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canal winchester ohio

I know a few growers are at the top of their game, but the rest of us are always trying something different to get us over the hump & start throwing 1000 lbers. So I was just wondering what others are doing different this coming season.
Personally my main change is my fertilizer, last season I went overboard & blew up every fruit I got set. This year with some help from Craig Lembke I'm going to try a different approach.....more organic based & smaller amounts spread out more evenly. I'm also going to use the product Joel Holland sells ( BioGrow Endo Plus )as a pre-planting treatment. I'm hoping that this along with some new pruning ideas I'll reach my goal this season...............Paul

2/10/2004 6:41:44 PM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

1. Dig out each site, several feet down through the
hardpan. Re-fill with a mix of clay, manure, and good
compost that I'm planning to buy.
2. Use mycorrhizea.
3. Use seaweed fertilizers. No chemical ferts.
4. Keep the hoophouses up another week, or at least until
we're forcasted calm and warm for the forseeable future.
5. Soaker hoses around each plant.
6. Do a daily weed maintenance around each plant and not
let it get out of control. Well, good intentions...

Regards, Cliff

2/10/2004 6:54:40 PM

Norton, MA

You mean besides buying Bruce W's patch? LOL! I wish!
1. Pruning plans, check out my diary.
2. Get rid of the weeds!
Alex.

2/10/2004 7:06:07 PM

Kenyon, Mn.

The most important thing for me this year Paul is I am going to FOCUS!!!Last year I was ,well, womanizin', now there is a soon to be Mrs. Bumpy, and she thinks all this is nuts!! how could you not Love her!!LOL

2/10/2004 7:19:12 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

This year I am going from eight plants to four maybe five. Start earlier to eliminate the SVB's. Read more and apply what I have learned from past years experiences(try to elimate my stupid mistakes).

2/10/2004 8:54:24 PM

Indiana

Lots of manure, less weeds and im gona try to grow one squash (along with the pumpkins)oh yea and drink more beer while working in the patch.
Steve

2/10/2004 9:35:00 PM

[email protected]

I think I'll follow my own advice this year & quit experimenting on my main plants. Aborts are too depressing. LOL Last year was a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of thing.

2/10/2004 11:33:51 PM

Deer Park WA

Predict the weather better to minimize early spring Xplant shock, and moderate September mild frosts.

2/11/2004 12:18:23 AM

Sequim, WA

Set up an automated watering system with sprinklers covering the whole patch. No more dragging hoses through the patch, plus using the timer means I don't have to be there to water. This year I'll work smarter, not harder.

2/11/2004 12:55:55 AM

Indiana

Weeds, Weeds, Weeds, Weeds, Weeds, Weeds.....I think you get the picture. 4 ft. tall weeds are not allowed in my patch this year.

Got a new spot, new soil, new program, and different seeds. Should be interesting, but not very optimistic until the soil gets fixed in a few years. I got my snickers handy, it could be a while for a trip to 4 digits again. Unless you count 591.5 as 4 digits that is......

Tom Beachy

2/11/2004 1:17:24 AM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Changes: I`ll cut tendrils before burying, and apply soluble seaweed each evening during peak season.

Carlos

2/11/2004 2:43:21 AM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Ah, and the weather too. I'll have a mild summer this year!!!

2/11/2004 2:44:07 AM

Knopp, Germany

Bigger planting area, bury all vines, trim off some secondaries, prune all un-needed growth as soon as it shows, after fruit set prune all males and females immediately, terminate and bury the ends of all secondaries at the 12' mark, put more boards down, and try to force the plant to feed only one main sink. LOL, from looking at my list, it is amazing I got anything to grow last year.

2/11/2004 3:00:25 AM

Johnston, R.I.

almost no chemical fertilezers,more organics early. try not to force plants, better insecteside program, plant two squash plus two pumpkins

2/11/2004 5:03:21 AM

Wichita, KS

plant earlier this year since frosts out here are 98% mild (temps rarely drop lower than 30 degrees F) and keep the hoophouse up. Add lots of organic matter to my super-heavy clay, and Nitrogen to help break down the organic stuff. Dig 4'X4' pits where the plants will be started, and fill the pits with mixture of clay, compost, manure, and mycorrhizea.

Also, I figured out how to wire up a household thermostat to an electric water valve in order to turn on a misting system when the air gets to hot. I am using this method instead of a timer because I don't want to cool down my patch when it is only 70 degrees outside. I want to cool it down when its 100+ degrees! My primary watering method will be a soaker hose on a timer instead of an overhead sprinkler.

That's the plan, and some of it is already accomplished. We'll see if my budget allows the rest (Lord willing).

2/11/2004 5:46:32 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

I've added a lot to my patch over the last 2 years this year I'm putting the soil back into my soil,no cow manure and no fertiliser apart from a bit of N.

2/11/2004 6:32:32 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

1) I will be planting all "Hot" seeds this year
2) No chemical fertilizer
3) a lot of compost will be used all season long
4) No weeds at all in the patch
5) I'll start my new patch for 2005 this spring
6) Apply some secerts i've learned this winter from several heavy hitters
7)I'll be using water timers for over haed watering when it's hot during July & August
8) Lots of compost tea
9) much smaller plants
10) Raised type beds for the plants to grow in
11) all Christmas tree style plants
12) I'll be using a couple different special fertilizer programs
13) Believe in my wife that this will be the year i'll get at least a 1,200 pound pumpkin
14) I hope to go to three different weigh-offs this fall
15) Do my best to get a 1,500 pound pumpkin
16) I'll be using some different products in my soil that I have gotten in searching the internet.
17) Being in a contest with a friend of mine growing a special seed to see who comes closes to geting a 1,500 pound pumpkin out of it.
18) trying something out of my head on just one of my plants that no other grower has ever done yet

2/11/2004 6:47:37 AM

Montoursville, PA

Nothing special going on here. I will have improved high quality compost tea bubbled up and extracted by a Biti Bobulator sold by and taken North Country Organics. I will attempt to avoid even more synthetics from my patch on of which will deffinately be 45% N Urea.

The improved tea plus AGRO-K Vigor Cal-Phos, a little corn meal and kelp should be a combination that will retard greatly, if not fully control, Milldew.

I feel better physically therefore I may be able to run a clean patch with clean dry air movement, in the manor, in which I was coached, but did not get completed, in 2003.

2/11/2004 7:02:49 AM

Brillion Wisconsin

There will be a few minor tweeks in my program for 2004 but most things won't change that much. The big change for this year will be my emergency hail cover. I plan on putting together some type of tarp-support post contraption. I want it to set up fast with 1 person and be able to provide protection from not only hail but high winds.

When the Doppler Radar is flashing red near Appleton my plants will be safe and sound.....I hope.

2/11/2004 9:08:37 AM

Edmonton, Canada

Going to cut off every second secondary.

2/11/2004 10:12:40 AM

Gilbertsville PA

I wont till the weeds down in my patch after the plant gets started. Had no idea that the roots can run that far.

2/11/2004 10:34:04 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

I am planting proven seeds this year along with some changes to my garden soil which include the addition of kelp and fish fertilizers, mycorrhizea, molasses and the use of compost tea. I live out in the country and it is very open with no wind breaks so I also plan on putting up an 8 ft fence along the north and west sides of my patch to protect the plants from the harsh wind. The last couple years I have added lots of maple leaves, manure and compost. Also I never used calcium until the middle of last season, so it will become a welcome addition to the patch. I have learned alot since joining BP last summer and will be incorporating some of these ideas into the patch this year. Also will be trying to keep the patch weed free, and will be using an underground watering system. With all these changes I'm hopeing to join the 1000# club. PB was last year, 747.2#s. Good luck to everyone in the upcoming growing season.

Phil

2/11/2004 10:41:01 AM

Northeast

A top notch misting system for the heat in August , If one of my plants throws a wheel Im gonna get it to the weigh off before she tips over.Way more Cacium spray, keep them all bone dry under better hoop houses, better wind protection early on.Above all have fun and take it down a notch, shit happens.

2/11/2004 11:04:31 AM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Reduce all other vegetables in the garden, weeds and spray insecticides to prevent virus infection
Grow on the ground (only some vines on the roof)and bury the vines
Cut every second secondary and get a fruit set on the primary

2/11/2004 11:07:56 AM

New Brunswick

!. Find another organic bug dust besides Rotenone as it just seemed to make the cucumber beetles grow bigger last year. Ideas anyone?
2. Pile straw around the plants and all over my pumpkin patch again. No weeds! I did have to trench as the vines grew. Using straw is a great idea. (Suggested by growers in here last year.)
3. Try to know for sure which plants pollinated which. I presume that means using cheese cloth?
4. Do not spray water on the leaves of the plants. Did that last year and ended up with mildew on the leaves. Just water underneath plants.
5. Plant only 3 plants this year.
6. Try to build a pumpkin lifter so I won't have to use my friends hubbys to load my "giants"
7. Talk hubby into hauling to more contests.

2/11/2004 3:49:31 PM

Ontario

I'm going to stop holding back. I was purposely growing small pumpkins so I wouldn't embarrass other growers I know. Well, no more Mr. Nice Guy! The gloves are off. :0)

2/11/2004 4:16:04 PM

wilmington,ma.

I plan on using proven seeds,try to go as organic as i can,
try not to let the weeds get ahead of me,ask more questions,and do better than last year!

2/11/2004 4:41:09 PM

ontario

Cowpie...............you fall in it LMAO..........now lets see you do something with that 735 Pukos I gave you LOL

2/11/2004 5:14:35 PM

I have a whole list at home, but since I'm at college, here's what I can remember.....
use a different pesticide
start fungicide earlier for powdery mildew (damn 501's are resistant :-)
PRUNE TERTIARIES before they take over!
get em in the ground earlier
bigger hoophouses
maybe heat the soil with cables
cull other fruit sets earlier
better dirt
more space per plant
stumps in the middle of patch for more root-in-patch area
actually do what the soil test recommends
maybe cut every other secondary
do something about soil compaction
weeds....no horse crap this year, so they should be better

some of this stuff has already been taken care of...some still needs to be...and i'm sure there's lots more that i'm not remembering...

2/11/2004 10:24:22 PM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

What am I going to change?

My cloths...
My mind...
My oil...
My internet provider...
My football team...
My beer....

2/11/2004 10:29:50 PM

Woodburn, Indiana

i'm going to control the weather and we are going to have the worst drought ever.

2/11/2004 10:35:01 PM

Key West, FL

It's a secret

2/12/2004 1:15:15 AM

Joliet, IL

gonna try shade cloth over the entire patch.
aluminet 30%. should be interesting.

2/12/2004 8:54:15 AM

porterville, calif.

Just work harder on my patch. Spend more time there instead of in front of the T.V. and the computer.

2/12/2004 2:21:09 PM

Rhode Island

used a cover material which eliminated weeds completly {although not recommended by the ah never mind} BUT was not as porous as the manufacturer suggested the change therefore a soaker hose for water underneath and a soaker hose above for cooling

2/12/2004 7:49:20 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Far less plants
Top-notch seed
Much improved soil
Less chemical ferts
Propane torch method for weeds
Smarter care overall

2/15/2004 10:51:10 PM