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Chaesman
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Question on Pumpkin seeds

Just Currious when is the best time to start my Pumpkins indoors so they can be transplanted and ready to harvest by early october?

Also any tips on Starting them and transplanting them would be appreciated

Jon

TZ -OH6
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I had the first of my big haloween pumpkins mature in early-mid September after I direct seeded them in the garden in late May last year.

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Chaesman
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Thanks for the advice I guess I will shot for the last week of may or first week of june to start them and see what happens unless some others provide input on thier experiances with Pumpkins. I am still looking for some seeds for giants they don't sell them locally that I have found.

any other advice on pumpkins will be appreciated

Thanks

Jon

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SPierce
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I'm starting my pumpkins inside- so I just started mine in little plastic pots. I'm hoping to put them out when they get big enough, and I can make them a bed of their own that they can sprawl out in :D

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Chaesman
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Wow started already SPierce, When Do you project your harvest will be?

Do the Giants require an earlier start time?

thanks for any info

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SPierce
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Chaesman wrote:Wow started already SPierce, When Do you project your harvest will be?

Do the Giants require an earlier start time?

thanks for any info
if you want an honest answer- I'm not sure. However, since I'm starting inside I figured this would be a good of a time as any. This is my first year growing them- but I got starter plants last year that did a whole bunch of nothing. I'd rather get a few pumpkins early (believe it or not, most of my pumpkins last me anywhere from a week (rare) to 4 months if I don't carve it before they begin to rot. As long as they don't get eaten by a squirrel, and are ready for harvest somewhere near Halloween- I'll be OK.

And yes, IMHO I would start giants earlier than the others. They need more time to get bigger!

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Chaesman
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well I guess we will be figuring it out together since this will be my first time growing pumpkins as well. I do have one or two plants in my mellon bed allready as of two or three days ago I will be starting more this next week end and thursday or friday I am suppose to recieve some giant pumpkin seeds I will start at the same time They are not atlantic giants but they are still suppose to yield 100 to 300 lb pumpkins. Since my wife and I love halloween I am hopping to have 2 to 4 Pumpkins at 150 + and at least 2 dozen at 20 to 30 lbs Hope I am not being to ambishious for my first try But if they do well I will be harvesting the seeds from the giants when they get carved.. Hmm time to start eyeing up new carving tools..

Oh before I forget.

Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers here!!!

Jon

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Been growing pumpkins for many years.
Start them around 3 weeks before you will think night temps will stay in the 60's.
File the point off the seed and soak in water overnight before planting.
This let's moisture get into the seed faster.
Make sure the potting soil is very warm.
See the post below {Potting up newspaper pots}
and make large newspaper pots.
Leave the bottom of the paper pots open and just set them on a piece of cardboard in your platic trays.
When they come up give them full sun all day.
When you put them in the ground wet the cardboard real good so the roots don't stick to it and and remove the cardboard and put the whole paper pot in the ground deep enough so just the leaves are just above the grounds.
Get yourself some Pumkin Pro 1061 - Mycorrhiza -Symbios
for the main roots and the secondary roots that will grow out of the vine under each leaf stem.
extremepumpkinstore.com
Look under root stimulants.
Harvest most in early october after a frost.
Keep the pumpkin in a cool place out of the sun until Holloween.
Give it a bath in a mild bleach and water mixture to kill off bacteria on the skin to help preserve it.
You can also build a platic tent out of a blue plastic tarp to keep the sun off the pumpkin while it's growing. Build the tent high off the pumpkin and leave the ends open for air circulation. The leafs need the sunlight but the pumpkin doesn't.
This help the pumpkin retain moisture.

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Chaesman
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Thank you so much for the information Johnny123.

You have provided me with more information about pumpkins than I have found elsewhere so far. Just Currious How big do Your Pumpkins get?

I am gonna let my wife read over your directions also so she will better be able to assist me to make sure I don't mess up to bad on my first attempt at Pumpkins.

Thanks again

Jon

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rootsy
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First of June, direct seed for 120 day plants... Mid to late June for 90 - 100 day varieties...

I never transplant from seedlings. By that time of year the soil is so warm there is really no need...

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Usually around 350 lbs.
I try to get them in the ground at the end of may.
They are alraedy 3 to 4 weeks old at that time.

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This one was between 350 and 400 lbs.
[img]https://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb436/Jim3501/Picture-2.jpg[/img]

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Chaesman
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Love the pick Johnny123 and Once again thanks for the info...

What variety is your Giant in the pick?

My giant I ordered only do 200lbs. But that is a nice size for a starter I think.
I am suppose to recieve the seeds between wensday and friday so we will be starting ours some time this week.

Jon

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That one is really a squash not a pumpkin.
It's an Atlantic Giant.

johnny123
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Other good ones to grow are Frist Prize Hybrid and Big Max.
Burpee has these seeds.

johnny123
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You can go to Amazon an order one of Don Langevin's books on growing giant pumpkins.
The info in the book can be applied to any pumpkin not just giants.

johnny123
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One year a vine from an Atlantic Giant grew out into the lake and I found this gowing in a foot of water.

125 pound lake monster.

[img]https://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb436/Jim3501/Picture001-3.jpg[/img]

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Chaesman
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Love the pics and information Johnny123 amazed it didn't rot sitting in the water.

The seeds I am getting hopefully today or tommorow are

Whyatts Wonder Pumpkins.

Any experiance with this seed?

The add said up to 200 with this being my first attempt what might I expect in reality?

Thanks
Jon

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I never grew them.
Give the plant plenty of 17-17-17 or 20-20-20
They are very heavy feeders.
Alot of water.
You should be able to get a 100+ lbs pumpkin without too much work.
Get some Pumpkin Pro for the roots.
If you use a feeder with a hose to fertilize and water try to keep the leaves dry.

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Chaesman
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a 100 + would be great..

I have only found 10 10 10 and 13 13 13 though.

Jon

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Check some water soluble Miracle-Gro Nursery Select.

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Chaesman
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I will check on monday when I head to town for the MG nursery select. Just got my truck running today after a week with out it so I am ready to head to town..

Thanks For the advice so far

also looking into giant pumpkin books

Jon

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Chaesman
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Well I filed the tips as suggested (Hope I Did it correctly), I also soaked them overnight and they will be started in the house this afternoon I have 6 big max
and 28 regular pumpkins to start. I had a fast question before I start.

Does the orientation of the seed matter when I place it in the starting media?

I thought I read somewhere to start them Point Down Just want to make sure this is correct...

Jon

PS Johnny123 I sent a PM to you

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SPierce
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Chaesman wrote:Well I filed the tips as suggested (Hope I Did it correctly), I also soaked them overnight and they will be started in the house this afternoon I have 6 big max
and 28 regular pumpkins to start. I had a fast question before I start.

Does the orientation of the seed matter when I place it in the starting media?

I thought I read somewhere to start them Point Down Just want to make sure this is correct...

Jon

PS Johnny123 I sent a PM to you
I started mine in plastic baggies and on paper towels. I get plenty of germination from them and didn't have to do anything fancy! Although, I have big max's I was trying to start as well and none of them really germinated. The regular pumpkins, however, did nuts!

And, yes, point down since that is where the roots come out from- I would leave the rounded tip sticking up out of the soil though.

Would also (personally) recommend not using the miracle gro stuff on any plants, though. I used it last year and they got all busy, but never really produced anything.

This year, I just put them in the garden with some compost and good soil, and they love it :D

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Chaesman
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thanks spierce They are now in the starting medium and I guess we will find out about germination soon not sure how long to expect it though

jon

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Right, Point down.
You will probably see them up in 10 days depending on the soil temp.
The warmer the better.
Keep them moist.
I water and cover with plastic wrap until they are up.

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Interesting thread, guys! I always wondered which end of the seed should go up and which should go down. I like the bit about filing off the point, too. Good stuff!

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Chaesman
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Ok we are now counting down days till sprouts I guess. I will make sure they stay moist and they are indoors so the lowest the soil temp should get is 68 and the day time around 75 to 80 depending on weather and how much the lights heat things Up.

jon

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Chaesman
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day 4 no sprouts just yet still watching and keeping moist

JON

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Give it time.
If the soil is not 75 to 80 degrees it will be awhile.
This is soil temp not air temp.
Dig up a few seeds.
The root should just be getting started.
Look for a tiny white root at the pointed end of the seed.

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When I start them inside without a heat mat the roots start showing in 5 to 6 days.

With the heat mat I have had them popping out of the soil in less than 10 days.

No heated soil and they will be slow.
Pumpkins and squash like heat.
When you put them outside have some soil hilled up and ready for them.
Hilled soil stays warm.

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Chaesman
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Will do Johny123 thanks for the tip.

we are accually tilling up a 30 x 60 area just for the pumpkins away from the main garden read pumpkins like lots of space.

Jon

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That they do.
Alot of pumpkin growers that are trying to grow a big one just have one pumpkin per plant and cut the main vine and bury the end of it it after it grows 12 to 15 feet past the pumpkin.

I have had Atlantic Giants [Single Plant} take up well over 600 square feet.

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A few other things you can do:

After the pumpkin starts growing cut off the roots that start under the leaf stems on the main vine back around 3 feet or more so the vine can lift off the ground freely as the pumpkin get's bigger.

Loosen the soil and add fertilizer under every leaf stem on the main vine so the roots that will start growing from the main vine have good loose fertilized soil.

If you try Pumpkin Pro besides the main root also add some to the soil under each leaf stem on the main vine.
This fungus will help the roots draw more than they would untreated.

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Chaesman
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Excellent points Johny123 I plan on discusing vine care pumpkin selection pruning ect. as my vines develope. Pics of how to's would be awsome when the time comes right now I am just concentration on getting them germinated

UPDATE: 2 jackolatern sprouts started to break through today None of the giants yet but I am hopefull will keep you posted..

Jon

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Give them sun all day.

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Chaesman
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Ok will move them out in the sun today and see how they like that also I am up to 10 jackolantern still non of the big max? but I remain hopefull.

also should I carfullt remove the heavy husks or should I let nature work its course?

Today we are gonna till the patch then we will build the hills and get ready to transplant. Gotta have the ducks in a row

Jon

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I just let them fall off on their own.

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Chaesman
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Ok I left the hulls on them as mentioned and some came off today. I also had them out in the sun allday just brought them in for the eveing for warmth. They seemed to love the sun I was shocked when I brought them in a couple went from barley breaking soil to atleast 2 inches in about 12 hours.

Do they allways grow this fast?

Also noted it looks like 2 or three of the Big Max Pumpkin plants are getting ready to break the soil (I noticed it looks like the soil is being pushed up)

Didn't get the tilling done today ended up with a few other things that took presidence. I am going to attempt the tilling tommorow eveing.

I have a mound of chicken manure that has been composting in my back yard for 3 to 4 months now (high nitrogen)

should I go ahead and Mix that into the mound areas???

Thanks

Jon

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Be careful with that manure.
Just mix in a little bit.
Dig down as far as you can and prepare the soil and refill the hole.
The main roots will go deep and they get deep better in loose soil and preparing the soil with some manure will help.
I also like to mix in some time release fertilizer pellets that will keep feeding the soil for a few months.
Pumpkins are very heavy feeders.
Mound up the soil into a large hill for the plant.
The mounded soil will stay warmer.
This will be good for the roots.
In the mound I usually mix in a little triple phospate to help promote root growth.



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