Giant Pumpkins for 2013!

[joed2323]

wow waterbug!!!

You will easily have me beat this year, im shooting for bigger pumpkins then last year, so i should easily be able to beat what i did last year...

Ive dug down probably 1-2 feet sorta like what you have done...

I have a few different areas where im planting my pumpkins, so i can keep track of what conditions work best for me.

Im debating about digging a deep hole like you did, i know thats a great way to achieve giant pumpkins..

Waterbug, what vegetables are you growing this year? im sure you have a bunch of diff things growing as we speak, also how many different pumpkin plants will you have in the ground this year?

[TheWaterbug]

Pictures, as promised. Here's the whole area, with two Atlantic Giants planted:



and here's what one site looks like, closer up:



On the near site I tilled up an area about 12' x 12', and the far site I probably went out to about 15' x 15'. Both pits were nearly 4' deep. The near seeds went in Saturday and the far seeds Sunday, so they should emerge in 3-4 days, I'd think, though it's been on the cool side here in LA this week.

[TheWaterbug]

And, of course, I dug a heap of rocks out of second site:



The big ones are 50 - 75 lbs.

Did our early settlers have to do the same thing, but with wooden tools and horses? I pulled several different muscles this weekend.

[applestar]

I have to BUY rocks like that when I want them... But then again, I've never tried digging a 4 ft deep pit... Who knows?

Looking good -- it's going to be fun following along. Thanks for sharing.

[imafan26]

It looks like a fun project. It takes up a lot of space. Are you putting in one vine or multiple vines and letting them crawl on top of each other? How long do the vines get?

I grew a pumpkin once in the front yard. I got over twenty baby pumpkins, but most of them were either stung or shriveled up on their own. Only 2 got to any size. That vine was about 50 ft long and I just kept turning it once it hit the sidewalk and again when it got to the fence on the other side. I got one good sized one in June, but it rotted before Halloween that year.

[TheWaterbug]

I have to BUY rocks like that when I want them... But then again, I've never tried digging a 4 ft deep pit... Who knows?

You can have all my rocks for free!

Shipping will be $2,450.

[TheWaterbug]

It looks like a fun project. It takes up a lot of space. Are you putting in one vine or multiple vines and letting them crawl on top of each other? How long do the vines get?

I sowed 4 seeds per site, and after they grow 4-5 true leaves I'll thin down to the single strongest plant per site.

So I'll only have two Atlantic Giants, and each will grow 1 fruit (I hope!).

AG vines are fully capable of carpeting that entire area, but whether they'll achieve that is up to me and whether I've learned anything since last year

In the "main" pumpkin patch (separate thread coming soon ) I'll have a few Big Max and Luminas, both of which put out 20'+ vines last year.

[joed2323]

Thats awesome your growing big max, I'm growing those as well and first prize hybrid....

But the weather we have been having here in Michigan is beating my plants up..
Its about time for some nice warmer temps, I've been wondering if it will ever warm up this year...

I think your in a better climate for growing bigger pumpkins..

[jal_ut]

James - what do you do special for your pumpkins?? I thought I was reading a previous thread of you saying you just stick them in the ground and let mother nature take its course, if so that's some nice looking "giants" for not pampering them...

How many pumpkin plants do you normally grow in your patch?

I usually devote a fair sized area to pumpkins and squash. I plant in hills with 4 to 5 seeds per hill, with hills spaced 6 feet. I do try to fertilize the area with manure or something out of a bag or both, however I do not dig big pits as some are doing. Clean out the chicken coop in the fall ,spread it out and till it in. They get watered once a week when the sprinklers go on for the whole garden.

Those two large ones are maxima type. I also grow some pepo types. How many? one hill of maxima and 3 hills of pepo is about right. Hey, it turns into a jungle.





Here is some of what came off my squash patch last season.

[TheWaterbug]

I plant in hills with 4 to 5 seeds per hill, with hills spaced 6 feet.

Do you thin down to a smaller number plants? Or do you let them all grow?

[joed2323]

Am I wrong for thinking I can space my pumpkins 2-3 feet apart?? They have the whole backyard to crawl over if they want to

[jal_ut]

Do you thin down to a smaller number plants? Or do you let them all grow?

I just let them grow.

Am I wrong for thinking I can space my pumpkins 2-3 feet apart??

I think you would be fine if you put a squash every 2 feet in a row for as long as you want to go.
Or even a little closer. When you think about it the way I plant with 5 seeds to a hill, if you put
them in a row instead of a hill, they would be quite close. If you have space on both sides of
the row for them to ramble it would be great.

Planting in hills the vines tend to go out like the spokes on a wheel.

Keep in mind though that these plants are vining and can have vines up to 20 feet or more long.
I once planted pumpkins along a fence, though it was back from the fence 8 feet. One vine went
to the fence, climbed the fence, jumped into a tree, and went 16 feet up the tree. Now there was
a 25 pound pumpkin hanging ten feet off the ground in that tree.

You can direct the vines in the direction you want them to go.

[jal_ut]

So I'll only have two Atlantic Giants, and each will grow 1 fruit (I hope!).

I have not tried Atlantic Giants. I understand that these are the ones that can have the record breakers.

If you are going for a big one, once you get a pumpkin set on, remove all other female blossoms so that all the plants energy can go into that one fruit. Best of luck.

[TheWaterbug]

The near seeds went in Saturday and the far seeds Sunday, so they should emerge in 3-4 days, I'd think, though it's been on the cool side here in LA this week.

So this year they took 7 days to emerge:



The countdown to glory or heartbreak begins!

If I get one of any significant size, I can mail out seeds

[TheWaterbug]

And now I've got 100% germination on all 8 seeds:





though the last one of each bunch looks _terrible_ and probably ought to be put out of its misery.

I put the drip system in a few days after I sowed, but didn't realize I had a leak in the timer valve, so it basically dribbled continuously for 24 hours before I shut it off and changed the valve.

The wetness didn't spread beyond the raised hill, so I'm guessing I've "pre-charged" my deeply dug pit with a few gallons of water!