Pumpkin Plants are in the Hoop House and in the Ground

I finally finished up the hoop houses yesterday and got the plants in the ground in the evening.  I like to put my plants in the ground in late afternoon because they seem to transition better when they aren't dealing with the bright son and warm weather.  I should have got my plants in the ground about 5 days earlier but when you are running a website business you don't always have the time for pumpkin growing that you would like.

I put in both of the 1451 Scherber plants into one hoop house and put the 335 Scherber and the 1789 Wallace into the other hoop house.  Once the leaves start touching then I'll have to make a decision as to which plant I want to go with and take the other one out.  Up until about 3 days ago I didn't think I would be going with the 1789 plant but it has started to get going lately and when I took the plant out of it's pot I was very impressed with the root system on it.  That plant is 5 days younger than the 335 plant and it had a slightly bigger root system on it.

When I planted the plants I put some myco in the planting holes and then watered the plants with some seaweed, Actinovate, Biotamax and Azos in the water.  The last three items are biologicals that have lots of friendly organisms that will help feed the plant and fight off diseases.

Over the next few days I'll be giving the plants extra water and watching the hoop house temperatures.  Although I hardened the plants off they always have a bit of a struggle dealing with the bright sun, wind and sometimes warmer and cooler temperatures.

335 Scherber (left) 1789 Wallace (right)

1451 Scherber pumpkin plants

Warming the Soil in the Pumpkin Patch

If I can get my hoop houses (little greenhouses) put together this week I'd like to get my plants in the ground this coming Saturday.  To get the soil heated up in the planting area I've put down clear plastic over the soil to help warm it up.  With the clear plastic, as long as it isn't too hot outside, the soil will warm up to almost 80 degrees which the pumpkin plants will like because they don't care to be transplanted into cold soil.  It has been so warm in Denver that it cold soil shouldn't be a problem this year.

Giant Pumpkin Growing Tips

For those that are new to this giant pumpkin blog and looking for tips on how to grow a giant pumpkin this blog covers everything that I do to grow a big pumpkin.  In this blog you will find tips and advice to grow pumpkins to a massive size.  You can also get many of the same pumpkin growing products that I use to grow a nearly 1,000 pound pumpkin.  Please feel free to add a comment to any post if you have any questions and I'll reply to the same comment field on the site.

Sunbathers

Pumpkin Names

I was recently asked what I am going to name my pumpkins this year.  My grandfather was a very good gardener.  He taught my dad a lot about growing and then he taught me.  Grandpa could grow carrots there were as thick as your wrist.  He passed a way a number of years ago so one of the pumpkins I want to name after him.  "Elbert."  That is about as good of a pumpkin name as I can think of.

The other pumpkin I'm going to name after my mother-in-law, Christine.  She has always been one of my top three biggest supporters when it comes to pumpkin growing so I thought I would name the other one after her.  It will be more than two months until we start growing pumpkins so all of this seems like a long ways away right now, but hopefully Christine or Elbert will do their namesakes proud.

Tilling the Pumpkin Patch isn't My Favorite Thing

Today I tilled the planting area in the pumpkin patch.  I'll till the rest of the patch in about a month so I can let the cover crop grow a little more, keep down the weeds and keep the ground from getting compacted.  I amended the soil with compost, magnesium and a touch of blood meal.  In just over two weeks I'll be putting the plants in the ground.  Later this week I'll cover the planting area with some clear plastic to help warm up the soil a little, but right now the forecast is for 80s in Denver next week so it won't be too much trouble to get the soil warmed up to where I want it to be this Spring.

Before:

After:

Let the Pumpkin Season Begin!

I've soaked and planted my seeds this morning.  I've started two 1475 Scherber (1725 Harp x 1161 Rodonis) seeds, a 1647 Wallace (1725 Harp x 1725 Harp) and my 924 Johnson (1204 Scherber x 1810 Stevens).  As you can see the 1725 is in most everything (the 1204 Scherber is 1421 Stelts x 1725 Harp).  That is somewhat by design and somewhat by accident.  My favorite seeds are the 1161 Rodonis, 1421 Stelts and the 1725 Harp.  My seeds all pretty much have just those genetics.  When looking at all of the seeds out there these three stood out to me and they all just happen to have a lot of 1725 Harp in them.

I like the 1475 Scherber because the estimated weight put it as the biggest pumpkin by far ever grown in Colorado.  The plant was beast.  Like nothing else I've ever seen.  Joe told me the day that he pollinated that pumpkin that is the pollination would take that nobody else could catch him and I believed him when he said it.  The pollinator was a clone of the 1161 Rodonis that grew the 1725 Sweet pumpkin.  You could see in the clone plant how that plant was just made to grow.  Even on a patch of soil that was less than desirable it produce a respectable pumpkin.

I like the 1647 Wallace because in my mind it has the highest likelihood of producing consistent offspring because it is a sibling cross.  In other words the mother was crossed with another plant whose seed came from the same pumpkin.  Genetically speaking sib crosses tend to produce genetics that are more similar to the original plant genetics.  They aren't the same, but the next best thing.  The pollinator in this cross had an estimated weight of 1789 pounds when the pumpkin went down to a split in August.  It still had another month to grow and could have broken the world record by a lot.  The mother in the cross went 11% heavy to the charts.  In my mind this is the ideal cross.

My 924 Johnson I think has some very good potential.  Not only were the mother and father good looking pumpkins their genetic backgrounds on both sides are fantastic.  I know of a number of people that are planning on planting this seed and I think someone will grow a very nice pumpkin from it.

The Children Have Got off to a Great Start for their Pumpkin Season!

My children are giant pumpkin growers (I can just see my wife rolling her eyes now as she reads this post).  This year they seem more excited about it than in past  years to grow a giant pumpkin.  My daughter this year is particularly interested in growing a bigger pumpkin and I think she will do it.  They are growing one of my 924 Johnson seeds along with a 335 Scherber.  The 335 is a cross of a clone plant that grew a 1,725 pound pumpkin crossed with a clone plant that grew a 1663 pound pumpkin.  On paper this seed has a lot of genetic potential.

This year the children did all of the work from putting their soil mixture together (my son didn't seem very excited to dig into the earthworm castings to get some quality poop to add to his pot but eventually he got right into it), soaking the seeds and putting the seed in the soil.   I'm really hoping they will get over 200 pounds this year. If they work hard I'm sure they can do it.

I'll be starting my seeds on the 18th.  With the first weigh-off of the season starting a week later this year I'm starting a little later than normal.  

Cover Crop is Coming Up Nicley

I mentioned previously that I added a cover crop a couple of weeks ago to the pumpkin patch.  Unusually warm and dry March weather in Denver made it possible to sow some seeds in the pumpkin patch and getting it going.  In another few weeks I'll amend and till the cover crop into the soil making a nice green manure for the soil.

Soil Tests are Back; Cation Exchanges

My pumpkin patch soil has been a bit jacked up for a while now in terms of potassium and phosphorus. The numbers have been too high for about 3 years now so I haven't added any potassium or phosphorus to the soil other than what comes with the compost. My latest soil test came back today and potassium and phosphorus are still high but they are coming back down to where I would like to see them. The thing that pleased me the most is cation saturation is pretty much in balance for the first time. Calcium is at 64.4% and magnesium is at 19.8%. Ideally you want those two numbers added up to equal 80% and we are close enough to that. My potassium is high so that will inhibit a little but I think we are okay.

The cation saturation is difficult stuff to understand but basically it can tell you how well the plants can get nutrients from the soil. This article is a nice simplified explanation of how it works. If you are looking for more information you better get your PHD on because there are lots of articles that are over my head.

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.

Grateful

I got an envelope from a grower today. Opening it was like Christmas. Not only did I receive the seed that I wanted but an additional one that I have to admit I was also coveting but wasn't expecting. One of those two seeds will be going in the ground this year. I am grateful for kind giant pumpkin growers everywhere that have taught me a lot. Also grateful for a great club like the RMGVG with members and a President that work so hard to make some great weigh-offs.

Worm Casting for Giant Pumpkins

Just before Christmas I ordered some worms for my worm bins. I lost all of my worms last year after a deep freeze in January (the new worms are being kept in the basement). There is nothing better for growing then worm castings and making compost tea. My bins are very basic. A large plastic tote with a fair amount of organic material. It doesn't take much to make the worms happy. I'll throw in table scraps (mostly just vegetables, coffee grounds and occasionally a little flour and the worms seem perfectly happy. I also spray down the bin once or twice a week to keep it lightly moist. In the spring I put the worm castings in my soil mixture that I start my seeds in and I'll also put some castings in the hole that I plant the plants in the pumpkin patch. Worm castings are more rich in nutrients then most composts and rich in soil microbial biomass.

Organic Gardening

My friend Ray has started an organic gardening website that you should check out. Visit www.plantyourown.com to participate in organic gardening forums and read some great articles. He even has a great giant tomato contest that you can participate in this year.

Giant Pumpkin Irrigation

For the last four seasons I've used over the top irrigation for my pumpkin plants. Different combinations of sprinkler heads would spray over the pumpkin patch from different angles to water the plant. The problem with over the top irrigation is that giant pumpkin leaves act like umbrellas and in the 2nd half of the growing season you start seeing a lot of dry spots under the leaves. Even to the point that the ground would crack from dryness.

This next season my plan is to us an under the canopy irrigation system using Dan Micro sprinkler heads. I'll be using a system very similar to giant pumpkin grower Thad Starr's. I"ve seen his setup while visiting him a couple of years ago in Oregon. It makes the watering nice in even with great coverage.

Gary "The Wiz" Grande also uses a similar watering system and says it is the best he has tried.

The Giant Pumpkin Off Season

My wife would tell you that there isn't an off season when it comes to giant pumpkin growing and that is somewhat true. When you aren't growing then you are thinking about growing. The best thing you can do when snow is on the ground is get ready for the upcoming season by doing a lot of research.

There is always something new to learn when it comes to giant pumpkin growing. Everything that it takes to grow a big pumpkin is wonderfully complex. The best thing to do from November to March is to research different growing techniques, amendments, genetics and ask questions of world class growers on sites like bigpumpkins.com and coloradopumpkins.com. There is a lot of misinformation out there and only by a lot of reading can you sort through it all.

One thing, when I can find some time, I'll be researching this off season is hormonal responses within pumpkin plants. As the season progresses you notice after years of growing that the plants want to do certain things at certain times. There are ways you can enhance or slow down this responses by the amendments that you give to the plants and how/when you water them. By making little adjustments you can add a lot of pounds to a pumpkin if you do things just right.

Another thing I'm thinking about this off-season is changing my watering system in the patch. I want to go to an under the canopy watering system so I can get more even watering later in the season. My plan is to add Dan Micro sprinkler heads under the leaves so I don't get so many dry spots under the canopy and keep one misting sprinkler to spray above the leaves during the heat of the day to keep the plants cool.

I just got a shipment or Red Wriggler worms this last week to get my worm bins going again. Nothing better than earthworm casting to grow big and strong pumpkin plants. It is also the best thing in my opinion for compost tea. I killed my worms last winter during a cold snap so I've moved the worms from the garage to the basement to help keep them happy.

Have a merry Christmas and grow em big in 2012!

The Great Pumpkin & The Marriage Ref Delivers

Last week my wife and I went on a trip to the Dominican Republic compliments of NBC's The Marriage Ref. All of the guests on the show were given an all inclusive trip and the timing for our trip couldn't have been better. 86 degrees, white sand beach and perfect water.

If you have been following this pumpkin blog you know that my wife and I were on the Marriage Ref discussing giant pumpkin growing and the dispute was over whether or not I spend to much time in the pumpkin patch. Celebrities Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Gervais and Julianne Moore all sided with me on the show and I went on to the final round where I took second place (might as well as been last) in a chance to win $25,000.

If you are looking for a quite vacation spot, Punta Cana in the Dominican would be a great choice. Both Amber and I aren't resort people but the Bavaro Palace Resort that we stayed at was very modern with lots to do. A very enjoyable time for the both of us. So thanks to Tom Popovich, Jerry Seinfeld, NBC and all of the crew for a great time!

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.

Heavy to the Charts and it Has Clone Genetics in the Pumpkin

My son and I took a small pumpkin from the 868 pumpkin plant that popped up sometime after my main pumpkin ("Jerry") went down to rot to the weigh-off at Nick's Nursery yesterday. The pumpkin was probably about 30 days old and pretty good sized for it's age. I always wondered if Jerry was going to go heavy to the charts and I figured this was the best way to find out since it never made it to the scale. Jerry thumped like he was heavy so I took this little pumpkin to give me a ball park idea of what this 868 plant could produce.

To my surprise the little pumpkin went 15% heavy (aka abnormally heavy) to the charts! Now I really wish that Jerry would have had a chance to go to the scales to see what that pumpkin could have done. From the start it was the fastest growing pumpkin I ever had but for some reason it slowed down at the beginning of August and by the third week it rotted out. I wonder now if there wasn't something more than the one spot of rot that I found because that pumpkin completely rotted out very quickly.

About a month ago I pollinated the 868 plant with a clone plant that came from the same plant that produced a 1,725 pound pumpkin. On paper that is a very interesting cross. The genealogy of this pumpkin that I cut off the vine yesterday is that it has three generations of 1161 Rodonis in it. The first Rodonis weighed 1,579 pounds. The second Rodonis weighed 868 pounds. The third Rodonis weighed 1,725 pounds. Genetics wise it is 87% 1161 Rodonis which in my book isn't a bad thing. Since the last pumpkin went 15% heavy who knows what this pumpkin's seeds might produce.