44 3/4" cc
Giant Pumpkins
I don't expect it to reach 1000 pounds cause Alabama has problems with giant pumpkins cracking during hot weather. I am trying to control its enviroment though. With some luck maybe i can beat state record.
How will i pick it up? They make special tarps with hand grips around the edges for lifting.
It takes about 6 men to lift a 500pound pumpkin. Other than that, I have a few country friends with bucket tractors with attachments that would allow me to roll the pumpkin onto a pallet so it can be lifted. They also make straps that can be wrapped around pumpkin and lifted with tractor buckets.
This pumpkin wont make it to the state weigh -offs. I will have to take it to our County Co-Op. They have certified scales.
From the day of pollination there is 111 days of fruit growth from then until state fair and the longest one has been grown was 96 days after pollination--- records that i can find. But that was also up north where temps are cooler.
The last giant pumpkin diary i read that had measurements like mine grew his pumpkin 86 days and weighed 1302 pounds and won state record. HIs measurements were 44 inches on day 15 also. But he is up north.
It would be a complete miracle and big to-do( well known) if mine grew to a 1000lbs.
pounds.
oh when do i have to pick it. when it stops growing. will take measurements every single day, when it no longer gains circumfrence is the time to pick it.
With this next pumpkin I am growing right now---I will pick it a day before it heads to the STate fair which i estimate the pumpkin will grow about 60 days.
Last years state fair winner pumpkin was only 138 pounds.
maybe i have too much confidence in myself--and alabamas mother nature has differant plans.
Cricket,
I know that you pick off all the other fruit on the same vine as this one, but do you nip the end of the vine or just let it grow?
Thanks.
Red
most nip the tips a few feet past the fruit on the main vine. secondaries past the main vine dont do much for the pumpkin itself so they are just using up the energy that could be goin to the pumpkin. You need a little growth past the pumpkin so the leaves will keep the ground moist and cooler .
Most all giant growers let the first several secondaries grow 8 to 13 feet out then cut the tips off so no more energy goes into vine--all goes into fruit.
closer to the pumpkin the secondaries are grow 3-4 feet long then cut at tips.
All teritory vines---those that come off the secondaries are cut off as soon as they appear.
This method of pruning is called the Christmas Tree method. Looks like a xmas tree.
THere are several other methods to prune the plant.
One is called The Flag where one only keeps secondaries on one side of the main vine.
One is called The Wishbone where one has two vines growing like a xmas tree off one plant.--they let one of the first secondaries(first primary) branch off to the left while the main branches off to the right and it looks like a wishbone .This wishbone allows you to grow two fruits on one plant.
This message was edited Jul 1, 2007 12:01 PM
I'm spell-bound! To have found your thread is a treat. I'm too, rooting for you. Yip yip, horay!!!!
I'm growing a couple of regular pumkins just for the fun of it. Thus far, lots of flowers, but no fruits. Could you help me differentiate b/w male/female flowers? And guide me thru the process of hand polinating to get fruits?
My first try of pumpin was several year ago. One escape, and climbed up my flower arbor, made a relatively sizable fruit, which I had to use a fish net (a big one) to help hold it suspended on the arbor. LOL, that was a sight! This Vine that I have this year was sown in early March, and escaped our late freeze.
Thanks in advance.
Oh BTW, where is our State Fair going to be? I'd love to bring the family for an outing.
This message was edited Jul 1, 2007 1:22 PM
How do you keep weeds from growing? Preen hand picking or tilling?
Good job!!! I like your covering you made for it.
Our National STate Fair is goin to be in Montgomery.
http://www.alnationalfair.com
I know the pumpkin contest is Oct 7th.
Female blooms have a small pumpkin behind it , just like squash do. The males have no fruit. Males are just a long stem flower. To pollinate: You take a male flower and gently pull his petals off leaving the pistal/stigma thingy then take that and gently rub it on the females stigma making sure you cover it good at the center of the stigma.. You will notice that male and female stigmas look differant also.
this is a great website to learn more details on growing giant pumpkins.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com
I have a diary set up there. My name at bigpumpkins.com is Cricket/Alabama
Lily, where is Vincent AL?
I live slightly above Jasper AL.
ForeverEden: I tilled the plot many many times before planting. After I tilled it , I would let the grass roots burn in the sun then I would rake away the grass -roots showing and till it again. I normally do this 4 times. Then while the plant is growing, I till the ground out from the plant. If grass seedlings start to come up amongs the patch plant then I use a potato hoe and scratch up the ground carefully not to hit my pumpkin vines. Later on when the patch is too big to enter, just let the weeds grow. By that time the life of the pumpkin is just about over and you get to tiller again soon anyway.
The life span of a pumpkin plant in most places is 120-150 days if health is good.
Cricket;
Our mailing address for some reasons was made to be Vincent, a small town not too far from Harpville off of Hwy 280. By the crow's fly, we're actually closer to Pell City off I-20. Mins. from Talladega. Thank you for the links, and info.
16 days after pollination 49 1/8" cc.
To help relieve stem stress as this pumpkin grows larger , I put a 5 gallon bucket under the vines on each side of the pumpkin it self. This will also prevent the vine from rooting into the ground on each side of the pumpkin.
picture taken yesterday evening.july 1.
Smart to leave the measuring tape right there. There will come a time you can't get it behind the pumpkin anymore!
Cricket, If you are growing that pumpkin until Oct it is going to be huge. it is growing so fast.I guess monster size is the correct word not huge. Good Luck Deanna It looks really GOOD!!!!!
I wish I could grow it until Oct, but it will mature before then. But will grow it as long as I possibly can. Making sure the plant is healthy at all times will increase the growing time. Most giant pumpkin plants normally end up with fungus or diseases which ends the pumpkins life before its totally mature.
Did you know you can clone a pumpkin plant?
Yep===you let one of the vines root into a pot---preferably a window box ---- then after it roots real good you chop off the vine at the box and bring it in for the winter and keep letting it run from one window box to another letting your last rooted joint root into a 6 inche pot at spring time. You now have a clone of last years plant.
17 days after pollination 53 5/8 " cc. Grew 4 1/2 "cc
past 24 hours.
Hi Cricket,
Amazing pumpkin!
I notice a fan in the background of the most recent photo. Are you actually running a fan on the pumpkin to keep it cool, or was the fan simply in the shot and not related to the pumpkin endeavor?
Fan to improve stagnant air, thus prevent fugal diseases?
All of the above----to cool plant when temps are really high, and to air out to prevent fungus.
I also use Daconil to prevent fungus. Use Liquid Seven dust for insects, and sometimes use the Shultz 3 in one for fungus and insects.
I cut all the vine tips today and treated the tips with Captan---a powder that you moisten down and use as a paste on cracks and cuts on the pumpkin and vines. It has fungicide in it.
Cutting the tips will allow the plants energy to go to the pumpkin now instead of vine growth and leaves.
Vines are between 5- 13 feet long.
Headline??
PAMPERED, POWDERED PUMPKIN PACKS ON POUNDS
Gentle Giant Surrounded by "Fans"; Doing "Vine" and Dandy
Have fun :)
This pumpkin hasn't reached its maximum pounds per day yet and is putting on 10 to 12 pounds per day right now.(for the past 3 days of measurements)
OOOOh, how cool is that!!!!!
19 days after pollination= 61 5/8 "cc. gained 18 pounds past 24 hours.
Shading the pumpkin the best I can.
Pabulous job!!!
edit to say; I'd better stop typing like I speak. Pardon this southern gal, folks.
I meant to say Fabulous.
This message was edited Jul 5, 2007 1:59 PM
How much do you reckon it weighs now? Looking good!
I am jealous. I love pumpkins. But not enough room in the sun for any giants here. I'm rootin' for you and your pumpkin.
Have you named it?
this morning it was estimating 86 pounds. Tomorrow should break the 100 pound mark.
These are the two new plants. They are 11 days old.
Darn you Cricket! Now I've got to save room in my garden and try to break the KY record next year! And it's all your fault! ☺
All kidding aside, I wish you luck, but it's lookin' like you don't need it!
Red
Ya Red---Go for it.
I have a Cartoon here of Charlie Brown and his friend sitting in a pumpkin patch.
The cartoon says: " Most Psychiatrists agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch is excellent therapy for a troubled mind."
I am so wrapped up in growing a big one that I HAVE A TROUBLED MIND. Joking.
But it does keep you on your toes.
Wonder if to put one of those super sensitive mikes by the punkin if ya could hear it growing ? I would think so. Wonder what it would sound like ?
"F e e d _ M e e e e" lol
Thats funny thought. Wish i had a doctor friend. I'd borrow his thingy.
Now Cricket ! ! ! ! roflol
hehehehehehhehe scooter
20 days after pollination= 66"cc
Measurements=66-46-51=163 OTT (est. 103 pounds)
Cricket, I'm not all that interested with veggies. Never come to this forum unless I'm looking for a solution. Never grown or wanted to grow pumpkins. And I'm absolutely dumbfounded why I'm obsessed with watching your pumpkin grow!!lol
Just wanted to come out from lurking to wish you the best and say, I'm mentally rooting your big boy on. great job!!!
I sowed two new seeds yesterday. They are Giant Green Sqaush. They look like giant pumpkins only they are green so they are considered Squash and not Pumpkins.
I thought a Green One would be differant around here for the Fall holidays.
A five gallon bucket is about 12 inches wide. Comparing to the pumpkin leaves.
Oh wow!!!!!
I was so amazed myself, thought i would just measure the darn thing.
22 inches across.
Be-LEAF it, or not!! :)
This is one side of the main vine. See, even if there was no pumpkin, its a beautiful plant.
then we have the male bloom--its 7 inches across
The pumpkin itself. It is lopsided. One side bigger than the other. Some say maybe cause the bigger side gets more sun or warmer. Never know!
Also starting to look like a flat tire.
P.S. there is a milk jug to the left holding the vine up to give slack. Thats the same milk jug i used a couple weeks ago to show size of young pumpkin. Acutally that was exactly 11 days ago that the pumpkin was only as big around as that milk jug. If that doesnt make you grow a pumpkin, Nothing will.
This message was edited Jul 6, 2007 1:51 PM
This message was edited Jul 6, 2007 1:53 PM
They recommend rotating those each time you get an oil change. LOL!!
Your pumpkin is looking awesome, Cricket!!!!