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Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Every year I find there is an abundance of things I will be changing for next season. Here is my list, anyone else have a list of their own?

1. myco fungi
2. correct pH. (from 7.4 --> 6.8)
3. calcium, seaweed
4. better burrying (on time)
5. less spraying
6. further look into proper genetics, heavy weights
7. less plant after the pumpkin (none on some)
8. humic acid
9. agro k program
10. maybe a change of music

10/8/2007 11:49:29 AM

[email protected]

#5 and #9 seem to contradict each other.

10/8/2007 12:22:36 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I should have said less damaging spraying like pesticides and fungicides. For those things I want quality not quantity. As for the nutrients, more is fine.

10/8/2007 12:25:25 PM

[email protected]

I plan on spraying fungicides every 7 to 10 days starting in July. And spraying pesticide every 10 days starting at transplant.

10/8/2007 12:58:56 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Bifenthrin (my new love) seems to be extremely effective every 14 days (make sure to not let new growth go 14 days without SVB protection though). I only use chlorothalonil when a problem exists, otherwise myclobutanil every 14 days too starting mid july.

10/8/2007 1:30:51 PM

Georgia

Ortho max which contains Bifenthris seems to work preety good. Im also gonna use Merit in the beggining of the season and then in june or July. Maybe I wouldnt have to spray so darn much. JRO I also use the same fungizides and I love Daconil. It works great for stem splits and soft stems also. I also have to keep up on my vine burying. I was gone for one week in July and came back to a jungle.

10/8/2007 1:52:21 PM

Minnesota

I just till the garden area, mulched up 3 bags of leafs, tilled them in, going to pu more leafs in.

10/8/2007 3:02:32 PM

Georgia

Leaves we just didnt have many fall this year its like they disappeared or something. People look at me strange when I ask them if I can come over and rake their yard.

10/8/2007 3:22:11 PM

ordinary,VA

lol@Jason
us pumpkin people are a strange breed..we love horse poop
and raking leafs......we really need help:)

10/8/2007 4:59:41 PM

[email protected]

Jordan
Ph isn't as much of an issue, My patch is 7.6, my water I use is 7.8, the manure is 7.4. I can't change that, it just can't be changed.
For sure on the Humic acid, I spread granular in the spring, and every watering had a bit of water soluable in it, along with calcium and kelp.

10/8/2007 5:14:44 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I haven't used leaves yet, but I will this year. Anyone have any thoughs on grass clippings?

I would tend to think that if anything, the manure would be slightly acidic.

10/8/2007 7:54:51 PM

Montoursville, PA

Green grass is nitrogen rich. Dried or brown grass has less nitrogen. Both are excellent added anytime. The source is important in the early spring. Do not add any that you know have had broad leaf killer treatments. A month later those lawn grasses are safe too.

10/8/2007 8:49:44 PM

Malaysia

"less plant after the pumpkin" - can someone explain what
this means, please.

10/9/2007 12:05:59 AM

Rhode Island

i plan on just one change next season ------ BIGGER PUMPKIN

10/9/2007 7:19:59 AM

[email protected]

durai, most growers have one pumpkin per plant, 12 to 14 feet on the main vine from where the plant is in the ground. the main vine is usually much longer than that so, he means he plans to reduce the distance from the pumpkins location on the main vine to the tip/end of the main vine and/or the length and number of secondaries.

10/9/2007 8:52:23 AM

[email protected]

Jordan, how much plant did you have after the pumpkin? How far out did you set the pumpkins? Why do you plan on reducing plant size after the pumpkin?

10/9/2007 8:54:17 AM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I set the fruit roughly 15 feet out on the main, and had at least another 15 after. This was due to poor layout of the patch. I dont think I will have more than 5-10 after this time. Also, I may experiment with no vine after one fruit to see if the benefits from a stem stress and positioning point of view has more benefits than vine after the pumpkin.

10/9/2007 9:34:19 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Interesting point of note......TheBiz used gallon milk jugs filled with water to place his cut vines in this year after he cut his 1502 off. The jug on the stump end used up over 1/3 of the water, the other jug (down stream) used less but still used some up. In my eyes this kind of proves that fluid does move from the vine past the pumpkin back to the pumpkin.......interesting ehh?

10/9/2007 10:04:17 AM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

That is interesting. Dumb question, but I have to ask. Were the jugs sealed?

10/9/2007 10:31:49 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Pretty much sealed as the vines were so big we had to cut new holes. The water could not of evaporated that fast both would of been at the same level. Other growers have commented too on how they suck up water this way. Ill be doing it again next year.....besides when my Bro wrote "Steroids" on the outside we got funny comments from the spectators.....lol

10/9/2007 10:36:41 AM

Johnston, R.I.

I am going to weed a little more.

10/9/2007 12:13:30 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Im going to water more, seems to have been the key out here in low humidity Colorado. Automation is the key........

10/9/2007 12:46:10 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

LOL, steroids. Evaporation was my concern. If both evaporated the same (plus the stump side took some) it would explain the "used less but still used some" part of the jugs. So you doubt that the amount used from after the pumpkin was only due to evaporation.

10/9/2007 1:49:27 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

We did the test twice, I was amazed and thought it was old wives tale stuff but we marked it and Ill be damned....TheBiz made me a believer...but it does show that their is some fluid pickup from downstream growth........The funny part was the Steroids on the bottles...next year we have another twist we are going to try.....Keeps the folks amused, and we like to keep them laughing....life is too short for anything else.

10/9/2007 2:03:51 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

TheBiz was using the clear, and we voted on a lifetime ban.

10/9/2007 2:04:32 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

LOL. Nice, well I guess I will be using jugs with water for the trip to the scales next year.

10/9/2007 2:15:41 PM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

lol Pap, don't we all.

10/9/2007 4:54:12 PM

Central Oklahoma ( [email protected])

I think I need to move North!!!

10/9/2007 8:27:49 PM

Georgia

Jon I think that sometimes also. Countless days at 100 degrees plus and only 3 two 4 inches of rain in the south makes it tough. But we got to grow in the enviroment we were delt and adapt.

10/10/2007 8:37:09 AM

Monrovia, CA

Interesting point....adaptation. I've threatened to move north-and east, but here I've never had to worry about early or late season protection and I wouldn't know what a SVB looked like if it bit me. But.....we've had zero rain and the city keeps hiking the water bills. Water is the only thing that got me through those 110 degree days. If I did move I'd have at least a couple seasons of adapting to the new climate....how do you build those hoop houses???

10/10/2007 9:34:57 AM