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South Hill, Virginia

My patch will be fenced in. Is it better to locate my hill close to one side and train the vines in the other direction or should I put them in the middle? Since I have yet to lay our my patch (I have limited space) would a rectangular layout be better use of my space than a square one? I would really like to have two plants, what dimensions and hill locations would serve me best?

3/24/2001 11:56:04 PM

Rush, NY

I believe it makes more logical sense to put you plants in the MIDDLE regardless if you go with a square or rectangle. That is because roots, in tilled soil, will travel a minimum of 25 feet in ALL directions. If you plant in the middle, the root system will develope in more of your prepared area sooner than if you plant near an edge. You can train the vines to cover the entire prepared area. The minimum area per plant that I would consider is 600 square feet.

3/25/2001 6:17:31 AM

Buffalo, Minnesota

well, ive heard that it is best to plant the pumpkin on the end of a patch and let it grow north or east prabably east, cause this way you could fit more plants in prabably, but then again i have never really thought about the root zone, thats a good thought. ~Bill

3/26/2001 12:33:16 AM

Buffalo, Minnesota

sorry bout that i meant north or south, prabably south,

3/26/2001 12:33:58 AM

Rush, NY

WildBill, Its your choice: Do you go for a bigger pumpkin or more plants? I chose the bigger pumpkin.

3/27/2001 8:25:31 AM

Commack, NY

anyone given any thought to a possibility that roots only grow where they'll get nutrients? reason i say this is in my observations (i plant at the end of my patch not in the middle), i have noticed that the roots only grew where there was a plentiful supply of nutrition. my backyard is extremely sandy, except for the pumpkin patch where i have spent many hours fortifying the soil. i used to have a swimming pool in my yard so there was alot of sand prior to me messing with the soil. outside of the patch there is very little grass, and still plenty of sand, but in the patch, i get weeds like you wouldnt' believe!! :) anyway, at the end of the season when i dug up the roots just for observational purposes, no roots grew into the "barren zone"..... all were contained within my patch. some were extremely long, and deep, but none went outside the patch.

3/27/2001 11:49:18 AM

Buffalo, Minnesota

i think the root zone was determined inside the patch because inside the patch i only where the soil was tilled, therefore making it easier for the roots to penetrate this thing we call earth. ~Bill

3/28/2001 2:55:29 AM