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Knopp, Germany

I would like to see some discussion on how you feel about letting 2 pumpkins grow on your plants vs only one. My initial thoughts go back to a thread we had last fall concerning sinks, and trying to work the plant into feeding only one. However knowing that there have been growers that have produced 2 massive pumpkins on one plant, and that you never want to come up empty handed at the end of the season, I was wondering what your thoughts where on this.

5/13/2004 5:06:03 AM

Knopp, Germany

By the way, if nothing else, it would be nice to see you chime in with either I am going with only one or I will have 2 or more going, even if you have no other input. thanks, owen

5/13/2004 5:08:00 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

Owen,
From a competition viewpoint, 1 pumpkin is all I would go with, BUT....there are several crosses this year I want to make that are just going to absolutely require more than 1 pumpkin on a plant. I have only been able to get one stubborn 730 Stellpflug seed to pop this year, had hoped for two. There's 3 genetic crosses I'd like to make with the 730 this year and since I don't have the luxury of siblings, the plant is just gonna have to bear me more than 1 fruit. Soooo....730 is not gonna be a competition plant this year but a seed producer for me.
Probably gonna be that way with several plants for me this year. I'm only getting one shot at a couple of crosses so the seed is more important than the pumpkin size and weight. I'm growing plenty tho' so the competition plants will have only 1 per plant.

5/13/2004 6:08:03 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Owen,
You might remember that I grew two pumpkins on my 712 Kuhn plant in 2002. The one on the main vine eventually weighed 658lbs which was the German record back then and one on a side vine which weighed in at 518lbs.
However, the main vine was broken through about two thirds of its diameter just 2 to 3 ft. before the pumpkin. The side vine was intact.
The whole 712 Kuhn plant covered 320 sq. ft.

Last year, I first had two fruits on my 845 Bobier plant (one on the main and one on a side vine). After about 4 weeks when the side vine fruit was about 150lbs I removed this one in order to see if the remaining main vine fruit would pick up on speed. It didn't... not even one single pound more per day than before removing the side vine fruit.
The plant covered exactly the same 320 sq. ft.

5/13/2004 6:36:17 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

Owen,
My 922 Emmons plant had a nice pumpkin last year that I brought to the weigh-off for 7th place or so.
It also had 5 or 6 other pumpkins on the plant and I don't think it mattered a bit. 300 kilos or so was all that soil was ready to produce in my opinion and culling the other 200 kilo or 100 kilo pumpkins on separate mains didn't matter as far as I can tell.
I'll be going for one pumpkin per main vine this year on all my plants if they put out more than one main from 18 inches from the stump.
Best regards and happy growing!

Weather sucks really bad here lately and we are in bad need of sunshine by Stuttgart.
Michel

5/13/2004 9:01:22 AM

Huntsburg,Ohio

Hey Owen i am going with to fruit per plant so i have a better chance at getting a big one. Plus i want to try some crosses this year.Clinton

5/13/2004 9:32:17 AM

Webster, NY

I've grown 2 pumpkins per plant before and they were all right, but my biggest has always been with one fruit per plant. That's what I'm doing this year.

Dave

5/13/2004 10:43:07 AM

Sequim, WA

Last year my biggest fruit came from a plant which had two pumpkins on it until early September. At the time I harvested the September fruit they had identical OTT measurements and were both the largest fruit in the patch and I had a number of other plants going at the time with only a single fruit. Would my main vine fruit have been larger had I removed the other one sooner? Perhaps, but it was hard to cut back to just one when both were growing well and were larger than anything else in the patch. The fair pumpkin went 601 and the later harvest fruit 715. Both were pretty much right on the charts. I'm not sure if I'll ever get a good handle on this issue. My feeling is watch their growth and go with your gut. If the plant seems like it can support two fruit, go for it. If not, cull back to the most promising.

5/13/2004 11:38:14 AM

Deer Park, WI

Hey Owen-

My take on this: I'd stick with one fruit per MAIN VINE. Here's what I mean, if you have the space to grow a plant that has a front main and a back main, then you could probably successfully grow two large comp fruits on one plant. I would prefer to allot at least 400 (5-600 ideally) sq feet per fruit. It would essentialy be like having two identical plants, all connected to the same pipe.

I like having one fruit per plant, nothing like the excitment of putting all the eggs in one basket.

5/13/2004 12:02:18 PM

Hudsonville, Michigan ([email protected])

Owen:
I'm with Joe on this one. But one other comment: some growers like to let a few extra pumpkins set out on the end of secondaries just long enough to encourage more vigorous leaf/root growth on that secondary. Then, cull the secondary fruit and you've got a bigger, healthy plant to support your main fruit. I know that was discussed on a couple of Holland videos a few years back.
Frank

5/13/2004 12:37:18 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

I think it depends on how you do it. Steve Daletas grew his 1016 and 1230 on the same plant. As I understand it he trained his first secondary to be a second primary vine.

5/13/2004 12:44:06 PM

Western Pa.

A few years ago, I culled a 382# pumpkin in August from my 801 Stelts plant. The other pumpkin went on to weigh in at 634.5#. I still must contemplate, if I had stuck with only one fruit, could I have had my first 1000#er+? If you want fullest potential, go for broke and just 1 fruit. (And pray she holds on!)

5/13/2004 1:13:22 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Matt is correct.
The most successful way to get two (large) fruit from one plant is a WISHBONE. - provided that you have the patch space.

I was thinking about 2 fruit on one of my plants as well.
The plant will be pruned as a Quinn Flag.
If I decide to do this the second fruit set will be on the secondary main (first secondary). The plan is to set it out as far as possible. 15 to 18 foot.

If it seems like it is stealing significant pounds from the main fruit I'll sever the secondary main from the plant and allow the auxilary roots feed it.

5/13/2004 1:13:52 PM

Ga.

LOL Owen..Thnx for the question..Now my choice just got harder...lol...

5/13/2004 4:31:50 PM

Kenyon, Mn.

I don't see why there is a debate here, sure, someone, somewhere may have gotten 2 large pumpkins on one plant, but I've had chickens lay double yolk eggs too!It is not any particular thing thats going to cause this to happen, I can plant my sweet corn on a 12" grid and get a wonderful harvest, but then, thats my soil quality, that doesn't mean I'd advise my neighbor to try it.Back to Basics Boys, like Kilr said "Go For Broke" one plant,one fruit

5/13/2004 6:02:44 PM

Eveleth MN

Being my first year I'm shooting for a 2-for-1 deal, I need the pratice :)

5/13/2004 6:14:04 PM

Enumclaw WA

Last year I had two or three per plant. I didn't have the guts to cull them. This year will be one per plant. A little more risky perhaps but what the heck... gotta go for it. You guys will all console me if I loose them all and I can still help at the wiegh-offs. Happy growing

5/13/2004 11:18:37 PM

Knopp, Germany

Seems that the biggest factors in determining to let a second fruit grow are the quality of your soil, and the amount of room you have to grow that one plant. Since my soil is no where near perfect, and I do not have 1000 sq ft for one plant, then I guess i will be going with only one fruit per plant. Like Great Pumpkin said, you guys will console us and we can still help out at the weigh-offs.

5/14/2004 1:43:45 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

This was a great thread Owen!
Seems that from what Martin said it won't matter too much if there is one pumpkin per main vine or only one pumpkin for the whole plant. My experience was similar.

I plan to wait and see what the plants look like and only then compare the pumpkin growth rates and finally make my culling decisions.
Just wanted to wish you luck again and a lot of fun this year.

My own theory is that the soil and the plant work together and determine it's own sink etc... and that we just have to monitor each of the pumpkins on the plant to see which is growing at the fastest rate and then cull the others.
I tried also last year to see where the veins into the pumpkin were coming from but it was too tough to form a definite conclusion.....regarding how to prune the secondaries...

Michel

5/14/2004 3:22:59 AM

San Luis Obispo Ca

Owen, great luck to you and all you dude's The great pumpkin lives!

5/15/2004 8:58:56 PM