Pumpkin plant size? How to protect from critters?

[jal_ut]

The links I posted earlier don't seem to work any more?????????? Try this.

[jal_ut]

Critters causing grief?
Could always use the "Three S" method...... Shoot, Shovel, Shut up.

[Stourme]

jal_ut totally has you covered on this one.

Pumpkins are obnoxious and I'm not growing any next year.

I'm not sure if anyone has said this yet, but each plant will sprout several vines. Pumpkins are basically weeds. Put stakes in the ground to create a barrier and force each vine into the direction you want them to go.

Don't be afraid to cut extra vines off or clip the ends when they've gone too far. If the vines get going to much, the plant will put all it's energy into producing those vines and will rot it's fruit off in order to keep the growth up.

[Stourme]

Critters causing grief?
Could always use the "Three S" method...... Shoot, Shovel, Shut up.

ROTFL!!

Yes my friend, I am the proud victor of many a rabbit war!

Awesome looking garden jal_ut!

Met my wife while going to school in Provo btw.

[Francesco Delvillani]

What's the heaviest pumpkin you have ever grown?

[jal_ut]

I grew up on a farm out in the boonies of Northern Utah. My Dad had milk cows, farmed 150 acres and also for much of his life held an 8 to 5 job also. If he wasn't workin, hauling hay or milking, he was sleeping. When I was 12 he had a bunch of ground squirrels that had totally wiped out 2 acres of his upper field. He handed me the 22 rifle and a carton (500) of shells and said, "Go kill those D------- squirrels!"

Well I confess, I didn't totally wipe them out but reduced their numbers so that he could get a crop. I reckon at times it becomes necessary to defend what is ours?

[jal_ut]

So Watchrebel, how about a report? How did it go? Did you get a pumpkin? Pics?

[jal_ut]

Quote: "What's the heaviest pumpkin you have ever grown?"

I am thinking a bit over 100 pounds. The variety I plant is Big Max. I also like Jack-O-Lantern. I don't grow any of those humongous things you need a forklift to move.

[TheWaterbug]

What's the heaviest pumpkin you have ever grown?

305 lb Atlantic Giant, for Halloween 2013.

2014 and 2015 were disappointing

[applestar]

Hey! Good to see you here WaterBug!
Hope your garden does well this year.

[TheWaterbug]

Hey! Good to see you here WaterBug!
Hope your garden does well this year.

Thanks! I haven't been posting much on HG because I've been spending a lot more time posting questions about beekeeping.

That's not to say I don't still have plenty of questions about gardening! My Atlantic Giants last year were pretty much a failure , but I'm determined to redeem myself this year.

I've tilled in an entire truck bed full of mulchy-composty-stuff into Atlantic Giant patch, and each of 4 planting sites is getting 4 cf of steer manure. I bought seeds from the Prince Edward County Pumpkin Grower's club, and I should be ready to plant in just a few days.

[jal_ut]

I put a radio out in the corn patch tuned to the local radio station. It seems to help with keeping out raccoons and skunks. Might give that a whirl if you won't offend the neighbors with it?

[jal_ut]

A victor #3 set on the doorstep of my beehives, helps keep the critters from eating bees. (raccoons will come and scratch on the front of the hive till the bees come out to fight then he sits there and eats the bees.)

[st0lnkiss]

I just got into a fight with one of my massive kabocha squash vines. unfortunately, during our brawl a giant (13" diameter & 8" high) fell off the vine. it definitely wasn't ripe yet because it was yellow-orange and I think it should be green and dull when it is ripe. is there any way at all that I can ripen this sucker?

[jal_ut]

I haven't grown "massive kabocha squash vines". Can you let us know how this turned out? Did the squash ripen?

[jal_ut]

When you see a pumpkin forming and it is about 8 inches wide, go pull the vine toward it and then sit it up on its blossom end and put a piece of cardboard under it. The cardboard keeps the underground critters from chewing holes in the bottom of the pumpkin. By sitting it up on its blossom end it will form nice and round, not lopsided. Remove other blossoms or pumpkins from the plant so it has only the one to feed and nourish. Water the plant and stand back and watch a pumpkin grow.