Pumpkins
 

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on growing giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Pumpkins
 

On Feb 17, 9:46*am, DavidofWales DavidofWales.
wrote:
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. *Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

--
DavidofWales

No personal experience here but I have always heard that you pick one
pumpkin early on and get rid of the rest.

Pumpkins
 

On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:46:44 +0000, DavidofWales wrote:

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Have a big yard.

Pumpkins
 

In article
,
" wrote:

On Feb 17, 9:46*am, DavidofWales DavidofWales.
wrote:
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. *Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

--
DavidofWales

No personal experience here but I have always heard that you pick one
pumpkin early on and get rid of the rest.

Some gardener in Pennsville watered his pumpkins with milk.

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

³Every conflict in the world today has its origin in the
imagination of British map drawers,² Author Unknown

Pumpkins
 

"jellybean stonerfish" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:46:44 +0000, DavidofWales wrote:

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Have a big yard.

'

I was going to try too. I had some home roasted pumpkin seeds last year
that were coated in olive oil and roasted in the oven on aluminum foil until
toasty. Awesome. Same person made a couple of pumpkin pies.

Pumpkins
 

In article ,
"DogDiesel" wrote:

"jellybean stonerfish" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:46:44 +0000, DavidofWales wrote:

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Have a big yard.

'

I was going to try too. I had some home roasted pumpkin seeds last year
that were coated in olive oil and roasted in the oven on aluminum foil until
toasty. Awesome. Same person made a couple of pumpkin pies.

Got folks know about lady godiva pumpkin seeds?

http://masdudiable.com/2010/01/23/edible-pumpkin-seeds/

BTW to the OP with a large yard look at Tahitian Squash sort of a sweet
carrot 2.5 feet long by 5 inch diameter that stores well at room
temperature.

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

³Every conflict in the world today has its origin in the
imagination of British map drawers,² Author Unknown

Pumpkins
 

In article ,
"DogDiesel" wrote:

"jellybean stonerfish" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:46:44 +0000, DavidofWales wrote:

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Have a big yard.

'

I was going to try too. I had some home roasted pumpkin seeds last year
that were coated in olive oil and roasted in the oven on aluminum foil until
toasty. Awesome. Same person made a couple of pumpkin pies.

I layer shelled pumpkin seed on in a toaster over. Light sprinkle of
soy sauce. Then abour 400 F. till the snapping is almost done. Better
to err on the early side. Addictive.

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

³Every conflict in the world today has its origin in the
imagination of British map drawers,² Author Unknown

Pumpkins
 

DavidofWales wrote:
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on
growing giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Good deep soil with lots of manure, full sun, plenty of water especially
when it is hot, mulch well, long hot growing season and keep the fungi at
bay. Thin out the set fruit to only a small number.

David

Pumpkins
 

"Bill who putters" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"DogDiesel" wrote:

"jellybean stonerfish" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:46:44 +0000, DavidofWales wrote:

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on
growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Have a big yard.

'

I was going to try too. I had some home roasted pumpkin seeds last year
that were coated in olive oil and roasted in the oven on aluminum foil
until
toasty. Awesome. Same person made a couple of pumpkin pies.

Got folks know about lady godiva pumpkin seeds?

http://masdudiable.com/2010/01/23/edible-pumpkin-seeds/



Guess what, The ones I ate were roasted shell on. I ate the shells.
Didn't know.

Pumpkins
 

In article ,
"DogDiesel" wrote:

"Bill who putters" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"DogDiesel" wrote:

"jellybean stonerfish" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:46:44 +0000, DavidofWales wrote:

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on
growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Have a big yard.

'

I was going to try too. I had some home roasted pumpkin seeds last year
that were coated in olive oil and roasted in the oven on aluminum foil
until
toasty. Awesome. Same person made a couple of pumpkin pies.

Got folks know about lady godiva pumpkin seeds?

http://masdudiable.com/2010/01/23/edible-pumpkin-seeds/



Guess what, The ones I ate were roasted shell on. I ate the shells.
Didn't know.

A common practice and labor intensive ;))). I used to eat them and
they were white with salt. Fun to eat and spit out.

A good reason to grow your own below.

http://www.amazon.com/Bergin-Nut-Com...dp/B001EQ4NNO/
ref=sr_1_3?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1297980536&sr=1-3

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

³Every conflict in the world today has its origin in the
imagination of British map drawers,² Author Unknown

Tahitian Squash [was; Pumpkins]
 

Bill who putters wrote:
-snip-

BTW to the OP with a large yard look at Tahitian Squash sort of a sweet
carrot 2.5 feet long by 5 inch diameter that stores well at room
temperature.

'stores well' doesn't tell the whole story. These buggers are 10-15
pounds [or 8-30 if you believe these guys;
http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_...item_no=S10676
] and are supposed to store 'on the counter' after you cut a couple
pounds off.
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct...od/fo-market31

Damn you Bill!! I just lost 100 sq feet of garden to a new
'experiment'.g

Jim

Pumpkins
 

I do know that the guys that grow the giant pumpkin contest winners feed
them milk when they get big, for whatever that's worth.

"DavidofWales" wrote in message
...

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?




--
DavidofWales

Pumpkins
 

Thos wrote:
I do know that the guys that grow the giant pumpkin contest winners
feed them milk when they get big, for whatever that's worth.


OK I will bite. How do you feed a pumpkin with milk?

D

Pumpkins
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
DavidofWales wrote:
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on
growing giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Good deep soil with lots of manure, full sun, plenty of water especially
when it is hot, mulch well, long hot growing season and keep the fungi at
bay. Thin out the set fruit to only a small number.

And take off the last foot of the vine when it reached 5 ft long as that
encourages the vine to set fruit.

Pumpkins
 

FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
DavidofWales wrote:
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on
growing giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Good deep soil with lots of manure, full sun, plenty of water
especially when it is hot, mulch well, long hot growing season and
keep the fungi at bay. Thin out the set fruit to only a small
number.

And take off the last foot of the vine when it reached 5 ft long as
that encourages the vine to set fruit.

Don't we want a big vine feeding only a few fruit? I would let the vine run
and keep thinning as they set.

D

Pumpkins
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
DavidofWales wrote:
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on
growing giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Good deep soil with lots of manure, full sun, plenty of water
especially when it is hot, mulch well, long hot growing season and
keep the fungi at bay. Thin out the set fruit to only a small
number.

And take off the last foot of the vine when it reached 5 ft long as
that encourages the vine to set fruit.

Don't we want a big vine feeding only a few fruit? I would let the vine
run and keep thinning as they set.

There is that, but given that the OP is trying to grow these big things in
the UK, I'd be trying to get a fruit on the vine as early in the season as
possible.

Pumpkins
 

seriously....
they pour it on the roots. Maybe the use of the word "feed" was too
technical. Maybe I should have said they "water" them with milk.

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Thos wrote:
I do know that the guys that grow the giant pumpkin contest winners
feed them milk when they get big, for whatever that's worth.


OK I will bite. How do you feed a pumpkin with milk?

D

Pumpkins
 

On Feb 17, 9:48*pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
DavidofWales wrote:
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. *Does anyone have any tips on
growing giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Good deep soil with lots of manure, full sun, plenty of water
especially when it is hot, mulch well, long hot growing season and
keep the fungi at bay. *Thin out the set fruit to only a small
number.

And take off the last foot of the vine when it reached 5 ft long as
that encourages the vine to set fruit.

Don't we want a big vine feeding only a few fruit? *I would let the vine run
and keep thinning as they set.

D

It is not the vine that feeds the plant, its the roots and manure is
not going to supply the needed N for this growth. As for pruning I
would follow this guy's advice:

http://www.backyardgardener.com/wcgp...s/10steps.html

I've since found out, let the flowers form and remove all but the largest.

I read by Alan Titchmarsh if you bury the vine it will root and uptake even more nutrients for the fruit that have set.

Can't wait to try!

Pumpkins
 

Gunner wrote:
On Feb 17, 9:48 pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
DavidofWales wrote:
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow
some whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips
on growing giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

Good deep soil with lots of manure, full sun, plenty of water
especially when it is hot, mulch well, long hot growing season and
keep the fungi at bay. Thin out the set fruit to only a small
number.

And take off the last foot of the vine when it reached 5 ft long as
that encourages the vine to set fruit.

Don't we want a big vine feeding only a few fruit? I would let the
vine run and keep thinning as they set.

D

It is not the vine that feeds the plant, its the roots and manure is
not going to supply the needed N for this growth.

Both of these statements are rather misleading.

The roots absorb water and minerals which is necessary but not sufficient
for strong growth. The vine (stems, leaves) feed the fruit in the sense
that for growth the leaves are required to do photosynthesis and the stems
are required to carry the carbohydrates produced by the leaves to the fruit
for them to grow. It actually makes more sense to speak of the
manufactured carbohydates as food rather than fertiliser as food but both
are common usage. With cucurbits you can also get nodal roots which are an
asset as they supply water to a big vine along its length which helps to
reduce wilting in full sun, thus allowing photosynthesis to continue longer
on hot days before the stomata start to shut down.

Manure will supply sufficient nitrogen if you use the right sort. Bird
manure and rabbit manure are high in N. I would use an appropriate mixture.

One could also use foliar sprays of chemferts if you wanted to go all out.
I didn't mention this before as it is not my usual practice when growing
pumpkins and it may be a little trickier to do for the novice. It's up to
the OP.

David

Pumpkins
 

Thos wrote:
seriously....
they pour it on the roots. Maybe the use of the word "feed" was too
technical. Maybe I should have said they "water" them with milk.

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Thos wrote:
I do know that the guys that grow the giant pumpkin contest winners
feed them milk when they get big, for whatever that's worth.


OK I will bite. How do you feed a pumpkin with milk?

D

How odd. I have heard of spraying with milk against mildew but not pouring
it on the ground.

D

Pumpkins
 

On Feb 18, 1:31*pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Thos wrote:
seriously....
they pour it on the roots. *Maybe the use of the word "feed" was too
technical. Maybe I should have said they "water" them with milk.

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Thos wrote:
I do know that the guys that grow the giant pumpkin contest winners
feed them milk when they get big, for whatever that's worth.

OK I will bite. *How do you feed a pumpkin with milk?

D

How odd. *I have heard of spraying with milk against mildew but not pouring
it on the ground.

D

It was a "tip" told to a competitor in a bar one night.

Pumpkins
 

On Feb 18, 1:29*pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Gunner wrote:
On Feb 17, 9:48 pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
DavidofWales wrote:
D

It is not the vine that feeds the plant, its the roots and manure is
not going to supply the needed N for this growth.

Both of these statements are rather misleading.


That would depend on the direction you going or how your reading
track, don’t ya think?...

We are talking manipulating plants to grow Giants here David, Your
tweaking this puppy up as much as you can. Hundreds of methods/
examples out there to do that..no reason.. just picked this one
because he Power Points (visual) and has street creds and perhaps
see it from a different perspective:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2568819/...Giant-Pumpkins

Roots and shoots. Set em up for the big race. I'm sure your methods
might work well.

With cucurbits you can also get nodal roots which are an
asset as they supply water to a BIG VINE( emphasis added)
along its length which helps to
reduce wilting in full sun, thus allowing photosynthesis to continue longer
on hot days before the stomata start to shut down.

Yeah......and yet not so much with pumpkins as other cucurbits,
right? Regardless, these nodes are nothing but a pipeline pumping
station for the vine's apical dominance wanderlust. Stop that. Also
the extraneous leaf area is a water waster to the tune of several
gallon a day. So If you don’t need them, don't spend the energy to
operate them. Again it is not quantity you seek , but quality, your
tweaking this. Extraneous vines and leave distract from that goal.

Manure will supply sufficient nitrogen if you use the right sort. Bird
manure and rabbit manure are high in N. I would use an appropriate mixture.

David, again the man is fueling up a giant pumpkin for the big
race. You could very well run it with the biofuel blend, tweaking it
as you go or since you spent all this effort to set it up for these
conditions…. you go with that you know works well, get the nitro out.

One could also use foliar sprays of chemferts if you wanted to go all out..

I thought that was the point, to go all out! But “chemferts”…thats a
"really, billy". Still splitting hairs to get to the same point.
I’m of the camp it not so much what you use, but how you use it.

As for foliar sprays? Maybe? just never been in my regime since
reading this: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%2...%20feeding.pdf

G

I've grown numerous "large" pumpkins here in the US, and can tell you that there are several factors at play in growing really big ones. One is to prepare your garden bed with well rotted manure, (I use horse or cow), and do so deeply. Pumpkin roots run deep and the plants feed heavily. Make a "hill" in to which you would deposited four to six of your seeds, covering them to a depth of about 1".
At the three week mark after germination, select the two largest plants, and snip off every other plant. From these two, allow them plenty of space to grow, caring not to snip or prune anything just yet. The goal is to get the largest, more robust vines possible, as large fruit rarely grow on wispy vines.
Once you begin to see the female flowers forming, select the two healthiest looking for your project. Upon their opening, hand pollinate both, using a cotton swab and transferring pollen from the male flowers to the female stigma. Pumpkin size is directly linked to the level of pollination achieved, so don't leave it to chance/bees.
After you've noticed that the pollination has taken, (usually two weeks to be certain), begin to remove all subsequent male and female flowers, along with any developing side branches. This will divert all energies in to the formation of the pumpkins. Given a good warm summer with plenty of rainfall, one should be able to achieve a fairly good sized pumpkin.

Pumpkins
 

I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

I have a small amount of experience with this. Nearly 25 years ago,
I grew several 'Atlantic Giant' pumpkins. I put lots of composted (and
a small amount of fresh) horse manure in a deep hole under the plants.
I also watered regularly, and thinned the pumpkins once there were 2 or
3 to a plant.

Especially important is mulching around the plant, but you don't want
to put straw right up where the leaves join the plant. The plant will
put out additional root systems at these areas which will help give
additional moisture and nutrients to the plant. It will also help
anchor the plant against damaging winds.

I ended up with a 263 pound pumpkin, which won 1st at the county
fair, and would have taken 1st at state if I had been able to get it
there that year. I've always wanted to grow another huge pumpkin. From
what I've read, these are actually squash, but most folks treat them as
pumpkins.

If I tried it again, I would use drip irrigation and a timer, to make
sure the plant got optimum amounts of water.

Pumpkins
 

"Ohioguy" wrote in message
...
I have Hundred Weight pumpkin seeds and intend to try and grow some
whoppers with the kids this year. Does anyone have any tips on growing
giant pumpkins they'd like to share?

I have a small amount of experience with this. Nearly 25 years ago, I
grew several 'Atlantic Giant' pumpkins. I put lots of composted (and a
small amount of fresh) horse manure in a deep hole under the plants. I
also watered regularly, and thinned the pumpkins once there were 2 or 3 to
a plant.

Especially important is mulching around the plant, but you don't want to
put straw right up where the leaves join the plant. The plant will put
out additional root systems at these areas which will help give additional
moisture and nutrients to the plant. It will also help anchor the plant
against damaging winds.

I ended up with a 263 pound pumpkin, which won 1st at the county fair,
and would have taken 1st at state if I had been able to get it there that
year. I've always wanted to grow another huge pumpkin. From what I've
read, these are actually squash, but most folks treat them as pumpkins.

If I tried it again, I would use drip irrigation and a timer, to make
sure the plant got optimum amounts of water.

You'd have to get about 4 times that size to be in the running any more.

Pumpkins
 

You'd have to get about 4 times that size to be in the running any more.

I've read that. We had more than half a dozen relatives over just to
load that 263 pound one, and I have no idea how anyone would possibly
load or transport something like this up near half a ton.

Pumpkins
 

"Ohioguy" wrote in message
...
You'd have to get about 4 times that size to be in the running any more.

I've read that. We had more than half a dozen relatives over just to
load that 263 pound one, and I have no idea how anyone would possibly load
or transport something like this up near half a ton.


They are placed on a materials pallet when still quite small and then
handled with a forklift.

Tahitian Squash [was; Pumpkins]
 

[in a thread from this past spring]
Jim Elbrecht wrote:

Bill who putters wrote:
-snip-

BTW to the OP with a large yard look at Tahitian Squash sort of a sweet
carrot 2.5 feet long by 5 inch diameter that stores well at room
temperature.

'stores well' doesn't tell the whole story. These buggers are 10-15
pounds [or 8-30 if you believe these guys;
http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_...item_no=S10676
] and are supposed to store 'on the counter' after you cut a couple
pounds off.
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct...od/fo-market31

Damn you Bill!! I just lost 100 sq feet of garden to a new
'experiment'.g


Haha--- 100 square feet was a bit optimistic.g OTOH- I'm
planting them again next year. Thanks Bill-

I'm in zone 5/6 so I planted 6 seeds in the basement under lights 3
weeks before planting time. 3 sprouted and were transplanted to a
hill. One survived. [I don't know if the woodchuck or something else
got the others.]

It apparently didn't like the hill site, as one night it took off and
went 10 feet east to the bean trellis. It was so entangled with the
beans by the time I noticed it I just let it be.

After climbing up and over that trellis it went to the next one. [and
pulled it down.g]

I only harvested 2 squash - but it seems to be most of what it claimed
to be. [though my squash were small] One was 7 lbs- the other about
4/5. The flavor is mild, but otherwise like a butternut. I
cut off a pound on Sept 11 -- It really does just 'heal itself up! I
cut off another pound 2 weeks later.

I just finished the big one. Cutting off a pound every couple of
weeks-- then slicing off 1/2" to clean up the 'scabbed' end worked
fine. It got a little 'sweeter' as it aged.

The second squash remained on the vine until Nov 1 or so--- I've got
a lot of other squash to eat, so we'll see how long this one keeps
before cutting it.

Jim

[quote=Jim Elbrecht;942103][in a thread from this past spring]
Jim Elbrecht wrote:
[color=blue][i]
Bill who putters wrote:
-snip-

BTW to the OP with a large yard look at Tahitian Squash sort of a sweet
carrot 2.5 feet long by 5 inch diameter that stores well at room
temperature.

The pumpkin should be a deep bright orange with well defined "ribs" It should give off a nice thunk when you thump it. Use a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin from the vine. This helps the other pumpkins still growing remain disease free and doesn't injure the vines.
One quick tip. Once your pumpkins are nearing their final growth, place straw or other clean dry material underneath them. Mulch is great for this. This stops the rotten spots or uneven coloration seen on many home pumpkins. Turn the pumpkin every so often to rotate the bottom and give it a smoother more regular shape.