Some More Probiotics for the Pumpkin Patch

This evening I sprayed the entire patch with 1 Biotamax tablet, 1/4 cup of Azos and about a half a cup of liquid seaweed.  After spraying everything I then watered the pumpkin patch to help get it soaked in.  The beneficial bacteria and fungi in what was sprayed should help build a healthy soil food web that will help feed the pumpkin plant as the vines grow out.

Looks like I'm going to have to take the hoop houses off of both plants tomorrow.  They are busting at the seams now.

EcoScraps, BioChar & Final Pumpkin Patch Prep

At a weigh-off this fall I met a very nice gentleman by the name of Scott that works for a company by the name of EcoScraps.  I had actually heard of EcoScraps previously because it was started by a couple of guys from my alma mater and they have received a lot of press.  There compost is different than most because it is mostly vegetable and fruit based.  What they are doing is getting left over product from grocery stores and the like and then composting it.  The final product makes a very nice, dark compost that that isn't animal derived.  When they get the waste product they actually will blend the different fruits and vegetables together so that they can get a more balanced nutrient profile in the compost.  You'll notice that there is much less in the way of wood chips in the compost than what even the "premium" compost blends have that you get at the garden centers.  That is a good thing.  Those wood chips will rob your soil of nitrogen and most bagged compost products have way to much wood in them.  This stuff actually looks like the compost that you make in your own pile.

Today I tilled the pumpkin patch in preparation for winter.  I tilled in 4 lbs kelp, 20 lbs gypsum, 4 lbs Yum Yum mix, 10 lbs humic acid, 4lbs elemental sulfur, 100 lbs alfalfa, 2 bags of leaves, 2 yards compost, 10 lbs biochar and 1,200lbs of Stanley.  You hate see a great pumpkin end it like this, but hopefully it will produce something even better next year.  After tilling everything in to the soil I then planted a cover crop in the area where the stumps will be next year.

This is the first year I've tried biochar so I used a fairly small amount.  Biochar is an emerging area of agricultural study and there is some descent research done with it but it isn't extensive.  The idea is that the biochar (very similar to but not the same as charcoal) has the ability to hold a lot of nutrients and share those nutrients with the plant.  So it isn't a fertilizer but a way to help keep the fertilizer from leaching out of the ground.  Microorganisms also like the biochar because it is very porous and so it is a great way to build biology in the patch.  I know of one grower that used it last year and he had a very nice pumpkin.

Before

After

Foliar Magnesium & Calcium for the Pumpkin Plants

This evening I did a foliar application of magnesium and calcium on the pumpkin plants.  My soil is high in potassium which will block some of the magnesium in the soil from being taken up by the roots so foliar applications of magnesium should help get the plants what they need.

I'm not 100% sure if foliar calcium can be absorbed by pumpkin leaves, but if calcium can be absorbed then I believe Metalosate Calcium or NurtiCal are the two best choices.  NutriCal isn't organic so it isn't my first choice so I mostly use Metalosate Calcium.  Next week I plan on doing a leaf tissue test so I can know exactly what the plant is absorbing and what it needs.  I've never done this before so I'm hoping that when the pumpkin starts growing I can be ready to give it what it needs.

Planted a Cover Crop in the Pumpkin Patch Today

I saw that the forecast called for 60s and 70s here in Denver for the next five days so I put in a cover crop today. The seed mixture included winter rye, winter oats and vetch. I planned on putting those seeds down during the fall but a busy schedule and a very cool late fall didn't allow me to do that. I suspect with these warm temperatures that the seeds should germinate just fine and make for some nice green manure the end of April. They should also help get the myco going in the soil a little earlier.

It's That Time of Year Again; Soil Samples

Time to start thinking about pumpkins. We'll actually thinking about pumpkins for most giant pumpkin growers is a year around thing, but now it is almost time to get back to work again. I took advantage of some very nice Denver weather to get into the pumpkin patch and take some soil samples. To know what to add to your patch during your spring patch prep you need to know what to add to your soil. Each spring and often times in the fall I'll send in soil sample to A & L Western Agricultural Laboratories to get my soil tested.

To test your soil get a clean spoon that is free of rust and dig down to about 8 inches in about 12 different places and put the soil in a zip lock bag until you have about 1 1/2 cups. Don't touch the soil at all with your fingers. A drop of sweat or a flake of rust can throw off the soil testing because of salt that can come from your hand or rust from a shovel. Usually within a week or so you'll get your soil test results and for a few bucks more the results will come with instructions on what to add to the soil.

I usually send my test results to a few local growers and a couple of heavy hitter pumpkin growers asking what I should add to my soil in the spring. The answers I usually get back are somewhat varied (there is a lot of science that goes into soil and plant studies but the science isn't very clear and growers experiences and opinions vary). Based on the feedback I get I'll add additional amendments in April and till that into the ground.

I was pleased to run into a few worms in the patch while digging around. I didn't expect to see any thing time of year. I see lots of organic material in the soil and it has a nice, dark earthy smell to it. If I can get some time away from my website business I hope to grow big this year. I've got to get over 1,000 pounds.

Pumpkin Patch Prep is Done

I did my fall patch prep yesterday. I added old leaves, humic acid, sulfur, blood meal, gypsum and alfalfa pellets and then tilled it all in. What you do in the fall and in the spring to the soil probably means more in regards to how big your pumpkin is going to grow then anything you do after planting the seed. Making sure your soil is balanced and with the right amount of nutrients in place is what is going to power that pumpkin in July and August.

After a cold spell moves through mid-week I'm going to put in a cover crop on Thursday. I'll be adding a mixture of 50% winter rye, 40% winter oats and 10% hardy vetch. The rye and oats produce tremendous organic matter and the vetch is a legume that fixes nitrogen from the air into the soil for free! Winter oats help suppress harmful nematodes in the soil.

In the Spring I'll get a soil test done and then probably add some compost and other amendments to the soil, depending on what my soil test says, a few weeks before I plant the pumpkin plant.

Last Till of the Pumpkin Patch Before the Hoop Houses Come Off

Today I did the final till of the pumpkin patch before taking off the hoop houses. I put down 10 pounds of gypsum for calcium, 4 pounds of magnesium, 3 pounds of blood meal, 3 pounds of sugar and 4 pounds of corn meal meal before I tilled the patch. In the early spring I tilled about half of the patch in the planting areas so I tilled the rest of the patch today staying at least 6 feet away from the plants so not to destroy any roots. I like to do it this way because the soil tends to get a little compacted and crusty on the top by this point of the season from walking around and rain. Colorado's clay soils can get like cement if you let them.

From this point forward I will try to only walk on my walking boards to keep the soil from getting overly compacted for the rest of the season. This helps keeps air in the soil, makes it easier for the roots to grow and allows the water to drain better.

I also gave the plants some compost tea today made with alfalfa pellets, worm castings, humic acid, corn meal and liquid fish & seaweed.

5 Most Common Questions About Growing Giant Pumpkins

The following are the 5 most common questions to me about growing giant pumpkings:

1. do you use special seeds?

Yes! Atlantic Giant seeds are the only variety of pumpkin seed that will get over 500 pounds and the Atlantic Giant seeds you get in the hardware store probably aren't going to do it for you. You need seeds that have had controlled crosses of the best seed stock to get the real giants. With them to grow a pumpkin over 100 pounds is not very difficult. If you haven't already started some seeds now is a perfect time! Get seeds from the Pumpkin Man at http://seeds.denverpumpkins.com.

2. What do you feed a giant pumpkin?

A well composted soil that is balanced is key to growing a giant pumpkin. Most of what will determine if you are going to grow a giant pumpkin happens before you even put the plant in the ground. A great soil comes through some hard work and soil tests to make sure the levels of nitrogen, potassium, potash and calcium are in the right ratios.

3. What do you do with the pumpkin at the end of the season?

I'll usually put it on display in the driveway until Halloween. It is real hoot to see people's reactions when they drive by.

4. How much time does it take to grow a giant pumpkin?

Most competitive giant pumpkin growers will spend about an hour a day on a plant. Wives/husbands of pumpkin growers are referred to as pumpkin widows during the growing season.

5. What is the secret to growing a giant pumpkin?

The real secret is that there are about 1,000 little secrets. Giant pumpkin growing is wonderfully complicated. Soil sciences, genetics, plant biology, chemistry and more go into growing a state or world record. Rarely does a giant happen by accident. The good news is that most growers will tell you anything that you want to know about growing a big pumpkin if you ask. As a matter-o-fact you probably won't be able to get them to shut up once you get them started. Lol

Got a question for The Pumpkin Man? Leave a comment by clicking the Comment link below.

Hoop Houses are Built and Pumpkin Plants are in the Ground

Now the real pumpkin season begins. Germinating time is a bit tedious to me. At time it seems that it takes forever for the seedlings to start growing. This last week my plants really started to take off. Burned the edge on one of the 1204 plant's leaves because it grow into the bulb overnight. I should have had my plants in the ground four days ago but because of cold overnight temperatures and being so busy with my website design business I haven't had a chance to get my hoop houses together. Finally got that mostly done last night.

This evening I put the plants in the ground. I've had clear plastic over the planting area so to help warm up the soil and it seemed to work fairly well. The soil was relatively warm a foot down which will help the roots want to grow and help minimize shock to the newly transplanted plants.

In each planting hole I put a touch of Azos, some myco, humic acid and a touch of earthworm castings. I loved the smell of the soil. Sweet and healthy.

After planting the plants with the first true leaf in the opposite direction of where I wanted the main vine to run I gave each plant a deep drink with a small touch of liquid seaweed in the lightly warmed water.

I pot two plants in each hoop house and when the plants have grown to the point that the leaves are touching I'll take out the weaker plant and then we hope and pray that we chose the right plant.

At this time of year the plants can be deceptive. A vigorous growing plant doesn't necessarily indicate that it will grow the biggest plants. Some plants genetically just want to grow salad which doesn't do a competitive giant pumpkin grower much good.

I usually look at the leaf color, leaf health, stump area and then throw some dice to decide which plant to go with. There is some science but it is mostly just a got feeling with a touch of experience.

In one hoop house I have a heat lamp and in the other hoop house I have thermostatically controlled space heather. These will keep the plants warm on cold nights. The next few days the evening lows look pretty kind for this time of year.

Tomorrow morning we will see which plants look happy.

Pumpkin Season is Springing Upon Us

Yesterday was the annual Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable Growers Spring Meeting. It had a great turnout and equally as good weather for the event. Seed exchange, lessons on growing techniques and the latest information on soil probiotics biologicals were shared. Giant pumpkin growers have been using natural fungus and bacteria to help grow bigger pumpkins for years. I've been using things like like endo mycorrhizal fungi for years and this last year I tried new bacteria and fungi like Azos, trichoderma and bacillus. This year I plan on using the same produts (except for maybe Azos that I'm not fully convinced yet that the benefits out way the risks with yet) but on a slightly larger scale covering more of the patch than just the stump area and main vine.

Biota Max's has developed a new tablet form of the biologicals I used last year. In 2010 I used the liquid form and it appears that the tablet will be easier to use and it has more varieties of beneficial bacteria which will be great. The idea behind using beneficial bacteria and fungi are three fold:

• Overwhelm the soil with the good stuff so the there is no room in the soil for the bad bacteria and fungus
• Build synergistic relationships between the plant and the soil where the bacteria are fixing nitrogen in the soil and bringing nutrients beyond the reach of the pumpkin plant's roots back to the plant
• Add beneficial bacteria and fungus to the soil that will break down nutrients to a form that the pumpkin plant can use.
• These three things together are often referred to as the soil food web. A healthy soil is balanced, full of beneficial organisms and feeding the pumpkin to help it grow

This week I will be starting my pumpkin seeds for the season. In keeping with the normal pumpkin growers mentality of "more is better" I've added an additional 80watts of grow lights to my seed starting area.

Today I brought my seed starting mixture (Promix BX), earthworm castings from my worm bins and a little humic acid into the house to begin warming them up so they will be ready for planting time. I'll start my seeds in paper towels and once the tap root comes out I'll put the seed into the soil mixture which will probably be on Saturday. A few days later I should have sprouts coming up and we are off to the races again with great hopes for September and October of this year.

We Interrupt the Fall Patch Prep for Marriage Counseling

The weather this fall has been unusually warm so I've been waiting for the leaves to fall so I can finish my fall patch prep. Finally I've accumulated a good pile of shredded leaves to till into the pumpkin patch and I set aside some time for today to till my fall amendments into the patch when our plans got changed at the last moment.

Amber had heard an announcement on the radio that the producers for the NBC show The Marriage Ref were in town doing auditions for next season's show so she shot off an email and to her surprise got an email back a short while later saying that they wanted us to come down for an interview today.

I already had a busy day planned so I started my tilling early so I could get everything done before going to the audition. The Marriage Ref is an NBC show where couples air their humorous disputes before judges and a live audience and then there is a decision made on which person is correct. The dispute that Amber and I were going to take is no surprise. Pumpkins. A discussion that has come up more than once over the last three years. Amber isn't against me growing pumpkins. As a matter of fact she wants to to grow a big pumpkin. But she doesn't want me to take any time away from the family to do it. It has been the source of more than once discussion in our home. Being pretty opportunistic people, it wasn't beneath Amber or me to air our dirty laundry to millions for the chance to win $25,000.

I wore my Rocky Mountain Giant Pumpkin Growers gear and Amber wore pearls for the audition. We worked out our positions before going which wasn't hard because those lines have been drawn in the sand for years. After filling out some paperwork and going through some basic questions they turned the camera on and started the interview.

Both of us kept a level head as we stated our positions and tried to make the whole thing funny during the interview but there were moments of passion. Both Amber and I felt like we did pretty good but weren't sure where we stood when our interviewer said we were done and to turn off the camera. I knew we nailed it when the camera was off and our Marriage Ref interviewer shook her head, smiled and said, "I've never seen anything like it. We have got to get you two on the show."

They asked for the pictures that we had brought and for us to video tape the pumpkin before it rotted away and said that they would be making their final decisions very soon but there is a good possibility they want to bring a camera crew by the home in the next three weeks to do the interview for the show.

Who would have guessed that the final "weigh-off" wasn't done and that I still had a chance to win first prize with my pumpkins?! This weigh-off I'm going to take my Honey down and get that $25,000 prize.

Now back to our regularly-scheduled program already in progress....

Today, as I mentioned, I did my fall patch prep. I tilled in about 3 yards of shredded leaves, 4 pounds of blood meal, 5 pounds of 7-2-3 fertilizer, five pounds of elemental sulfur, 1 pound manganese, 15 pounds of gypsum and about 5 pounds of alfalfa pellets. After raking it smooth I will let that sit for the winter and I'll get a soil test in the spring to make my final adjustments. In the spring I'll probably add some finished compost with my final amendments before planting.

Fall Patch Prep is Done

I tilled in the sudan grass today along with about 3 yards of compost and a little gypsum. Didn't need anything else as my NPK is a touch high for everything right now. The middle section of the patch still shows a fair amount of grass popping up because I lost two bolts in the handle of the tiller while I was tilling so I had to go quickly over the remaining area for fear I would break something.

I'm really happy with where the soil is at right now. Much better than where it was at in the spring. The tilth is greatly improved and the organic matter should be much higher. In the Spring I'll add a little more compost from a pile I started this summer.

Friday morning I'm going to sow some winter rye and put clear plastic sheets over it to heat it up and get it growing. Tomorrow night it is supposed to get down to 30 degrees. I'm going to cover the kids pumpkin plant tonight and put a couple of light bulbs under it in the hopes of keeping it alive. It has been making some nice gains the last couple of days and I'd like to keep it going 1.5 more weeks. Right now it is estimating at about 72 pounds which is close to my daughter's personal best of 85 pounds last year. If it can survive tomorrow I'm guessing she and her brother can get it up to 100 pounds.

Compost for the Pumpkin Patch

I got about 3 1/2 yards of really nice composted cow manure today. It is three-years-old and just perfect for what I need. My nutrients were on the high side in my last soil test. Since then I turned the soil three feet deep so I suspect I am now more in the normal range. This mature compost should add the organic matter I need without adding a lot of extra NPK to the patch.

Pumpkins Love the Compost Tea

Gave the plants some compost tea today. Will in Colorado Springs was kind enough to give me some worm castings along with a bunch of red wigglers in February and I am using the castings in the compost tea I brew. Compost tea really isn't a fertilizer. It is a build up of bacteria and fungi that can be beneficial to the plant. I change my ingredients in the tea bag regularly but usually it consists of worm castings, molasses, a few leaves, and a bit of compost. At the very end sometimes I add a little Neptune's Fish & Seaweed. I then brew it for about 24-48 hours depending on if I want bacteria or fungi in the water. After brewing I pour it over the leaves of the plants, which helps protect them from disease and I pour it on the ground around the plant. The bacteria and fungi added to the soil will help break down the nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other minerals in the soil and will put it in a form the plants can readily use.

Insects and Giant Pumpkins

Last year I didn't use any insecticides on my pumpkin plant because I didn't have any issues. This week I found a bunch of eggs on the underside of some of the leaves on the 1566 plant. It appears that they are aphid eggs but I can't be 100% sure. To make sure I don't run into any problems I hit the plant with a broad spectrum insecticide. I'll continue to watch the plants to make sure nothing appears and I'll probably use some soap in a week just to be sure.

Joe Scherber pointed something out to me that I was aware of but didn't fully put together. He suggested that my plant may be stressed and that was the reasons the aphids were appering on the plant. He suggested too little light, cold temperatures or water issues may be the source of the stress. He didn't know it but for the first two items my plant has been ideally taken care of. For the last item however there is an issue. A low spot in the soil near the planting spot has been collecting water during our frequent and heavy rains lately. The soil in that spot hasn't been drying out and this is not good for the roots. Constantly wet soil can cause air to be forced out of the root zone and diseases can then start forming. I haven't given the plant any water for over a week and a half but the spot is still wet. Over the next few days I'm working to dry out the spot (although its tough when the forecast is for 70 degrees and possible rain) and then I will level out the soil to hopefully fix the problem.

Finally, Pumpkin Patch Prep is Complete

The soil finally got dry enough the I could do the final patch prep. Today I put down some nitrogen to make up for what was loss during the soil flush along with some PAM. PAM is my secret ingredient this year from Wallace Laboratories. To make a long story short, it turns out the manufacturer for PAM is just a mile from my house and I found it by accident. After talking to the owner of the plant and reading the scientific literature I believe PAM can give my soil the structure that it needs which will hopefully translate into big and better root structor. It is fun to watch pumpkin plant vines run and see big leaves, but at the end of the day big pumpkins come as a result of great root systems.

Next steps for the pumpkin patch will be putting down some large sheets of clear plastic to warm the soil and help keep it dry from the coming rain storms and putting the hoop houses into place. Hopefully we will be putting plants into the ground about two weeks from tomorrow.

The picture to the right shows the finished patch. The two stakes are where the plants will be planted.

Seed Starting Mix Round 3

Last year I did some experiments with seed starting mix and found that not all starting mediums are equal. This year I tried round 3 of the testing with thee different mediums. I had read how a lot of people liked Fox Farm's Light Warrior soiless medium. I am a big fan of Fox Farm's products so I decided to give it a try. I did three plantings for this test. One with Ligth Warrior, one with Light Warrior plus 20% earthworm castings added in and one with Jiffy Mix soiless mix. After 4 days the Light Warrior with earthworm castings plant came up. After 6 days the Light Warrior plant came up and after 7 days the Jiffy Mix plant came up. In the picture to the right the plant with the earthworm castings is the biggest one, the 2nd biggest is the Light Warrior plant and the smallest plant is the Jiffy Mix plant.

Back in the Patch Again

Someone didn't tell mother nature that it is still winter, but I have been enjoying getting out into the patch again in 70 degree weather. Over the last two days I have been roto tillig and pouring compost tea over the patch. My initial tilling in the fall didn't get me nearly as deep as I wanted to go because the ground was so compacted so I have been letting the tiller run as deep as I can. The soil is looking much better than it did in the fall. Better tilth and lots of nice organic pieces in the soil. I don't expect my soil to be perfect this year (it takes a while for everything to break down and for the biology to build in the soil) but I think I will be good enough. I have a little more tilling to do and then I am going to wait until my soil analysis gets back to see if I need to add anything else. After the last analysis I will till the soil again going in a perpendicular direction to what I went last time in final preparation for planting.

Welcome to March, Warm Weather & Pumpkin Patch Prep Time!

It is looking to be 70 degrees today after a string of warm weather last week and forecasts in the 60s the rest of this week. It is taking all of my will power to not put a seed in the ground. Lots of snow days to come but you wouldn't know it from the weather we are having. I saw two bees flying around yesterday and one of my aspen trees is looking like it is getting ready to bud.

Today I went out in the patch and turned the soil with a spade fork. I sent off a soil sample to the lab last week so I'm hoping to get a report back this week so I can do some final prep while the weather is still so good.

My soil still needs a fair amount of work but it is looking much better than it did in the fall. Depending on what the test results say I'm planning on adding about three more yards of compost to the patch and building some mounded areas where I will be planting. If anyone knows of a good bait shop around Arvada I would like to buy some nightcrawlers to add to the soil. I'm still not seeing any worms in the soil which is a little scary.

Two Months Until Planting Time

Just two more months until pumpkin planting time. That means that final patch prep and soil analysis will be some of the main tasks over the next 6 weeks. I got two yards of some really good compost today that will be rototilled in around the end of March or the beginning of April. I'll be getting a soil test in the next couple of weeks to find out exactly what I need to put into the soil to get it ready for planting around the first week of May. Rigth now I'm not very happy with the soil tilth and the depth of the soil until I hit hard pack so that will be some of my main focuses. I'll also be building some hoop houses around the end of March which I'll put out around the middle of April to start warming the soil.