Starting a new page.
Came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1013618/
Dills Atlantic Giant Pumpkins Part 4
I put the " Pink" mill fabric under the pumpkin. That is soooo Pink!
Kind of pretty to have a little color like that. I thought you got it for shade. It goes under the pumpkin?
My pumpkins ended up on my walkway - on fairly finely ground cedar mulch. The watermelons are sitting on straw with newspaper under it. Should I be concerned about too much moisture collecting under them? Anything I can do about it? I noticed that amigatec puts sand under his but I don't know if that's necessary for regular-sized fruits.
mill fabric is for under the fruit. the fabric is slick---makes it easy for giants to expand easily. For example, sometimes the giants top side will grow over the blossom end to the point that you cannot see the blossom end because the bottom of the pumpkin was unable to stretch out correctly due to its heavy weight pushing into the ground. Hard to explain. But sand serves the same purpose. Plus======Mill fabric lets water flow through just like sand would also---only mill fabric can be removed and used for several years for the same purpose and sand cannot. It is not a solid sheet------more like an extra thick poly coated screenwire.
I don't think the newspaper and straw will hurt the fruit. I don't know how finely chopped you mean but I think that the mulch might damage fruits on bottom if they get real " heavy "-----only cause it would cause lesions in the skin that can invite fungus or bacteria into the skin-------just like our skin.
Well ! 898 is only 23 1/2 inch circumference this morning. I expected more than that. I have to fertilize today. I am sure the flood drenched away all that was there.
Good to know. Thanks!
Hahahhaha Cricket your baby looks liek it layign on a pillow and you got the sign wrong it shoudl say WAR EAGLE!!!!!!! LOL
If pute r wil quit e actign stupid nee d to se eif Ic an download ya soem pics of next door pumkins and think he growing giant squash he got evrythign just a jumble over ther e I knwo the butte rnut squash is all inner twine d with what he calls koren melons but y gotta see his pumkin. heheheh
Which he went and picke d yesterdya and cooked. Now me and his wife thought it ws a pumpkin and we nevr heard of anybody cookign up one that was not ripe have you?
1081 Leonzi
S-S: 81
F-B: 79
C: 131
OTT: 291
Total est weight = 498.8 Lbs
Weekly Weight gain = 29.4 lbs I am measuring every Sunday
Target Weight: 700 Lbs
Weight to go: 201.2 Lbs
At these weekly gains, I am on track for 750 Lbs.
1112 Holland
S-S: 62
F-B: 60
C: 91
OTT: 213
Total est weight = 203.7 Lbs
Weekly Weight gain = 13.2
Target Weight: 700 Lbs
Weight to go: 496.3 Lbs
I got a 500 Lber!!!!
Congratulations!!
This is a very enjoyable thread and discussion. It makes me want to try growing pumpkins!
It makes me want to dig up more ground to have room for them!
We are planting pie pumpkins at our food bank garden. Does anyone have any suggestions? Will they pretty much grow like watermelons or squash. How many will we get from each plant? How do you know when it's ready? Does the squash borer get to it?
How many you get depends on soil fertility, water, and weather. If that's good, they'll grow like crazy. How many you get depends on that, too, and how many are pollinated by bees and other bugs.
If the squash vine borer gets to it, you can see parts of the base of the vine come back out. Maybe someone around here has a photo and can tell you more. Good luck with your food bank. It's a wonderful thing to work to feed other people.
Here's a thread I started on it http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1014589/ and Stephanietx has a good picture of what to look for.
Hehe! I was just getting ready to post my pic of what to look for! You can see it on the thread that Divided posted.
im back online, I switched rooms with my son---he wanted my office room. It is a better room. It use to be my oldest sons bedroom and i made it my office when he moved out.
Anyway------- Congrats Pat! Is it still growing?
The pumpkin on the 898 is a gonner-----as of this past Friday when it was 10 days old and measured 23 1/2 inches. I went out to take a picture of the stem end view because it did not look good to me. I dropped the camera and nicked the pumpkin on the side. That hit also caused a split in the pumpkin. You cannot imagine the rage inside me. It just so happens that there was a female blooming on a secondary vine the same morning. I pollinated it during my rage over the other one. I left it open for the bees to finish. It was a 4 lobe. I walked away and did not measure it until this morning-----Now 5 Days old, it measures 13"CC. It is not in the best location and I have my eyes on one that will pollinated in a few days on the last secondary vine . The 898 plant is showing a lot of aging leaves near the vine stump area.
The 820 giant squash plant has aborted every female that I tried pollinating. Even the females that were not pollinated have wilted. The 820 Plant is a gonner.
the 275 Plant ---pollinated the first female Saturday. It was oblong with " Huge" lobes----- but only 3 lobes. It was cross pollinated with the 898 cause the 275 only had one Male bloom.. I have not measured it yet and it is 4days old. The second and third females both opened this morning. The second female lobes are very ugly--4 lobes---they twist outward--abnormal, So I did not pollinate that one but left it open for the bees. I did Pollinate the 3rd one. It has 5 lobes---not as oblong as the 1st one. I have been sick all week and lost some interest in tending to the plants and controlling the cross-pollinations so I did not protect the females. It has been raining. Finding males that had some pollen was hard due to the rain. I used 12 males to pollinate the 5 lober off the 898 plant.
I have no pictures yet-----I just got my computer system together this morning and have not located my camera usb cord yet.
I was pregnant in Feb----and miscarried at 7--8 weeks. Some here knew I was pregnant but did not know I miscarried. Now you know.
Sadly----I was pregnant again and miscarried again this week... It's all behind me now. Time to move on !
Happy Gardening
Cricket
Oh Cricket! So sorry to hear that! I can hardly imagine what a difficult time you're having. I hope things start to get better for you soon.
Very sorry to hear it, Cricket.
Ahhhhhh Cricket.. Hugs for ya dear. You havign ti really rough right now, but hoepfulyl things wil get better for ya. havign lost one at 6 and half months myself I knwo what ya goign through.
Hope yoru new pollinations take.
Cricket, I'm so sorry to read about your miscarriages. There's nothing more sad or difficult to go through in my opinion.
thank you.
I took pics this morning. Found the usb cord this evening.
Measured the 275's 1st female--at 4days old. It was also 13 " cc.
the 275's 2nd female, pollinated this morning.
The 898 female that is 5 days old, 13" cc, on a secondary vine.
You have a longer growing season than I do, so you have that going for you.
Just realized that I'm probably not giving my pumpkins and watermelons enough water. Going to try to take a long lunch break tomorrow and go up there and drag the hose out. Just not enough time in every day.
Pole beans got hit real hard with japanese beetles. And they're producing now, much to my surprise. I might end up having enough to put in the freezer for thanksgiving casserole. Amazing how much damage plants can take and still soldier on.
I know it doesnt mean much right now, but the last secondary vine on the 898 has a female that will bloom in a few days. It is a very nice female already . It would be best If I had a female to set and grow on that last secondary vine. That female will rest at 21 feet out. That secondary is taking the place of the main vine.
The plant is showing some problems.----aging--- I cannot wait much longer on getting one to grow on this plant. The aging might be a fungus problem with all this rain instead of aging.
The actual main vine that runs up the post and ends there. It does not do much for the pumpkins that grow, but adds some character.
It is suppose to rain tonight, again. I was lazy, feeling kinda sluggish. So I sprinkled my bloom booster soluble fertilizer (that has no Nitrogen in it) on the ground around the plants instead of mixing it in water and watering on top of rain. I also sprinkled a little of Cal-Nitrate around the plants.. I did this last week too just before a very heavy rain. I watered it in a little bit cause I don't know what time it will start raining. With all the rain we been having, I don't want to water too much. I guess you could call it a short cut.
hmmmm. I measured the 275 1st female again this morning to get a 5 day measurement. (the one with only 3 pretty Giant lobes) It was 16 inch in circumference. My thought was---no way---lets do that again. Yep. 16 " cc on day 5. The next female being 5 lobes-----and will not know its true potential right off cause like always---#1 takes all the juice. crapy crapy crapy.
The 898 was 13"cc yesterday at day 5. Day 6 it is only 14 1/2 " cc.
Lesson Learned ( tie camera to wrist !!!!!!! no droppie)
Giving a Benchmark List again. Inches on Circumference .
For 1000 pounder
Day 10---25"
Day 20---68"
Day 30---108"
Day 40---134.5"
For 1200 pounder
Day 10---27"
Day 20---71"
Day 30---113"
Day 40---143"
Day 50---160"
Day 60---170"
The rains come in hard and heavy and flood the patches. I am afraid it is goin to cause vine rot. I hope this was our last flood. I've already lost one secondary vine on the 275.
275 1st female = 19" cc on Day 6 ( 3 inch gain every 24 hours )
898 female= 17" cc on Day 7
898 new female on last secondary will bloom tomorrow....(Aug 1st) Will have to use ice and fan. Hope to cross with 275. Will tie shut all usable blooms tonight.
First average frost here is between Oct 15 -- 30. We have at least 75 days to grow.
About 68 days if i manage to grow for state fair.
About 38 days for local fair======not long enough for that one.
Pictures later today
I put some small pieces of mill fabric under the 2 pumpkins to keep them off the mud.
I will use bigger sheets later when final selections are made.
898, Day 7
275 1st female, Day 6
275 2nd female , Day 2, 9 1/4" cc. Already bigger than #1 on day 2 (by object comparison)
I love reading about these monsters, I planted some this earlier year as well but they have not take off yet, it might be almost too late, anyway I enjoy each of your success!! I seem to do better with the smaller pumkins ..
good luck to each of you, maybe I will see you on the giant pumkin show !!
It amazing how it goes from the white color to the yellow that fast.
I have pollinated the last female on the 898 this morning. It would produce more but Im not pollinating anymore on that plant.
It was 5 lobes, almost perfect, crossed with 275, used 5 males. It is 21 feet out. Female has short stem. Plant has powdery mildew. Sprayed with Daconil.
275 1st female, Day 7, 23" cc (grew 4 inches past 24 hours)
275 1st female, Day 8, 28"cc. Grew 5 inches past 24 hours. (I am beside myself)
275 2nd female, Day 4, 13" cc, Same as #1 same day.
The rain is doing it. I don't think i can afford the water bill it would take to keep up with what the rains were giving.
898 holland, 1st female, Day 9, 24" cc. also grew 5 inches past 24 hours.
Maybe Mother Nature knows she'd kicked you around enough and decided to give you a chance to catch up. I sure hope so.
Mother Nature is not through kicking.
The main vine on the 275 had a few rot spots------past the 1st female.
There was 6 rotting spots on the vine. Sadly , one just before the 2nd female.
From that point on out---the vine wilted badly today as the sun came out after all this rain. I had no choice but to cut the main vine about 2 feet past the 1st female. There are more secondary vines with the same problem. All I can do is cut them off where the problem is at and let tertiary vines take their place. Even that may be difficult as time passes.
The 898 plant has too much powdery mildew and some other fungal problem. I cannot stop it. I can only slow it down but not much. As bad as I want that female to grow that is on the last secondary vine------I am afraid it does not have time to grow before the plant looses all the leaves to mildew. I think I should keep the one that is 9 days old right now and let the other go. Such a hard decision. The 9 day old female needs to grow at least 25 more days to get something decent out of the plant. The plant may not last that long. Sigh.