock so if you start early they end
early. An extreme example of this would be a grower in Florida. He could start
a plant in Feb but it will not continue to grow until Oct. ( 240 days).
Environmental factors will speed up or slow down the biological time clock (
number of degree days) . Where it is hot ( where I am ) we might be good for
140 days. Joel Holland might go 160 days in the cool Northwest. I say don't
yank it unless it is crowding the others, if so get out the knife.
pumpkinguy@aol.com
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My pollination
questions are:
1. Will a single giant pumpkin pollinate itself satisfactorily, or would it be
better to let all plants grow to flowering stage so they could cross pollinate
each other? 2. On the other side of my yard there are some other varieties of
pumpkins growing, - small jack-o-lanterns and lumina - should I be concerned
about these crossing with the giants?
1. In rare
cases Atlantic Giants have produced only female flowers. You may want to line
up another grower to supply male flowers in an emergency. 2. I've never had a
problem with cross pollination with Butternut, Frosty Bush Pumpkin or Baby Bear
Pumpkin. George Brooks
A normal
Atlantic Giant plant will have male and female flowers aplenty. I have seen
occasionally where a plant would have all males or all females until quite late
in the season which would not be good if you only have one plant. Usually you
should have a few males to do the job. If you are not trying to do specific
breeding, you can hand pollinate some of the male pollen on to the female
gently with a soft bristled brush. Also you can let the bees do their thing for
additional pollinating. You may have trouble pollinating on days of 90 degrees
and up. Just keep trying and you will succeed. Atlantic Giants are in the
Cucurbita Maxima family and will not cross-pollinate with a regular field
pumpkin which is a Cucurbita Pepo. Atlantic Giants will cross with many members
of the winter squash family. I can't help you with the Lumina.... I assume it
is either a Pepo or a Maxima, but I am not sure. GBPumpkin or lgourd may
know.... if not, ask the seed supplier what the family is. Leaving the other
plants(Atlantic Giant) plants in as pollinators is O.K. as long as you have
room. The stem of the Lumina may give you a clue as to what family it is in.
Maxima have large soft stems generally like a winter squash. Pepo has a hard
gourdlike stem. I have seen Luminas but can't remember what the stem looks
like. pumkinguy@aol.com
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I get just infested with vine borers
...I spray rotengen(sp) and still I end up cutting them out by the dozens
in the vine...it basically stops all growth of the pumpkin...even when covering
the vines with dirt. Is there a better way?
Try
Methoxychlor each week in June and July. During times of heavy infestation,
spray every 5 days and after heavy rain or watering. Rotenone is not as potent
a killer as Methoxychlor. pumkinguy@aol,com
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PH levels
Hello Again. Does anyone know how big my plants should be at this
stage in the year. Also, I chencked the pH of my soil. Its about 7.2. SHould I
put some stuff in the ground to bring down the pH. What should I use? Is it too
late? Any water soluble stuff that I could use?
Although 7.2
pH is slightly high, I would leave it as is. There have been some massive
pumpkins grown at that pH and higher. Len Stellpflug comes to mind..... he has
grown some 600, 700 pound squash in that pH range. Sulfur or Aluminum sulfate
will lower your pH but let mother nature do it. Also, most fertilizers have a
slight acidifying effect. pumkinguy@aol.com
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HELP! Despite all that I have learned about
starting seeds indoors, I still must
STILL be doing some things wrong.
Early this season a constructed a light table using eight (8) flourescent
shoplights (2 bulb 4" cool white type). This equals 16 each of the 40 watt
tubes. I prepared my soil mix with fresh supplies of 1/3 perlite, 1/3 coarse
vermiculite, and 1/3 shredded peat moss. I pre-moisted the mix slightly at
potting time to accept moisture. I treated a medium sized pail of the moistened
mix with about 2 teaspoons of Captan powder and mixed it around. I am using 4
inch peat pots with holes poked in the bottom and around the perimeter of the
base. I wet the seeds I received from GBPUMPKIN for a couple of minutes and
dusted liberally with with Captan powder. I set the seeds in the mix with the
points down and covered very loosely with about 1/2 inch of mix. The surface
temp of the peat pot under the lights was measured with an outdoor thermometer
at 85 degrees. To reach this temp I supplemented the heat of the shop lights
with a 500 watt halogen worklight placed about 18 inches under the 1/2 plywood
table. The lights are left burning 24 hours a day. The temp in the bottom of
the pot holding trays did not exceed 90F. I run a dehumidifier at a medium
setting in the basement. The lights are about 2-3 inches above the peat pots.
The lights are placed very close together in the interest of raising the local
temperatures. I placed several white corrogated cardboard pieces around the
perimeter of the light assembly to hold the heat in and to concentrate (by a
litte reflection) some of the light into the main area. My initial watering was
thorough. I have used no fertilizers. I basically added water to the moistened
mix, with the seeds installed, until water flowed slightly from the bottom
holes. Although I suspect I have overwatered slightly, from here things were
looking ok. I got good germination percentages with the seeds up in about 4-5
days. Once the seed ejected from the soil, I carefully removed the seed jackets
to expose the first two leaves. No damage was inflicted during jacket removal.
Soon after, the seedlings just didn't seem to progress. In fact, the 5/14/96
starts seem to have stalled. The seed jacket leaves expanded slightly, but not
with the vigor I saw last year with Ray Waterman's seeds. In fact, they began
to curl under slightly rather than grow vigorously. One is showing signs of
yellowing, but I have seen this before and not gotten too concerned about it.
Yesterday I noticed that the first true leaf trying to emerge on some of them.
On over 75% of them the first true leaf has become brown and shriveled on the
ends, looking like it will not emerge properly. This has occurred before the
first leaf is even 1/8 to 1/2 inch in size! I have noticed a general
deterioration of the plants in the last 48 hours. I have backed off on heat and
water a bit, thinking that I am cooking the plants and/or drowning them. I am
stumped and GETTING RATHER NERVOUS HERE! I cannot bear the have the same
failures I had last year. I am especially upset because I just commited the
rest of my GBPUMPKIN seed stock (8 seeds) to the same method with a 5/25/96
start. If I lose those to this problem, I am hurting BIG TIME. I need a pep
talk here and some strong advice on how to recover. My 50x50 is tilled. I have
constructed a wonderful cold frame. I just completed it tonight. It is 6x6x4 in
size (Howard Dill style design). The mound was formed by excavating a 5'
diameter circle to a depth of 34 inches. A mix of 75% compost and 25% topsoil
filled the hole and formed a nice mound. Outdoors, I am ready. But, indoors are
looking shaky and I am OUT OF SEEDS!
I HAVE OVER THE
LAST 5 YEARS EXPERIENCED CLOSE TO 100% GERMINATION RATES USING MY OWN SEEDS,
P&P SEEDS AND HOWARDS SEEDS. WHAT I DO IS BUY STERILISED SEED STARTING SOIL
MIXTURE FROM A GARDEN CENTER AND FILL 4 INCH PEAT POTS WITH IT. THEN PLACE THEM
IN A WINDOW WITH SOUTHERN EXPOSURE. I PLACE THE SEEDS IN THE SOIL SO THE TOP OF
THE SEEDS CAN JUST BE SEEN (POINTED END DOWN). THEN I WILL TOTALLY SOAK THE
SOIL TILL WATER POURS OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE PEAT POT AND THE MOISTRE SOAKS
THROUGH THE SIDES OF THE POT. I WATER ONCE A DAY BEFORE I GO TO BED WITH LUKE
WARM WATER UNTIL THE THIRD LEAF EMERGES THEN I WATER EVERY 2 OR 3 DAYS. THE
TEMP IN MY HOUSE IS APROX 21 DEG CELCIUS (CONSTANTLY). THE SEEDS EMERGE WITHIN
A WEEK AND ALL OF MY PLANTS THIS YEAR HAD STARTER LEAVES OVER 7 INCHES ACROSS
THE LARGEST WAS 9 INCHES.(EACH LEAF WAS 3.5 TO 4.5 INCHES) I BELIVE YOUR
PROBLEM COULD BE CAUSED FROM THE FLOURESENT LIGHTS...IF THE LIGHTS ARE CLOSER
THAN 16 TO 18 INCES THE PLANTS WILL HAVE PROBLEMS ... TO MUCH RADIATION. IF YOU
DO NOT USE A WIDE SPECTRUM BULB IT MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS ALSO YOU MAY TRY PLACING
SOME SORT OF RED TRANSPARENT PLASTIC INFRONT OF THE LIGHTS THIS WILL GIVE THE
PLANTS THE TYPE OF LIGHT THEY NEED (PROPER COLOUR WAVELENGTHS). ..... I HOPE I
HELPED A LITTLE. TROY N.
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I was wondering what everyone thinks the best
times are to fertillize the pumpkins.1 of course is when you first plant
them ,but what about the other times when they start to run?,when the pumpkin
begins to set? etc.I know there will be different opinions, but I would like to
hear all you want to send me .
My opinion is
that a constant feeding schedule is best, so you don't get highs and lows.
Every time you water , you apply dilute fertilizer. On a small scale, this
might work out to one half tablespoon per gallon instead of one or two
tablespoons, however , you are applying fertilizer continuously. 15-30-15 up
until fruit set, then 20-20-20 or even higher on the second and third numbers
after fruit set. pumkinguy@aol.com
My opinion is
that a constant feeding schedule is best, so you don't get highs and lows.
Every time you water , you apply dilute fertilizer. On a small scale, this
might work out to one half tablespoon per gallon instead of one or two
tablespoons, however , you are applying fertilizer continuously. 15-30-15 up
until fruit set, then 20-20-20 or even higher on the second and third numbers
after fruit set. >> Good advise, during the fruit growth stage if you put
the plant through highs and lows it may cause premature maturity, resulting in
a small Pumpkin. George
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Well my pumpkin seedlings just got beaten from a little
hail storm.They are bruised and battered but
the inner leaves appear to be intact.My question is how much can the seedlings
take before they give up and die?They have lost some of their "seedling
leaves" and their second leaves are just coming out.
Give them
liquid fertilizer right away to help them through the stress. You may also
treat them with a Fungicide to help the healing and prevent disease. George
Brooks
Fear not. Hail
damage to leaves is not usually fatal. Hail damage to a young pumpkin can be
more serious. Although they may look a little torn up now, give them a week and
they will bounce back. The seed leaves are of little use now....they normally
wither anyway. pumkinguy@aol.com
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I know it is a little early to be asking this, but what do people
recommend for putting under the pumpkin
once the fruit is growing? I have heard some say sand, but in my case
(growing on the lawn of my back yard) I don't think I can be putting sand all
around. I may need something else a little easier to clean up. What about a
burlap sack, or landscaping mesh?
Clean soil is
the best, I would not recommend anything else. George
Each year, when
the fruit get to be about the size of a football, I place a piece of 1"
styrofoam under each. I buy 4' by 8' sheets and cut these into four pieces. I
feel the styrofoam helps keep the fruit up off the ground which helps to
prevent pathogens from infecting the pumpkin. Also, it repels water and keeps
the fruit bottom relatively dry. Will Nova Scotia,
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I know this topic was mentioned earlier, leaves wilting on hot, muggy days, but I'd like to find out
more about it. I rememer from a plant science course I took a while back that
in order to grow, a plant must be turgid that is, full of water. My wilting
plants have about 15-20 leaves and all the old leaves are wilted in the hot
weather. The new leaves seem quite turgid, so I wonder if the wilting is a
problem. The old leaves are no longer growing, so is the lack of turgidity, (a
word?) a problem? Appreciate your comments.
It is
important to try to keep the leaves from wilting if you can. The stomata close
when the plant wilts so photosynthesis will be severely cut back. Although a
leaf may be full grown, it is very important to the plant as a photosynthate
(food) exporter to other parts of the plant. A small growing leaf will consume
more food than it produces so take care of those big leaves....they will be
exporting food to that big pumpkin soon. pumkinguy@aol.com
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Please do not slit your vine and try to milk
feed your pumpkin.....it is the biggest wives tale in the pumpkin world.
Cutting or slitting your pumpkin will destroy your vine and nothing will be
taken up by a slit vine in the process. Milk has water in it (over 90% )....
thats good but your hose supplies that. Milk has some calcium in it ( that's
good but limestone and calcium nitrate have that. Milk has some sugar in it
(lactose).... not the same type of sugars found in plants. Finally milk has fat
in it...that is REAL BAD. The first thing a good composter will tell you is
don't add meat or fat scraps to your pile. I can't imagine how injecting fat
into a plant would help even if it would enter through the slit (which it
won't). I know virtually every one of the top growers in the world and to my
knowledge NOT ONE milk feeds. The least damaging application would be to apply
no fat milk to the soil and let the roots take it up. You will get a much
greater effect by putting the low fat milk on your cereal in the morning to
give you lots of energy to take care of your plant the right way. Now go out
there and gett'em and keep the knife blades away from your plant!
pumkinguy@aol.com
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Hello everyone again. I want to thank everyone for their help on my recent
questions. I appreciate your time and advice. I have one other question though.
Can anyone tell me if light green leaves are
OK. The leaves on my two plants seem to lack good green color. Is this a
problem. If so, what can be done. Also my plants are kind of small. Only three
small true leaves per plant. Is this a bad sign. Thanks again.
Without seeing
things it is tough to tell but I can tell you this.... we have had some
terrible weather in New England.... cold,wet, and little sun. It is possible
that the light green is not a fertilizer defficiency, but a lack of quality
sunlight. If you have a week of dark nasty weather, the foliage will lighten.
Chlorophyll can't develop without proper sunlight ( hilling up celery blocks
out sun and blanches the celery to a light green). If the plants are still
inside, get them out.... there is not a grow light made that can compete with
the real sun and that includes 1,000 watt coated Supermetallarc bulbs, which
are many times stronger than a regular grow light fixture. So if they are out,
just wait for a week that has temps above 70 and full sun.....we haven't had it
yet. If they are not in the soil, get them outside and water them in with
15-30-15 @ 1 tablespoon per gallon and hope for good growing conditions. The
extended forecast for N. E. looks better for the weekend. pumkinguy@aol.com
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Some time ago I read how one could judge the weight of a pumpkin by the circumference of it. Does someone
have information about that? Any thoughts for judging the weights as they grow
would be helpful.
Measure your
pumpkins at least weekly. Gains in circumference can average four to six inches
in a 24 hour period. Measure the circumference of your pumpkins first parallel
to the ground around the entire pumpkin, from blossom end to stem. Next,
measure over the top in both directions: from ground to ground along the axis
from stem to blossom end, then perpendicular to the stem-blossom-end axis. Add
these three measurements together (inches), then multiply by 1.9 to give an
estimate of the pumpkin's weight.
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Its getting warm outside and I'm opening
the ends of the hoophouse to vent the heat. What is the acceptable heat
range to consider? If it is 75F, do I need to open the ends? The evening temps
range from 43-53F. When should I remove the hoophouse? Next question: Now that
my pumpkin is growing, When do I start mounding the vine? What is the distance
I stop mounding the vine when I set a fruit? Please provide the raidus from the
stem of the fruit.
Temps above 90
are not the friend of the pumpkin. If you are covering the vine with soikl, you
have to wait until the vine is out a few feet so the side vines don't get
buried. If the vine is out 6 feet , you might be able to bury the first two
feet of the vine. pumkinguy@aol.com
Yes....the S curve is good and cut the tap root at the pumpkin and one on
each side of it so the vine can lift. There are more exotic ways to leave all
tap roots on and let the vine raise but they are a pain with a lot of
tinkering.
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