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Powhatan,virginia

i live in richmond virginia what would be a good date to start my ag,s inside

2/19/2007 8:49:01 PM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

Doug,
I am going to start my seeds in peat pots around the 15th of April. They should be ready to go in the ground by the 25th or so.

Mark

2/19/2007 9:38:55 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

7 days before you plan on planting outside..10 days max on pot. Even at 7 days the tap roots will be bottoming out an a gallon pot.

2/20/2007 10:26:54 AM

Montoursville, PA

Do yourselves a giant favor.........use at least a .75 gal straight sided ice cream container. Step by step in my diary 04 and/or 05. At 80 degrees a plant will emerge in three to five days. Even in a .75 gal straight sided container roots will hit the bottom and the sides by the seventh or eighth day. They should be in the patch and growing by the tenth day at the very latest. Day six, seven or eight are better days to get out there and plant the sucker.

2/20/2007 11:13:46 AM

southwest MO

Couple things to consider when starting... 1)Are you planning on going to a weigh-off, and when is the weigh off date. Starting the 1st week of May with a weigh-off the 1st week of Oct. gives approx. 5 months say 150 days. 60 to 70 days to set fruit... 70 to 80 days for pumpkin growth. (these days are approx.)
If you just want a fresh pumpkin for Halloween start a month later...

2/20/2007 1:01:48 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

I disagree with your statement "Boy Genious" The length of daylight, and average temperature are very crucial to the end results. A month at 25lbs a day can equal 750lb's.

2/20/2007 1:23:30 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Doug I know you are excited to get going so was I last year when I grew in MD but after seeing how the plants that go in later catch right up to the others I will not start seeds before May 1. It's not worth the trouble. Jim

2/20/2007 1:36:08 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

I'm firing up the heaters in the cold frame this weekend! Jim is right though, people who plant a few weeks later usually catch up to the early starters. It's just that some of us OCD people can't wait that long. April 20th is usually when I start plants inside that will not be protected.

2/20/2007 1:43:58 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

I was thinking mother's day weekend.

2/20/2007 2:53:04 PM

southwest MO

Shannon - Please tell me what you disagree with my statement about. Name a month that you could grow 750 lbs. in Virginia and it not be May through Sept. useing conventional methods. again please clarify.

2/21/2007 12:40:19 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Ok a plant on average takes 60 days to mature, produce females ready for pollination. So say I start at the end of
April on the 26th. My plant given the right conditions will be out to 12-15 feet, come the 26th of June. Here in Wisconsin it happens to be a little colder and things start kicking in around the 4th of July. Length of Daylight at this time is 15h 32m plus average mean temperature of the day is 70 degrees. Now amount later on August 1st. the Length of Daylight 14h 40m is rapidly decreasing and the suns intestity is going down. Which is about when your plant started at the end of may will be ready for pollination. My Pumpkin is already 30 days old. Yours is just beginning. Daylight is decreasing rapidly along with your night time temperatures starting to decrease. Now Come the 1st of September My pumpkin starts slowing down day light length is 13h 14m. Mean Average temp is 60 degrees. Even on late pollinations you only get 12-15lbs of growth.

2/21/2007 1:14:47 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

So what I am saying is chart your temperature, daylight and growth. You will see they are dependent on each other. I am not talking just growing one for halloween. If your going to take the effort to grow one do it right.

2/21/2007 1:20:05 PM

southwest MO

Still not sure why you disagrre but let me try to clarify. I used the weigh-off date as the first week of Oct. to guide the planting date(just as an example). Sooo with a weigh off date of Oct. 6th and a planting date of may 1st. thats 60 days to mature and 90 days to grow. I tried to qualify my anserw as "approx." What would you do different?

Not sure about Richmond but my mean avg. temp isnt 60 degrees until Oct. 10th. A full 40 days later than yours and the suns rays stay quite intense. Whos to say a southern grower couldnt "do it right" and end at Halloween. In fact I would prefer a later wiegh-off date so I could start a little latter to take advantage of our very mild Sept.)

2/21/2007 2:19:41 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

I see your point of the summer heat. Here our average 1st killing frost date is September 13th.

2/21/2007 2:21:40 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Our Field Pumpkins are started when the Lilacs are in full bloom.

2/21/2007 2:22:21 PM

Michigan

I plan to plant in mid-march here in Texas.....waiting til May would yeild very poor results in our summer heat. Also, no weigh-off here to plan for.

~Jessica

2/21/2007 2:39:11 PM

southwest MO

I dont envy you growing in that heat. Im sure its brutal. You should put in some watermelons to...

2/21/2007 3:28:46 PM

ordinary,VA

Doug !!!! Virginia grower i have never met!!! Doug were you at the winter meeting?

Hey Mark who is Doug?

Hi Doug!
last frost date in this area is Middle of April.
I have planted plants as early as the 15th of April.
but be careful crazy weather in spring.
we had a cold snap last year in earl May.
make sure you can protect you plants if we get late frost!
Ed

2/21/2007 6:07:59 PM