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nashville,tennessee,us

I am really new at this, we just started last year. Our first try was a 98 lb. Big Max . Won 1st prize in local fair. I have planted Dills giant this year and hope to do better than 98lbs. does any body have any good advise for us new folks. We live in Tennessee and don't know anymore giant "pumpkin heads" that we have seam to have become.

6/16/2000 1:59:06 PM

Commack, NY

welcome aboard!!! you'll find there are plenty of us pumpkin heads around. i can say with pretty good certainty, that you'll EASILY beat your previous best. as far as advice goes........just follow your basica gardening practices, THEN MULTIPLY THEM 100 TIMES!! just kidding. there are so many things that so many people do, so its difficult to know what you're looking for. a few quick ones, dont' know what your soil ph is, and i dont' think you have enough time to adjust it anyway, um.....plenty of water, wind protection, keep the plant well managed (dont' let it grow out of control down the street, up trees, that sort of stuff), cull all females that you dont' intend to grow to maturity, try and grow only one pumpkin per vine, not necessarily per plant, but per vine, spray for bugs, fertilize, and most of all, have fun! if you have any more specific questions, i'm sure you'll get a multitude of excellent advice from all the great people who post here.

hope you grow a real giant!!

scott

6/16/2000 2:35:06 PM

nashville,tennessee,us

Thanks FS, this is all new to us and I had no idea how much enjoyment there is to be had from growing large round orange things. I just hope they don't meet the same fate that our last pumpkin crop met , we made a really nice fall display and some young kids came and smashed all the pumpkins. Boy what a mess we had 5 pumpkins 3 were over 90 lbs. Does anyone have this same prob or is smashing pumpkins a Tennessee punk thing?

6/16/2000 4:04:25 PM

Commack, NY

karen,
tennessee punk thing.........have you ever BEEN to new york??!! well, just grow one so big, they cant' do anything to it. my 684#'r sat on my lawn for 3 weeks, some kids tried to take a wooden stake i had set up and smash it. it didnt' work! then it looked like they tried to kick it in, that didnt' work either. then i guess they just got frustrated and left!
there's lots of enjoyment in growing a giant, just wait till it starts packing on over 20 pounds a day, you could practically watch it grow!!!

scott

6/16/2000 4:18:01 PM