GIANT Pumpkins (Updated - Pics!)
- Thread starter drat
- Start date
DixieDreamer
<font color=blue>Instant Human - <font color=brown
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2001
This is very interesting! I hope you will keep us updated throughout the rest of the growing season!
marydmjj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2002
I have a couple of pumpkin questions. I have only a few pumpkins growing in my patch and they seem to be shriveling up and dying. Any ideas why? Also, is there a way to pollinate the flowers myself to get more pumpkins. I seem to have a lot of male flowers but either don't have females or don't know the difference (yikes!).
marydmjj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2002
So I did a little research on pumpkins tonight and I think I've figured out the problem, no pollination. The few females I had were either under stress from the heat or not properly pollinated which causes the baby fruit to shrivel and die. And, it's normal for pumpkins to have a lot of male flowers in the beginning. The females should be showing up any day now. Also, it said if we have temps above 80 - 90 then pollination pretty much stops until it gets cooler. We are having one of the warmest, driest summers ever so that's adding to my problem. I'm going to look them over really well tomorrow and play mother nature. Heehee, I'm feeling a pumpkin growing addiction coming on.
Hello Buds, I am back from vacation.
Mary, all your answers are correct. Many growers will often go the the extra step of putting ice around a newly pollinated female to keep her cool so the pollination will take.
Another reason for females dying off is the soil is not in the proper ph range. Pumpkins do best with a ph of between 6.5 and 6.8 or soil that is slightly acidic.
Yes, many growers will hand pollinate their females. It's simple, I've done it. Pollination has to take place in the morning, before it gets too warm. Pick a newly opened male flower and remove the flower pettles. Rub the pollen laden stamen from the male on a female flowers stigma. It is said that females with a stigma of 6 or 7 segments will produce a larger pumpkin than one with 3 or 4 segments. I hope this wasn't too intimate for you all.
Unfortunately the large pumpkin in the last batch of photos has stopped growing. This sometimes happens. But the next largest one is coming along nicely. I'll have more photos this week.
How fast do pumpkins grow? At the height of the growing season, when all conditions are just right, giant pumpkins can put on an incredible 50lbs per day!!!
Yes, most growers will only let each plant produce one pumpkin to focus all the plants energy in the one fruit.
Later.
Mary, all your answers are correct. Many growers will often go the the extra step of putting ice around a newly pollinated female to keep her cool so the pollination will take.
Another reason for females dying off is the soil is not in the proper ph range. Pumpkins do best with a ph of between 6.5 and 6.8 or soil that is slightly acidic.
Yes, many growers will hand pollinate their females. It's simple, I've done it. Pollination has to take place in the morning, before it gets too warm. Pick a newly opened male flower and remove the flower pettles. Rub the pollen laden stamen from the male on a female flowers stigma. It is said that females with a stigma of 6 or 7 segments will produce a larger pumpkin than one with 3 or 4 segments. I hope this wasn't too intimate for you all.
Unfortunately the large pumpkin in the last batch of photos has stopped growing. This sometimes happens. But the next largest one is coming along nicely. I'll have more photos this week.
How fast do pumpkins grow? At the height of the growing season, when all conditions are just right, giant pumpkins can put on an incredible 50lbs per day!!!
Yes, most growers will only let each plant produce one pumpkin to focus all the plants energy in the one fruit.
Later.
"I hope this wasn't too intimate for you all." Nope, not at all, sounds rather nice, kind of like nature.....
Drat, I don't know why your latest pics aren't showing up, and I can't access my Worldzone site...
...but I'll keep trying! Hopefully they'll be back soon!!!!!
Drat, I don't know why your latest pics aren't showing up, and I can't access my Worldzone site...
...but I'll keep trying! Hopefully they'll be back soon!!!!!Hello everyone. It's about time that I gave you all the good and bad news. Giant pumpkin growing is always a challenge. I guess that's why it's so much fun.
Bad News: I'm experiencing not one but two major problems right now. Powdery mildew has infected the plants. It's spreading fast. I have cut out one quarter of all the foliage in order to contain it. I'm spraying with Lime Sulpher and Benomyl. Also, I have noticed some damage from our dreaded enemy, the Squash Vine Borer. I dusted with Sevin powder and then applied some sulpher to the damaged areas. I'm hoping this will show them who's boss. Both of these problems could end my season real fast.
Good News. I still have one pumpkin that is doing fairly well. Using a table of measurements and weights I estimated today that it's approaching the 200 pound mark. This is a new personal best. I measure it almost every day and in the past nine days it's gone from 85 to 200 pounds. This year I was shooting for between 500 and 1000. I won't make that but if I can reach 300 I'll be pretty happy.
I have sent some updated pictures to Snowwark but she is still having problems with her web service. We'll try to get them for you as soon as possible.
Bad News: I'm experiencing not one but two major problems right now. Powdery mildew has infected the plants. It's spreading fast. I have cut out one quarter of all the foliage in order to contain it. I'm spraying with Lime Sulpher and Benomyl. Also, I have noticed some damage from our dreaded enemy, the Squash Vine Borer. I dusted with Sevin powder and then applied some sulpher to the damaged areas. I'm hoping this will show them who's boss. Both of these problems could end my season real fast.
Good News. I still have one pumpkin that is doing fairly well. Using a table of measurements and weights I estimated today that it's approaching the 200 pound mark. This is a new personal best. I measure it almost every day and in the past nine days it's gone from 85 to 200 pounds. This year I was shooting for between 500 and 1000. I won't make that but if I can reach 300 I'll be pretty happy.
I have sent some updated pictures to Snowwark but she is still having problems with her web service. We'll try to get them for you as soon as possible.
Okay, now that my Worldzone site is working again, here are the pics that disappeared from Page 2, and drat's 2 newest pics!
Recent pics!
Drat, are these pics all of the same pumpkin?
I'm sorry about the mildew and borer problems. I hope the treatments work!
The pumpkins look very pale, almost white. Is this normal for giant pumpkins? Do they turn orange as they mature?
Thank you for keeping us informed on the progress, it's very interesting!
Recent pics!
Drat, are these pics all of the same pumpkin?
I'm sorry about the mildew and borer problems. I hope the treatments work!
The pumpkins look very pale, almost white. Is this normal for giant pumpkins? Do they turn orange as they mature?
Thank you for keeping us informed on the progress, it's very interesting!
The first, third and fourth pictures are of the same pumpkin. The second photo is of a pumpkin that I had to cull as it had stopped growing.
I will start taking photos with something in them as a reference so you can judge the size better, like a beer bottle?!?!?
I hope the colour changes as well. It should begin turning orange. Although colour is not our primary concern in giant pumpkin growing, only weight.
I will start taking photos with something in them as a reference so you can judge the size better, like a beer bottle?!?!?
I hope the colour changes as well. It should begin turning orange. Although colour is not our primary concern in giant pumpkin growing, only weight.
"I will start taking photos with something in them as a reference so you can judge the size better, like a beer bottle?!?!?
If you have any of those around, that might work!
I wish I was encouraged to gain weight like a pumpkin, and maybe win a prize...what a life!!! I wouldn't even be concerned about whether I turned orange or not!
We're really enjoying this, drat, thank you!
If you have any of those around, that might work!
I wish I was encouraged to gain weight like a pumpkin, and maybe win a prize...what a life!!!
I wouldn't even be concerned about whether I turned orange or not!We're really enjoying this, drat, thank you!
Hi everyone. I figured it was time to update you on the good news and bad news situation.
The good news, this time, is that there's no bad news. I seem to have slowed down the progress of the mildew disease that I thought was going to ruin me. And the Squash Vine Borer damage has mostly been contained.
Yipee!
I now have 4 weeks until the official weigh-off on October 4. On that date, weigh-offs are held all over North America. At the end of the day, results are sent to the headquarters of the World Pumpkin Confederation (I'm not kidding, there really is such a place) and the pumpkin champion is announced. I will try to find a list on-line of all the weigh-off sites and if you are interested you can find one close to you and check it out.
Typically, pumpkin growth slows down in September with the cooler temps and less sunshine. I currently estimate the weight of my primary pumpkin to be about 270lbs. I think I'll reach 300 no problem. I add 10 to 12 lbs per day. I don't know about 400 lbs, but we'll see! I'm currently at the "grow or blow" stage (stop laughing Kim). That means I'm pumping the pumpkin patch with lots of water and fertilizer trying to get the pumpkin to add as much weight as possible. If I add to much fertilizer the pumpkin will tear it's self apart and be ruined. I won't win any prizes even if I reach 400 but it will be fun to participate in my first official weigh-off.
I've sent an updated picture of the big pumpkin to Snowwark. The picture has a beer bottle in it for size reference. Go figure, an empty beer bottle in my backyard!
For more info check out www.bigpumpkins.com.
Later
Drat
The good news, this time, is that there's no bad news. I seem to have slowed down the progress of the mildew disease that I thought was going to ruin me. And the Squash Vine Borer damage has mostly been contained.
Yipee!
I now have 4 weeks until the official weigh-off on October 4. On that date, weigh-offs are held all over North America. At the end of the day, results are sent to the headquarters of the World Pumpkin Confederation (I'm not kidding, there really is such a place) and the pumpkin champion is announced. I will try to find a list on-line of all the weigh-off sites and if you are interested you can find one close to you and check it out.
Typically, pumpkin growth slows down in September with the cooler temps and less sunshine. I currently estimate the weight of my primary pumpkin to be about 270lbs. I think I'll reach 300 no problem. I add 10 to 12 lbs per day. I don't know about 400 lbs, but we'll see! I'm currently at the "grow or blow" stage (stop laughing Kim). That means I'm pumping the pumpkin patch with lots of water and fertilizer trying to get the pumpkin to add as much weight as possible. If I add to much fertilizer the pumpkin will tear it's self apart and be ruined. I won't win any prizes even if I reach 400 but it will be fun to participate in my first official weigh-off.
I've sent an updated picture of the big pumpkin to Snowwark. The picture has a beer bottle in it for size reference. Go figure, an empty beer bottle in my backyard!
For more info check out www.bigpumpkins.com.
Later
Drat
amid chaos
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2000
Thanks for the update drat....great pictures...sorry about your troubles...sure hope your big guy survives the month.
Sorry I had so much trouble getting your gourd up, drat! Darn that Worldzone.....
Here it is, the pumpkin and the beer bottle....I wonder who could of left that thing hanging around?
Really, there's a World Pumpkin Confederation? Cool....
Don't over-fertilize that gourd, drat, I'm going to want to come over and see this thing for myself.
Here it is, the pumpkin and the beer bottle....I wonder who could of left that thing hanging around?
Really, there's a World Pumpkin Confederation? Cool....
Don't over-fertilize that gourd, drat, I'm going to want to come over and see this thing for myself.
I went to drat's house yesterday and took a peek at his gourd. I must say that it's even more impressive in person!! Drat figures that it's now topped the 300lb mark (he was busy filling in his record book when we arrived), and that he'll try to keep it growing until the early part of October.
Very interesting stuff, but the problem now is, DH thinks he'd like to grow one too!
Drat figures that it's now topped the 300lb mark (he was busy filling in his record book when we arrived), and that he'll try to keep it growing until the early part of October. Very interesting stuff, but the problem now is, DH thinks he'd like to grow one too!
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