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Nashville, TN

From all of your wonderful advice - it looks like I'll be 'culling pumpkins' as early as next week on at least two of my plants! So far I've had no problems with the intense sun/heat affecting the actual fruit - but the leaves are still able to shade most of them. But I have a few more questions:

1. Are yellow pumpkins more sensitive to sunburn than 'greenies'?

2. At what size should I put sun protection over young pumpkins?

3. What color tarp is the best?

4. is a large (5'X5') hinged 'A' frame the easiest to build, set up, and store? (seen a lot of these on the pictures sent with the seeds...)

7/4/2005 4:58:44 PM

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1.) Don't know. Good question.

2.) ASAP. I start at pollination though some wait until they know it's set.

3.) Many claim orange. I don't believe it matters so long as the tarp doesn't cause excessive heating.

4.) Whatever works.

7/4/2005 6:45:24 PM

Montoursville, PA

In a pinch just throw a sheet over the fruit to buy some pondering time. If you should grow a thousand pound pumpkin your A-Frame will not be big enough.

Whatever you devise has to be able to withstand a gusty wind situation. Many I see look like wind flappers to me.

7/4/2005 10:03:00 PM