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Joliet, IL

tomorrow we are forecasted to hit 104 degrees here in Joliet Illinois. i was wondering how the heat has affected pumpkin growth across areas that have already seen this heat over the past week like Colorado, Oklahoma, Iowa, Utah or anyone else.

does anyone have past experience with these crazy high temps and can you share your experiences as how the plants and pumpkins responded after the heat wave was over.

thanks,
shazzy

7/23/2005 11:03:05 AM

San Diego

high heat that hot isn't good for any plant, some just tolerate it better. My 950 Boyton has been in temps of 101 degrees the last two days, records for July even in san diego. I'm still putting on 30 lbs a day in the heat, down a couple lbs from my best growth days. Jimmy

7/23/2005 11:55:38 AM

Canada

This is the warmest summer we have had here in southern Ontario, we went an entire month with temps rangeing from 90-100 and NO rain and plants suffered with burnt leafs and it made it hard for pollinations to take place. Myself I suffered allot of aborts, after last weekends rainfall of 130 MM things have taken off and Females are poping out everyday with the temps still in the 90 range. My father on the other had has had great luck with his 839 Hunt with the largest fruit around 85 lbs on day 21.

Dave

7/23/2005 1:01:04 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

105F right now in Omaha, NE. 97% Humidity. Shade cloth helped alot up to 100, but plants are suffering now even under the shade cloth. This is the hottest it has been here in many years.

7/23/2005 1:34:34 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

105F (40.6C) right now in Omaha, NE with 97% Humidity. I need a hug.

7/23/2005 1:35:40 PM

Cary, North Carolina

102 here but it is raining almost every day. This past week I got 4+ inches of rain. Kevin

7/23/2005 4:24:29 PM

Mocksville, NC

Had to change my tee shirt 3x for one plant, Pumpkins burnt, I'm burnt, but it's alway's hot , and humid here for the first time I thought ahead, and started making changes to new shade covers, And dang Kev send some rain just a little west of ya! 102f with 108 heat index today supposed to get over 101f by Tue's. Rog.

7/23/2005 9:15:19 PM

Butler, Ohio

So far so good. Got just a few burnt leaves on one plant, but weight gains are getting higher every day. WE put on 28 lbs today. Up from 20 yesterday. This is the hottest it's been here in the buckeye far a long time. I think we only had 1 or 2 days over 90 last year. Mike

7/23/2005 9:31:14 PM

Carrollton, Ga.

hi,
have any of you ever used ice and some sort of cover after you hand pollinated to try to kept the bloom cool.
Doug
Jn. 3:16

7/23/2005 9:40:57 PM

Sloughhouse, CA

105 here today and 15% humidity. I had the misters going most of the day and hope to get shades up this week.

7/24/2005 12:23:39 AM

Chico, Ca

105 today, was 112 f last Sat and Sun. We use shade cloth, but still had a little sunburn. we run our misters for 2 min every 15 min from 9 am to 8 pm. humidity ranges from 14 to 27 %. it has been over 100F for most of the last two weeks. growth is still ok considering the circumstances.

7/24/2005 12:56:15 AM

Colo.Spgs.CO. Pikes Peak Chapter @ [email protected]

WA--,WA---,WA--, you should look up the heat index colo. has had to deal with the past week or two .......lol but we do not have to suffer from humidity....Until it hails golf balls.......,but I feel bad for the people in Ariz,Texas,OK,KS..wow hot heat, BUT THEN AGAIN BIG CROPS...

7/24/2005 5:03:43 AM

Batavia, IL

Shazzy, I hope to get my "King" qets as big as your Noah. I lived in AZ for 25 years and moved here to Batavia not that far from Joliet. I had to build a shelter for King to keep him shady. I used Tyvek as a tarp which works great. The white color reflects the heat too. I have a well and the water comes out very cold so I prayed him off a few times already today to keep him cool. I think you are doing a great job with Noah. Good luck with the heat.

7/24/2005 5:07:21 PM

Nashville, TN

Heat index for Nashville - 108 today.... Tomorrow - 113... Not even a chance of pop-up thunderstorms in the coming days - just HUMID!!!. I felt like I was actually SWEATING in the warm pool while I was swimming with the kids - YIKES!! I've started filling my pumpkins 'water holes' twice a day - so each is getting 10 gallons per day... Fortunantly, They're only showing 'heat stress' during the hours of 12-3.

It's so humid that I had just 5' of sight with the thick fog every morning this week....

I think we're at the highest temps in a decade.. think we might break the record for days in a row over 95 this week...

7/24/2005 5:10:15 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

Not only did it hit 100+ on Sunday, we have had only 0.4" of rain in the past 20 days. The storms Sunday evening went to the north of us, where they have been getting soaked all summer. The last week or so we have been running sprinklers to cool the leaves. This washed off all of the Sevin and Bug B Gon dust, and the cucumber beetles showed up. I sprayed, re-dusted and my son is now going out early in the day and just running a hose near the base of the plants. A lot of new pumpkins have been aborting. My largest plant has only 1 pumpkin on a secondary and none on the vine. My biggest pumpkin, which pollenated June 29 is around 160# and gaining about 20# per day.

7/25/2005 5:36:17 AM