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vancouver canada

it is april 10. my seeds have there first leaves and are inside in peat pots. i plan to put outside may 1. my question is have i started the germination to early??? is it best for me to start over... pls respond, thx

4/11/2001 3:44:52 AM

walton n.y.

i thgink you're a little early and farther up north than i am our last expected frost date is the last week of may so i think you would be running soil heating cables and have to build an expandable cold frame for quite a while to keep your plant from getting frost damage

4/11/2001 6:02:32 AM

vancouver canada

i should have mentioned that all frost is ended by may 1 and possibly now. our climate is moderate. temps now are low of 5 and high of 15c so does this help with my question, thx

4/11/2001 3:32:23 PM

Roanoke Il

I think you may have started early but if you go with the plants you have started. I would put them in the ground no later than the 17th of april. I started one already Due to the fact The weather is cold most of may and september. Best of luck this season. mark

4/11/2001 6:01:42 PM

Newville/PA

I don't think you started them too early. I live in Pa and I already have to plants outside in a little patch of dirt and they are doing great. I save old water jugs(gallon size) and cut the bottom of and put that over it. My plants are doing better outside than in!

4/12/2001 10:43:48 AM

Rush, NY

Buzz, your plants may be doing great out in your patch, but the odds are stacked against you of growing a huge pumpkin on those plants. If you want a mature pumpkin for an event around Sept. 1, then Okay. Go to the "Seed starting" section and read my entry dated 4/8/01 on when the most successful growers start their seeds. The earliest was April 25. You are going to spend MANY hours caring for your plants, so why not improve your odds of growing a huge pumpkin.

4/13/2001 7:04:41 AM

Newville/PA

I know I have to look after my plants. Thats what its all about. Caring for your plants and trying to grow a huge pumpkin. My plants will be fine. Even though they are already outside in the ground. There's nothing going to happen to them and make them harder to take care of then any other plant.

4/13/2001 10:29:24 AM

Buzz,
Len is not saying that planting early will increase the amount of work. What he is saying is that planting early will make your pollination date WAY too early, which would lead to a pumpkins that stop growing WAY too early and loose weight or rot, making all that work a waste. I always listen to what Len says because he has grow a 1056 lber 968 lber 910 lber and many others.

Just What I Think,
Alex

4/13/2001 11:48:20 PM

Newville/PA

I know. But when I plant my seeds they always take longer to germinate. I've had seeds planted for almost 2 weeks and nothing is happening. So I always plant early so I can Make sure that I have plants to plant. And if they don't grow I have enough time to plant more. Thats what I am trying to say. I probably can't grow plants that well cause I am only 14 and this is only my second year growing pumpkins.

4/14/2001 11:05:48 AM

Los Alamos NM

I think you would be ok to go with your pumpkins that you already started if you want to. I think the time of when you pollinate is more important than when you start your seeds. You might want to look at the Mallorn archives http://hort.net/lists//pumpkins/apr01/

4/14/2001 11:21:13 AM

Newville/PA

Thanks for the advice. I am going to go with the ones I just started. If they grow fast and pollination time is moved up then it is. I am just having fun. And I never take my pumpkins to weigh-offs. I am happy with what I get.

4/14/2001 1:07:10 PM

walton n.y.

don't think that because you're 14 that you can't grow a big pumpkin the people who write on this and any pumpkin list want to grow big pumpkins sometimes it's hard to understand why things don't work the way they were planned the trick is to learn from mistakes and not make them again and to listen to good advice some of these growers have been growing pumpkins for years and are trying to help all of us grow bigger pumpkins just remember if you run into problems write us we're here to help each other

4/14/2001 6:13:19 PM

Greencastle, PA

I didn't know that there were any other kids that grow pumpkins out there, my friends all think I'm wierd. I have a desendent of the Stellpflug 1056 and 915 LaRue, it's the 481.5 Kilbert I am going to cross it with the 478 Kilbert it came from the 1092 Burke and the 846 Calai. I think I will get a huge pumpkin with those genetics, I am probably going to enter Topsfield Fair but I don't know how to enter. Oh, I'm 12

4/14/2001 6:37:03 PM

Newville/PA

Yeah. I will learn from my mistakes. Thats one thing I like about growing pumpkins. You can make a mistake but you can still get a decent size pumpkin. Yeah farmer tom I am 14 and I started growing pumpkins last year. Actually I only know 2 people who are younger than 16 that grow pumpkins. I started doing this because I love to get my hands dirty and I don't like being cooped up inside all day. Tahts what I like

4/14/2001 9:26:00 PM

Greencastle, PA

hey,
speaking of dirty, once the growing season begins it seems like my hands are permanently dirty, my mom hates it! This is my third year growing pumpkins, but my first year growing giants. Are those 2 other people or 2 people including me?

4/14/2001 10:46:14 PM

Choctaw, OK

I started when i was 11 years old....it has been fun every year...i didn't go really serious till 1998....i am now 18....7 years and counting.....took 3 years to get one over 700..."Iris" 762 lbs in 2000. The best pumpkin i have ever grown and will be the one i remember the most....even if i grow a 1000 lber someday. Sounds sappy but i loved Iris to death! I still miss that pumpkin.

Well, that is enough sappy stuff. Will be starting my seed in the last week of April sometime. Can't wait.

Case

4/15/2001 12:03:10 AM

Buffalo, Minnesota

Hey case, your 18 too, wow, thats cool, remember duke, he was my biggest last year, last year was also my first year growing these giants. ~Bill

4/15/2001 1:12:57 AM

Newville/PA

Farmer Tom-
Yeah I was including you.You and another girls that is 15. That is all I know of that is under 16 and growing giant pumpkins. This will be my first year growing giant pumpkins and I am excited about what I grow. Even though it might be little pumpkin. At least I know I can grow something. Hope everyone grows giants this year!

4/15/2001 12:00:12 PM

Choctaw, OK

i meant to say it took 3 years of serious growing for competition to get one over 700. Bill, yeah, i do remember Duke from the grower diaries last year...what was the final weight? Are you going to have a Duke II? lol

Are you 18 too then Bill? I am finding so many young growers now, it is nuts. Matt Corkum is only 16 or 17 i believe, he has grown some BIG squash!

Case

4/15/2001 12:43:16 PM

Deer Park WA

HELLO FELLOW GROWERS, VERY INTERESTING STUFF! It really dos'nt matter how big your pumpkin gets if you are growing for the love of farming. I started growing things as soon as I could walk because it was the difference between eating dinner or going hungry, now I do it because I want to "TAKE DOWN A REACORD"....Hay "BUZZ" go ahead and grow your "BIG PUMPKIN" It is great fun, but don't cry when it only produces minimal results because you started A MONTH EARLY.... If you need some new seeds to start I have a huge selection I will be happy to send you a few. Best of luck. Gadberry

4/16/2001 12:36:33 AM

Buffalo, Minnesota

Hey case, Yah i can seriously see a duke 2 in the future,lol and dukes final weight last year was 350.lbs, i was hoping i couldove made it to 400lbs that was my goal but 350lbs was enough, you really notice how big they are once you try and move them around,lol anyway this year i am hoping on doubling that weight since it will be my second year i just may grow a larger one hopefully, anyway good luck to all. ~Bill

4/16/2001 1:44:47 AM

Greencastle, PA

hey buzz I heard something about a high school girl here that has a garden, I don't know what she grows though. I have extra seeds too. check out my pumpkin site, it's a member of the giant pumpkin web ring, www.expage.com/mypumpkinpatch

4/17/2001 10:35:21 PM