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Rexburg, Idaho

My pumpkin is an estimated 305 lbs, (previous best 110). It's still growing about 10 lbs a day. The problem is the weather forcast is for freezing temps on Saturday and Sunday. This is fairly typical for my area but I would like to get another 10-15 days of growth out of my pumpkin and perhaps get 400 lbs which as far as I can tell would be a new state record (Idaho). I'm looking for ideas (particularly ones people have successfully used) to provide some frost protection in the next few weeks?

8/29/2000 10:48:26 PM

Roanoke Il

Brian depending on how big your plant is you could cover it with plastic at night. keeping in the night time heat. If nothing else turn your sprinklers on around 3:30 to 4:00 in the morning until the temps are over 35 degrees. I could bee battling the same problem in two or three weeks. Best of luck mark

8/30/2000 5:57:59 AM

Modesto, CA

Hi Brian, you might want to try covering your pumpkin at night to keep it warm with a blanket and tarp or putting up a protective fence around it with some Remay or plastic. Also, a portable space heater might help when the temps. go below freezing. Just make sure to keep it warm and dry. Good luck.....Monica

8/30/2000 1:53:12 PM

PA

Even if its not freezing,I'd at least cover the fruit with blankets. Even if its in the 40's. The rest depends on your budget and imagination. Even if you can't cover the whole plant you might be able to cover part of it. The sprinklers sound like a good idea too. Good luck and Congrats! Well done.

8/30/2000 4:31:03 PM

Rexburg, Idaho

I havn't heard of covering the pumpkin itself. Is this supposed to promote growth or what? It's fairly simple and easy so I'm sure it can't hurt. Would you remove it during the day or just leave it in place. I've obtained a large piece of a floating row cover so I will probably try something with it, but it doesn't have much substance to it and I wonder how much frost protection it will provide.

8/31/2000 3:47:17 PM

Modesto, CA

Brian, I haven't tried it myself because I live in CA and don't have to worry about the frost until Christmas. I have a copy of the Don Langevin's 'How to Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins II'. If you don't have it, it provides a lot of useful information. I don't think covering the pumpkin promotes growth but will keep it warm so it won't slow the growth. Last night though, it got kind of cold and windy here, so with the shade/wind protection I put up just over the pumpkin itself, I also put a blanket over it and that should've helped enough.

8/31/2000 5:42:55 PM

Rexburg, Idaho

Fortunatly it didn't get as cold as it was supposed to but it did get to 32 degrees yesterday morning. But there was no damage to any of my plants. I did cover the entire plant that my large pumpkin is growing on with a 6mil clear plastic enclosure (two days ago). Since then my pumpkins growth has seem to dropped off (3-5lbs/day versus 10-11 lbs/day prior to the enclosure). Has any one else experienced this. My pumpkin is still yellow and is only 50 days since pollination.

9/4/2000 10:15:18 AM