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St. Thomas Ontario

My pumpkins are all around the 20 day mark, and aside from one stellar day, they're still ploding at only 3" a day. We have had cooler weather as of late here in southern Ontario, but I think I should be seeing 4-6 inch days by now. I am fertizing , and giving them about 150 galons h20 each every second day Am I stricken to a life of 500lbers...or can I do something to 'ramp up' the growth? Thanks in advance.

7/16/2007 8:16:58 AM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I have the same issues. I live in Windsor. For a little while, I was getting 3-5" a day, but now only 2" a day. With the OTT, it works out to be approx. 11lbs a day. It has never gone over 11, but it seems that it is always doing 10-11 consistently.

This started in the last couple days. It has gone down to 55 at night, so that could be it. I am covering the fruit with blankets at night now. I too am watering daily with automated irrigation, so water is not an issue. I am also fertilizing once a week with fish emulsion.

7/16/2007 9:14:34 AM

Nova Scotia

If you'd cut off that side vine pumpkin like I keeeeeep telling you 2 you'd be doing better. As well get a tissue sample done to see what your planrts are possibly lacking then compensate.

7/16/2007 11:09:31 AM

Cornell, Wi

does a little pumpkin say 3-5 days old, the size of a navel orange or softball take away from the big guys or guy on the main, I am only at 3" a day also, Say the little pumpkins are on the sides?

7/16/2007 12:35:00 PM

Nova Scotia

no cotterpins the little one won't take away but lookajooks side one is near 100lbs. That will take away from your main one. I beleive though that a plant like our brain become hardwired. That is it starts doing something then that is all it knows, in other words if you set on a bunch of side vine pumpkins then the plant starts pumping the juice there to them. Then when you cut it off it keeps sending juice in that direction because it has a pattern established. I bet this statement is going to take a lot of heat though.

7/16/2007 1:37:56 PM

St. Thomas Ontario

Yeah, i'm covering mine now too. Hoping then that this is just a little 'break' they're taking, hopefully we'll see bigger gains when it warms back up.

Mr.T I'd bend to your advice but the side vine pumpkin is still one of my best growers, I can't justify pulling the 'longshot' while she's still in the lead.

IMHO cotterpins, Although i wouldn't recommend leaving small pumpkin sets on, I think if you have a fair size plant, it shouldn't tax the growth of the larger pumpkin that much (just get 'em off before you get 'emotionally attached';)

7/16/2007 1:41:42 PM

St. Thomas Ontario

Correction Mr. T...my sidevine is near 160 lbs and still pluggin' away. I'm not shootin' "Northern Dancer" just because he's on the outside on the last bend! I agree with you the odds are against the sidevine pumpkin, but there's a heck of alot of plant there, and i'd like to take one to early weighoff.

7/16/2007 1:51:58 PM

Nova Scotia

You go ahead Lookajook I like holding the title between us anyway lol

7/16/2007 2:57:59 PM

Cornell, Wi

Thanks Mr. T and rest of ya canadians, good luck to ya all, I pitty the fool. LOL

7/16/2007 10:06:40 PM

Picton,ON ([email protected])

Growth has been very slow here in Eastern Ontario as well. Getting 3"/day on the 20+ day fruit. Just barely hitting the 1000 lb bench marks.

Smaller fruit, growing slowly also, missing bench marks.

Still hopeing for a new personal best this year, but it may be a stretch.

7/16/2007 10:17:20 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

It's been so cold at night that the growth has slowed right down. I just finished up our pollinations this morning. We're easily two weeks behind last year. The average night-temps the past 5 days is 8 deg C. It's hard to grow big pumpkins with it this cold at night. It feels like early Sept weather & it's suppose to be like this for at least the next 5-6 days.

Phil

7/17/2007 7:38:45 AM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I looked at my spreadsheet that I use to track growth, and it show the following:

With a low/high of 75-95 (24-35) the max growth was 5.7" 24hr
With a low/high of 57-78 (14-26) the max growth was 1.9" 24hr

That being said, with an avg temp drop (both low and high) of 15-20f (9-11c) degrees the pumpkin slows by about 2" in circumference a day.

Hopefully things pick up soon. I dont love 95, but I will endure for better growth.

7/17/2007 9:25:06 AM

Saegertown Pa.

Mornings have bin in the low 40's growth is slow, I have never put a lot of faith in the 10 day measurements but mine are behind what I have had in the past. Hopefully when I start doing Ott at 20 days the numbers will be a little better.

7/17/2007 9:34:38 AM

St. Thomas Ontario

Well I don't feel so bad now, looks like alot of us are battling the same foe...hoping for some warmer days...and nights;)

Happy growing:)

7/17/2007 5:05:38 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I had two days of rain and went from 2" per day (for a couple days) to 4 inches. I have been feeding a ton of water. Maybe I need more. My 1068 did 14 lbs last night, 8 the day before. Yeah.

7/18/2007 11:01:07 AM

St. Thomas Ontario

Has growth stayed up for you fellow growers with temp. issues? seems mine has slowed again, hopefully will pick up with warmer temps....

7/23/2007 9:56:31 AM