From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Fraser Valley, BC, Canada

As a younger pumpkin under 20 DAP, do they grow all over in every direction over night or is it possible it grows the direction you may or may not measure? After i moved my vines onto the new platform the pumpkin to me didnt grow much if at all by circ. But is it possible it grew in another direction that i didnt measure? Will be 12 dap come morning... hoping it grew in circ a bit, or I’m going to worry more than I am now lol.

Tell me some good news lol.

8/3/2020 12:51:10 AM

Syracuse, NY

think of it as a water balloon or one of those giant rubber things that are made to be filled with water and jumped on by daredevils to act as a springboard for comedy/acrobatics - it'll grow somewhat in all directions and it is very subjective; your fruit will grow differently than another grower's under the same circumstances, but generally, simply all-around. PS---watch a clock and see how slow it goes...when you really wanna see time fly, you'll know to rarely look at a clock, lol---eg

8/3/2020 1:55:15 AM

Grittyville, WA

Hopefully a measuring error & not stalled. They will grow in all direction at that size.

8/3/2020 2:35:29 AM

South Dakota

I too am a newer grower and this year is the first year I am getting a true giant. I noticed that it seems to grow a fat butt first on the lower side, than it seems the top follows by filling in one side at a time. Don't know if this is really happening, or just my imagination. I look and measure every day, so sometimes things don't get noticed when measuring so often.

8/3/2020 9:06:19 AM

Plymouth, MN

Expect growth in all directions. In reality, every fruit has its own character and will grow a little bit more in some places than others. The beauty of the OTT system is that it captures this variation and smooths it out by taking three measurements. It's not perfect, as some shapes (e.g. birdbaths) can be particularly difficult to measure accurately.

At 12 DAP you should be on the cusp of real dramatic growth and expect to see visible differences each day.

8/3/2020 10:54:23 AM

Central NY

(Dramatic for a ladder plant...don’t get nervous...,well, not too nervous)

8/3/2020 1:43:09 PM

Fraser Valley, BC, Canada

It grew last night so phew, not a lot but then it was a cool night and was overcast as well as today, yet muggy.

For measuring - I got creative and used a string because I tried my measuring tape which is stiff metal or whatever and nicked the pumpkin sooooo easily. I cursed and then switched to string.

As for OTT, my pumpkin isn’t horizontally level to ground and stem quite yet. 45 degree angle I want to say... as it grows it should hopefully become more level without snapping the stem. I never tried all 3 measurements because of this figuring it won’t be accurate.

I have three 2ndarys in the ground for the ladder plant, which helps. One thing I’ve learned recently is going by growth, earlier after the plant started coming out it ran out of food and the leaves got smaller etc. That is why my first three fruits aborted... I know it... as now that I keep up on fertilizing the vines and leaves etc are so much more healthy size wise, even the new fruits. I just pollinated a 6 lober today with no holes between the lobes, tho they were curled on the ends like a cup. My males also have so much more pollen compared to in June/early July. I already know how to handle next year better :)

8/3/2020 2:48:31 PM

Central NY

Wow.,, you almost nailed the giant pumpkin growers motto....” just wait til next year!”...keep her goin!!

8/3/2020 3:03:58 PM

Fraser Valley, BC, Canada

I almost nailed a motto I didn’t know existed?? Yay me lol. I’m not a quitter, I admit I rage at times or bottom out crying but then I pick myself back up and learn from my mistakes. What sucks about pumpkins is November to March is kind of boring and then April the excitement (and work) begins. I KNOW I’d have had a June pollination, two most likely, but there wasn’t enough phosphorus or whatever to sustain it. I’ll get a bigger plant and an earlier start pollination too. The weigh offs here the champions have lower weights to them it seems. The guy from Langley bc has the record in like 3 categories I think. Just wait till next year!!! Eg...

8/3/2020 5:14:01 PM

Lakewood, WA

Time for some new friends and some kelp for the plants? Woot!

8/3/2020 5:25:27 PM

Fraser Valley, BC, Canada

Where do I get kelp? Not even sure what to do with it, but I’ve read diaries about kelp baths I’ll call them, so I assume you mix with water etc. When I was at a local garden place I didn’t see kelp but maybe I wasn’t looking at the right stuff or section.

8/3/2020 8:50:11 PM

Fraser Valley, BC, Canada

LJ after your post I went and looked and sure enough the part that rests on the wood had a bump out a bit more than the rest. So thanks for that. I’ll have to see what happens overnight tonight as I know I should be entering the faster growth stage very soon. Mine is a hybrid (unknown) giant so I don’t have any growth genes to refer to

8/3/2020 8:57:00 PM

Lakewood, WA

Amazon has kelp meal, 'Kelp For Less' is good, and Joel Holland would probably ship to Canada, he's here in Washington State.

I'm not seeing any at kelp meal at Home Depot or Lowe's, either.

Maybe some of the Canadian growers will chime in on where they purchase their growing supplies.

8/3/2020 10:16:55 PM

Fraser Valley, BC, Canada

When at Home Depot I got the last bottle of powder sulfur fungiside for powder mildew. I’ve noticed it on my leaves so glad I got it to do a foliar spray. Got an insecticide too for the small cluster of beetles and squash bugs... thankfully not too bad. I need a foliar spray mix for sure!

Wish I had gotten a pic of my 6 lober before the flower wilted. Was the biggest longest healthiest looking female flower I ever pollinated. I also am getting females every 1-2ft on the vines now, even secondaries, it’s crazy lol.

8/4/2020 1:01:26 AM

https://www.talunecoproducts.com/product/sep1k

8/4/2020 4:49:31 AM

Central Illinois

Kelp meal is sold as an animal supplement at feed stores,it can not be applied through a sprayer but can be applied to the ground or in a drench. Water-soluble kelp can be used about any way you wish

8/4/2020 5:27:37 AM

Fraser Valley, BC, Canada

Feed stores hmmm, I’ll have to look that up as I live in farm country, so got to be those around. I have a friend who owns horses so I’m going to get me some free manure next season, eg.

8/4/2020 1:03:50 PM

Syracuse, NY

TWINS---GREAT JOB ON THE PUMPKIN PLATFORM!!! i've been busy and my usual computer was near dead but came back to life for who knows how long, or i'd have seen that blue-topped beauty much sooner. OMG - it is JUST RIGHT! there are always after-the-fact details with me, though, so, if you wanted, with all that room now, you could begin ever-so-gently and slowly bringing the pumpkin outward and rotating it plantward to have it lat flatter, OR, INward and rotating it outward to have it be more upright, but the blossom will be a problem. will be happily keeping an eye on it! i will not be over-suggestive, i promise! --- eg

8/8/2020 12:58:05 PM

Twins, Liquid kelp organic seaweed extract from GS plant foods. Comes in 1 gallon concentrate.

8/8/2020 5:25:39 PM