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Georgia

It seems this crazy hobby of ours can actually bond family and friends closer. My dad took no interest in the beginng of the season watching me do all the hard work to get a competion patch prepared and searching for supplies and all. Now he asks me all the time how are your pumpkins doing. And he knows when I have one bust and actually says its alright youll finish strong. Do any of yall actually feel that this hobby bonds family closer. Then my main question is Whos gonna go bigger this year Pap or Ron. Probally the best father and son growers out there right now.?

9/11/2007 12:49:08 PM

Nicholls Georgia

im doing all the work but my son love to help with the pumpkins not the work but i still love having him help me and ask me ? about what to do it brings us closer together and go pap go ron toke it last year but watch out for daddy

9/11/2007 1:18:35 PM

Georgia

Thanks for a reply it was just something I was thinking about while my nephew was helping me out. Most twelve year olds are to busy to help their old uncle out but hes trully interested in watching them get lifted and hoping one holds on to the end. Congrats on your personal best this year by the way. Yeah its not just a father or son thread its more about bringing family together. At first it actually hurt my relationship with my girlfriend because all the time devoted to this hobby. But when I come home now and see a pumpkin split now she sees the look on my face and knows how much this hobby really means to me. You look at all the great growers out there that are family members. The Larues..the Werners..Mckies.Wallaces and theres many more. It seems with support from your family you can really take this to a whole new level. Ron seems like a great guy but I gotrta pull for old Pap.

9/11/2007 1:34:59 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

It can do exactly the opposite and drive a huge wedge in a relationship.

9/11/2007 1:47:41 PM

Indiana

Dad is my best friend

9/11/2007 2:46:38 PM

[email protected]

So far I have been fortunate enough to have hubby's support in this hobby, right up to all of the tilling and mechanical mind I need for things I can't handle. He's been super and really super supportive when a pumpkin goes down on me. He knows I've been putting in the effort and how depressing it is when one goes down.

I know he's not looking forward to doing more tilling in my rock garden, um I mean pumpkin patch this year, but he knows in the long run that I appreciate it for one thing and he wants to see me do well for another. He's really a sweetheart when it comes to that. And anything else in the line of support I need comes from his cousins that got me started into this hobby. It's great and I love it, SVB's and all this year, I am still excited about next year's patch.

9/11/2007 2:49:27 PM

Nova Scotia

my wife and kids love as mush as i do.my stepson really took to it,we,ll have some fun next year.

9/11/2007 2:55:43 PM

Georgia

Yeah I thought it was cool seeing that Toms dad actually grew pumpkins along with him. Its cool to here that most of yalls familys support you guys. It took mine a while but now there riding it out just like I am. Diamondlady I hated to see it when your pumpkin split I have one of my favorite pumpkins going soft on me right now and I know it sucks. Good posts from all.

9/11/2007 3:20:26 PM

Carrollton, Ga.

Hey Jason,
My wife and son grow with me, my son matthew has his own plant and used a seed from a pumpkin he grew in 05. It is the biggest one in the patch this year. Here is a link to a pic of it here on big pumpkins: http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2007&grower=30472&action=L
I emailed you back a few days ago but have had some trouble with email so i am going to send it again.
Take care and grow them big,
Doug

Jn. 3:16

9/11/2007 3:44:36 PM

Georgia

Thats cool doug and a fine looking pumpkin. Its good to hear that your family grows together with you it helps them understand how much work is actually involved in this hobby. I got your e-mail and Ill give you a call this weekend. Take care man

9/11/2007 4:12:55 PM

Bristol,RI,USA.

I can see how it can put a strain on things shannon my wife is called the pumpkin widow but we have had some good times too. My dad has watched me for the last four years this year i gave him a plant and have showed him what to do i think he may be hooked ! i know he now has a appreciation for what we deal with each year i am proud of him

9/11/2007 4:34:12 PM

Massillon, Ohio

i think my dad secretly wants to pumpkin boat, but beyond that, he is still at the stage where he mows the vines intentionally. lol.

9/11/2007 5:14:14 PM

Pinedale, WY

I got my daughter growing one next to mine.

9/11/2007 5:36:37 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I guess it depends on balance....can't say that the Wiz has much balance....but that is a whole other topic.

My wife and daughter support the pumpkin thing and are keen to help out from time to time.

Last night (after I ripped out the 670 plant and cut the largest off the vine from our 577.5 due to blossom end "issues" she was standing in the pumpkin patch viewing area and said "aww, Dad are we down to only 1 pumpkin now?" And when I told her yes, she said "well that kind of sucks but at least you can grow again next year"

Gotta love that kid!!

9/11/2007 5:47:44 PM

[email protected]

My Daughter grows with me, puts in a great amount of time.
She has since the day I started, It's great

Eddy

9/11/2007 6:04:15 PM

No Place Special

My kids grew their first ones this year, they love it!

9/11/2007 8:39:02 PM

My mom finally showed interest this year, training vines and pollinating and fertilizing when I was in IL for most of the summer. Dad helped too, he controlled the moles and watered. At the weighoff this year, all our initials will go on the fruit. BLT Crawford will be the grower.

9/11/2007 8:39:18 PM

Cottage Grove, MN

The 5yr old twin boys are great until the weighoff, until then they report and kill bugs (know SVB's from squash bugs), generally help out with everything, say nice things about Dad's pumpkin. Come weighoff, they dump me like a bad habit for the biggest pumpkin, they were Foss's best friend last year here in MN. I got a pat on the back, Bill got champaigne, go figure. The boys and I and Mom have fun with the garden every year, the punks add to that. The expectation level of the twins is hard at times, all pumpkins are rated as above that of the biggest at the last weighoff (ie 'It's not as big as Bill's was last year Dad). Pay back will be fun.

9/11/2007 9:22:34 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Both of my kids (3 and 5) grew this year.(And took care of their own plants other than the insecticide) My wife doesn't venture into the backyard after about June 15th, so we're left to fend for ourselves. My son Connor won the Nebraska State Fair this year (see diary) and my daughter Nora took 2nd place. They're already talking about growing next year.

9/11/2007 9:48:50 PM

Washington

As well as the time put into the patches together, Jack and I have travelled to places we wouldn't have gone to if not for the pumpkins. Half Moon Bay and Uesugi Farms in California, Nova Scotia, Maine, New England, Japan, Ohio, Pennsylvania as well as the Carribean and Alaska.

9/11/2007 10:56:01 PM

Minnesota

My dad lets me use his land to grow them, nice.

9/11/2007 11:34:12 PM

Ashville, Ohio

dad did all the work for me while I was gone during the week on intership wouldnt have anything if it wasnt for him.

9/11/2007 11:40:48 PM

[email protected]

My son was my first inspiration when he innocently asked "why aren't ours that big?"

Now that he's ten he's a big help. As I've slowed down he's picked up the slack. Weeding, tertiaries, watering, vine burying, even pollinating. This year he pollinated one of our best fruit "Pancake" by himself.

During "meet the teacher" night I was able to see his "how to" manual he authored the first week of school. I was floored by the attention to detail.

9/11/2007 11:52:31 PM

Rhode Island

GROWING CAN BE A GREAT FAMILY EVENT. FOR RON AND I IT STARTED OUT WITH ME BEING THE TEACHER AND HIM THE STUDENT. NOW MANY YEARS LATER I FIND MYSELF IN THE ROLL OF STUDENT AND RON THE TEACHER.
BUT THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS HOBBY IS THIS ------ THE FRIENDS AND PEOPLE YOU MEET ALONG THE WAY.
I SAID IT MANY TIMES AND TRUELY BELIEVE THAT " BAD PEOPLE DONT GROW GIANT PUMPKINS", "I NEVER MET A PUMPKIN GROWER I DID NOT LIKE"
ONE OF THE REASONS THE SNGPG HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFULL THE LAST THREE YEARS IS FRIENDSHIPS AND SHARING OF SUPPLIES AND INFORMATION -- TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE.
NO SECRET PATCHES, NO KEEP OUT SIGNS, NO SANDBAGGING,NO BACKSTABBING AND, BEST OF ALL? NO EGOS.
THE BEST PUMPKINS AND GROWERS WIN. WE DONT NECESSARLY CARE WHO IT IS.

PAP

9/12/2007 5:47:34 AM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

My son has been helping me with the pumpkins since 2004, and he is really getting into gardening. He plans to have entries for the state fair in the FFA division next year. I might even try to have a watermelon for the stae fair myself. We have had some moderate success, and some huge failures, but we learn from our mistakes and don't give up. My wife and daughter sometimes get into it by tending the long gourds and entering the recipe contest at our annual Pumpkinfest in Anamosa. We will just have watermelon and gourd entires this year, but we will be cheering on the pumpkin growers who have had success this year. We spend a lot of time at this, but when it is time for a family vacation or to chaperone a church youth trip, pumpkins have to take a back seat. We firmly believe that if we keep priorities in the right order, we will succeed in the end.

9/12/2007 9:33:28 AM

Washington

I forgot to mention Niagara Falls to my list of places. And as Pap said, the people we have met have been priceless. Dave Stelts first invited us to the Ohio patch tour, Hugh Wiberg hosted us in Massachusetts where we were put to work at Topsfield, the time in New England at the patch tours was wonderful. The Japanese hosted us at their pumpkin festival on the island of Shodo. Meeting Howard, Danny and Diana Dill at their farm in Nova Scotia was awesome. All of the growers we have met everywhere are gracious people. And of course we have all gained so much from BP.com
Sherry

9/12/2007 9:50:10 AM

Washington

I agree that you must make time for family. We made sure that one day a week was a no pumpkin day (pollinating only). That day we would take our girls somewhere, the beach, the zoo, movies, whereever. We still have that day with just the two of us. We do what is needed but we take time for ourselves as well. This year we even took 2 weeks off in Aug. and went on a cruise to Alaska.

9/12/2007 9:54:19 AM

Jericho Vermont

I have been growing with my 13 yr old son for the past 4 years. This year he chose not to be a junior grower and decided to team grow with me. My other son helps to take care of the Long Gourds. What they have learned about soil science, plant disease and the highs and lows of growing can not be duplicated in any classroom. They also understand that just getting a pumpkin to a weigh off is a huge success. There are so many things that can go wrong before they hit the scales.Hopefully these lessons will carry on in other aspects of life for them.
John

9/12/2007 12:35:39 PM

Georgia

Thanks for all the replys they have all been great reads.I post on a lot of forums and I gotta say by far yall are the coolest and most helpful people out there.

9/12/2007 2:13:12 PM