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Pa

I've read lots of posts, and most are quite helpful. But where can I find some general info in one spot without spending hours trying to find it. Like these questions:

1. How big should my plant be at the time of pollination?
Is 10' average or should my plant be 15 or 20 feet in length for a big pumkin producer?

2. I need a general plant dscription, "the parts of a pumkin plant" would be helpful.

3. Should I concentrate my efforts on growing a pumpkin on the main vine or would one the secondary's matter?

4. Do I have to trim any of the vines back, if so when and which ones?

5. I see a lot of people feeding their plant fish emulsions, seaweed, and mollases, is this necessary for a big pumkin, why aren't normal ferts used.

Answers to some or all these questions would be great. Thanks to everyone!

new@this

6/30/2007 1:46:25 PM

Mount Prospect,illinois

get the books "how to grow world class giant pumpkins" volume 2 and 3. They will be very helpfull.

6/30/2007 1:53:18 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

I can help with #'s three and four:
3. Definitely concentrate on growing your pumpkin on the main vine. When I asked this same question a year or so back, I was told, "Why would you drive your car down the side roads when you have the interstate highway." The main is the interstate. Pollinate all females that appear there and let them get to the size of a basket ball before choosing one and culling down to one pumpkin. Sometimes the pumpkins that basket ball size abort and you don't want to have put all your eggs in one basket.

4. Trim all your tertiary vines off.

6/30/2007 4:09:47 PM

Minnesota

I'm relatively new also, inexpierenced,,,all I can say is good luck.

6/30/2007 7:53:45 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Welcome, [email protected] the home page of this site, there is a "How To" selection....lots of good info there, also there is a "Search" function on this site...type in what "specific" topic you want to know about, and lots of good info will come up...usually. Try asking ?'s on message board, maybe in new growers board. Come to chat....and be ready for any jokers that are hanging around....welcome to the insanity!!!! LOL or email me at [email protected] Peace, Wayne

6/30/2007 8:44:32 PM

Nashville, TN

There is a lot of good advice here... Basically, GPs look similar to any vine-type squash plants/pumpkin plants... Just BIGGER and FASTER growing....

I practice growing plenty of 'kins on Main and secondaries.. As long as the secondaries are 10-15' of length.. I pinch the new vine growth off at the junction with the main - and only allow secondaries to grow ever 3rd-4th Junction. (think christmas tree pattern) I also tend to bury most of the junctions in order to hasten secondary root zone development. (Important in a drought!)... The 2 junctions before and after a developing 'kin - are NOT allowed to grow secondaries nor roots - this lets the vine raise with the growing 'kin.

I will admit, I'm not into this to grow a 'world record' - though my weights seem to double each year. (as I improve soil - and growing techniques)... I'm into getting 2-4 'kins of decent size off each plant for the seedstock - for study in future years...I've gotten some of the biggest ones - on well-rooted sides.. To get a 'world record' - you'd have to limit plant to just 1-2 'kins.

Expect a good plant - that'll produce big fruit - to cover at least a 20'X20' plot. I've got several already near that size, And still have 16 weeks of growing season left.. So I'll end up with a few taking over 'empty spots' and hitting close to 1,000 sq/ft - by Oct 1st!

7/1/2007 7:26:27 AM

Well, since I'm the horticulture major, and no one answered #2, I'll take a stab at it. Pumpkin anatomy 101. So you plant the seed, yay.
The first root that emerges is called the radicle. When this happens. The seed germinates and the process is called germination. Germination is NOT when the plant appears above ground. The first two oval leaves are called the cotyledons, lots of people call them cots for short. The first trianglular leaf that grows after the cots is the first true leaf. When the plant gets several of these, it gets top heavy and "lays down," meaning the main stem coming out of the ground tips over slowly and lays flat on the ground. Now the plant starts to vine. The curlie-Q's are tendrils. Each place a leaf attaches is a node. Each typical node on a pumpkin plant has a leaf, a tendril, a flower, and can grow a root and a secondary vine. The first vine your plant has is the main vine. The vines that grow from the nodes on the main vine are secondary vines. The vines that grow off of those are tertiary vines. Pumpkins have male and female flowers. Males have straight, tall stems. Females have short stems and a little round ball beneath the petals that will grow into the pumpkin if pollination and fertilization occur. The male flowers have anthers and filaments, collectively called the stamen. Females have stigma, style, and ovary, collectively called the pistil. For a pumpkin to grow, pollen has to get from the anthers to the stigma. The actual pumpkin has two ends; the stem end attached to to the stem and the vine, and the blossom end is where the petals were attached to. Hmmm... this should be a good start.

7/2/2007 8:14:02 PM

San Jose [email protected]

that 100,000 bucks payed off, eh Brig?

7/3/2007 8:15:16 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

Very well done Bridgette. I would say you pass!

7/4/2007 12:12:00 AM