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Nauvoo, Alabama

How long did you let your pumpkin grow before your weigh-off?

This is my problem. It gets really hot here in Alabama.
July is in the high 90s nearly 100. I dont know how well pumpkins set during pollination with temps so hot. Plus I understand that they could crack at such early stage with high temps.
I have plenty of time to grow one if pollinated mid July cause our state fair weigh-off is Oct 7.
I have one that just pollinated yesterday about 10 feet out with 5 segments inside. I dont know what to do. Kill it and wait til mid July and even then the pumpkin would be too far out on the vine in my opinion, or just let it grow 112 days and forget the weigh offs this year. It is my first year and what are the chances of actually growing a winner the first time around with poor growing conditions.

sigh

Cricket

6/17/2007 10:38:24 AM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Best case scenario you can put on 25-30 lbs a day. If you assume 25, then a 1500 lbs fruit would need to put on that kind of weight for 60 days. That is a great amount of growth. If you assume 20 lbs a day, then you need 75 days. Since it is warm in your area, you could grow until the end of Semptember. I would try to have your fruit growing by mid July at latest.

6/17/2007 2:18:29 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

JRO, don't forget that there is a huge growth curve when growing AGs.

Sure, alot of growers get 25-30+ lbs per day but they certainly don't get that kind of growth over a long sustained period of time.

Cricket, hopefully someone will chime in from your area but where I live we have a pretty long growing season and I'd rather my fruit gain 15-18 lbs for a longer period of time than blow them up like I did last year when they were putting on 25+ lbs per day.

60 days of moderate 10lb growth per day gives you a nice 600lb pumpkin....shoot for that.

6/17/2007 2:47:04 PM

Nauvoo, Alabama

The soil is pretty bad so I dont think its goin to gain much per day.

ARE you saying the slower it grows, the longer it can grow???????

I don't think there is anyone from my area.

6/17/2007 4:19:01 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Crickets, no that is not what I am saying...your plant can only live so long and support fruit growth. I think the natural life cycle for a pumpkin plant is 120 days from germination.

I'm just saying where I live, pumpkins normally grow for a longer period of time (into October) and gain less weight per day than some of the heavy hitters that get 30 lbs per day.

6/17/2007 5:57:20 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I agree, 15-18 is great number to shoot for. If you can control the growth here is some good advice. I am sure most of us have read this quote in a certain book. Slow and steady wins the race.

6/17/2007 6:57:17 PM

Nauvoo, Alabama

If the life cycle of a pumpkin plant is 120 days then Im chit out of luck no matter what.
This plant is already 70 days old. That means It only has 7 more weeks to live. 50 days left.
Guess I hope my plant is unnatural,

6/17/2007 7:57:52 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Crickets,
I've had a plant still living after 150 days from germination, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
I don't know what advice to give you. You could let the recent pollination grow, and see how it does. You could try later pollinations, and see if they take. Keep measurements on your pumpkins, and compare the numbers at 10, 15 and maybe 20 days after pollination. You could then decide what you want to do.

6/17/2007 8:57:55 PM

Nauvoo, Alabama

What if i started a new plant in addition to the one I already have growing. Let this one grow until it wont grow no more.
As of today I would have exactly 109 days from "sow" date to grow a big pumpkin. I could let a pumpkin grow at about 8 feet out instead of waiting for 10-12 feet to give more days for pumpkin growth.
STupid Idea or Not?

6/19/2007 10:18:59 AM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Cant hurt. You have 60 days from seed to pollination. That leaves 50 days to grow (disregarding fall temps). Lets go with 15lbs a day average, you could hit 750lbs theoretically. Though I dont think you would get that large. Could hit 500 for sure.

6/19/2007 11:08:02 AM

southwest MO

My 4 plants were in the ground on may 2nd and I polinated 2 on 6/17 and 2 on 6/19. Thats 46 and 48 days respectfully. All are on the mains and at 10'+... These are early pollinations but there are more females on the mains. The weather is heating up here though so pollinations will be getting trickier...It is also going to be trickie to keep the leaves of the plant healthy until early Oct. in our heat!! Lots of plant behind these 1st pollinations as it is...Dont know If I want to set at 20'+??
You could start a plant now and go for a Halloween pumpkin. LOTS of time, especially in your warm climate.

6/19/2007 12:41:44 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Crickets,
Are you assuming that the plant will only live 120 days? This I disagree with. Here in MN, frost is what limits the number of days an A.G. plant will live. I don't think there is a definite number of days you can say an A.G. plant will live. I think it depends on climate, and care. I'm guessing you could keep an A.G. plant alive for a number of years, in a tropical climate, with the right care.

6/19/2007 1:23:41 PM

Colorado

Crickets,
I grew a plant last year in some very extreme conditions(HEAT, bad soil). The plant survived with good care and was
still alive and looking very healthy up to November 14 when
it was killed over-night by a hard freeze. The plant was
transplanted into the ground at the end of May...LB

6/19/2007 2:05:30 PM

Nauvoo, Alabama

wow, you all give me hope.
Thanks for the inspiration.

I put two seeds in the ground today. One didnt look very good. It had some outter shell coating missing in a very small spot.

This is deffinately goin to be interesting.

6/19/2007 8:18:41 PM

sevierville, Tn

IF your fruit stays healthy, then 90+ days is very doable. Thats what mine was the last 2 years. Now i'm not as hot as you, but i polinated end of june early july. Biggest problem i see is setting the fruit in the heat. Would have to keep the flower cool to get the polination to take. I'd try a later flower & if it takes, abort the early one all other things equal. Good luck

6/19/2007 9:36:54 PM

Nauvoo, Alabama

we just so happen to get a cool spell, nothing cool about it but in high 60s at night and high 80s day. Soon to be around 90ish days. perfect for pollination. I have a female on the vine ready to pollinate in 2 days.

Also, thinking about cloning off this Plant too. Curious to see what happens. I just want to see if i can do it.

6/19/2007 11:25:49 PM

Nauvoo, Alabama

I found information on one grower---one of the old world records---he grew his pumpkin from pollination 96 days and it was gaining 5 pounds a day during its last week.
I need to grow mine 111 days. Even is all it does is gain a pound a day near the end, at least it will still be alive.

6/20/2007 10:46:02 AM

Clayton, Ohio, USA

If I were you, I would consider moving my planting up maybe even a couple of months from the suggested Canadian/New England dates and shoot for some State Fair Weigh-Offs. Just my two cents worth.

6/20/2007 12:59:15 PM

Nauvoo, Alabama

I do plan to start next years plants June 1st.
That doesnt help me this year.

6/20/2007 1:25:45 PM