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In the shade - PDX, OR

Always a great question to ask at the end of a season.

We should learn a little more about growin these monsters with every season.

What changes are you considering making to your growing plans?


I'll start with three.
1) add a little more fert to the soil prep.
2) Consider "fresh" unproven seed with great genetic background.
3) Limit / reduce the time spent in the patch in August. -ever think that you have loved your fruit to death?

10/31/2004 2:14:04 AM

Central Mi

1) More organic matl. added in the soil prep.
2) Be more aggresive with some of my plants(don't worry so much about splits)
3) Come up with a better way of fighting vine bores.(digging them out one at a time is not fun)

Todd

10/31/2004 5:20:57 AM

[email protected]

1.) More sun (took another tree down).
2.) Start fungicides earlier (back to the 2002 program).

10/31/2004 7:14:22 AM

Rhode Island

1. add a three in layer of composted chicken manure to the patch
2. mix up a few drums of manure tea to go along with our feeding program
3. will plant more of our own seed stocks

10/31/2004 7:26:59 AM

Ontario

1) Less fertilizer
2) Expanded patch
3) start fungicides earlier

10/31/2004 7:28:16 AM

1. Improve soil
2. More sun, tree removal
3. Better weed control
4. Less water
5. Better ventilation, remove every other secondary
6. Better disease control. When big Dave says start spraying fungicide, spray!

10/31/2004 8:03:17 AM

Ontario, Canada.

1) Less water soluble salt containing fertilizers.
2) Crop rotation expand and build fourth patch.
3) Water less during vine growth. Roots need to hunt a bit.
4) On going complementary cover crops to extract NPK easily
5) Organics more of teas, kelp, sea weed, worms etc.....

10/31/2004 8:45:50 AM

wilmington,ma.

1.Better weed control
2.Add sum cow poop
3 Less water
4 Practice what I've learned on BP.

10/31/2004 9:20:10 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

1. Manure
2. Maple leaves
3. Soil Analysis
4. Agro-K
5. Decent Seeds
6. Try to implement what I have learned from everyone.

10/31/2004 9:32:00 AM

Mastic Beach, New York

#1 grow more of my seed stocks( so i can go vacation)
#2 take more trees down ..need more sun
#3 better insecticide program
#4 set a pumpkin further out near the 15-18 ft, not the 8-10 ft mark

10/31/2004 9:38:24 AM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Raise patch
Add drain tile
Less fertilizer
More coffee grounds
Grow own seeds
Set further out on vine

10/31/2004 10:09:33 AM

Walkerton Ont

1)dont get as lazy close to the end
2)ballance out fertilizing
3)roto till
4)trim 3rd degree vines off late in season, do it right lol
5)level out ground before pumpkins grow larger, if i did this year i would of had first place
6)dont give up on a plant that has early leaf damage, and early crack on pumpkin, bottom line dont give up.
7)build better hut covers

10/31/2004 10:32:47 AM

Webster, NY

I don't know what the cost is, but I'd like to get a test on the soil to see if there is anything in the soil, (pathogens?)that might have caused my pumpkin to drastically slow down in growth. I'll have to talk to the local coop and see what they suggest. Does anyone here have any suggestions?

10/31/2004 10:58:59 AM

Massillon, Ohio

1) figure out what works, i'm still baffled

10/31/2004 11:03:38 AM

San Diego

put a curse on all gophers that eat mt plants!:)

10/31/2004 11:35:00 AM

San Diego

my

10/31/2004 11:35:18 AM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

For me, it's going to be the basics...
1) Got some competitive seed stock now instead of store bought
2) Soil prep, soil prep, soil prep.
3) Applying what I learned during this season and on BP.com to NOT take last place at next year's weigh off.

10/31/2004 11:41:31 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

1)soil test in spring and fall, adjust accordingly
2)trim a few more secondaries
3) keep in organic
4) beat Lawman again at the weigh-off

10/31/2004 12:11:23 PM

Knopp, Germany

i love basebell7's answer, thanks for making me feel normal!

10/31/2004 12:42:37 PM

Greencastle, PA

1. Take care of the plants for the last 6 weeks of the season...
2. Get a soil test
3. Don't do anything stupid

10/31/2004 1:11:14 PM

Mn

1. Add lots of leaves manure and ammend the soil.
2. Add another three plants to make a total 4.
3. Give better early season protection and polinate earlier.
4. Get lots of seeds.
5. Try to break this year's (my first Year) Personal Best of 729.5lbs.

10/31/2004 1:21:50 PM

ENGLAND

1. Come out of pumpkin growing retirement and get my patch back.

10/31/2004 1:53:57 PM

Halifax, Nova Scotia

1. Get that guy delivering my dirt to show up one of these days.
2. Expand patch even further (already gone from 100 to 600 sq. ft.).
3. Get some decent seeds.
4. Collect more OM (leaves, manure, and coffee grinds).
5. Train harder for the Pumpkin Regatta.
6. Continue to pay attention to the educated folks at BP.com.

10/31/2004 2:17:24 PM

Roanoke Il

1. Push them alittle more with a balance folar program.
2. build a sturcture to protect the plant from cold weather,hail ect.
3. Run rain gutters to holding tanks water with mostly rain water.
4. Put mill fabric under all pumpkins.
5. fumigate soil in spring
6. test soil for trace eliments

10/31/2004 2:19:19 PM

ontario

1. continue to build a new windbreak fence around each patch 5 ft high....( micro-climate)
2. plant seeds with better odds of going heavy
3. build greenhouse with temp control in my number 1 squash patch.....( they hate cold snaps)
4. larger greenhouses to totally inclose plants during poor weather
5. going to try and haul in river water...seems to work very well for alot of top growers
6. increase my potash.....calcium and magnesium levels

10/31/2004 2:32:35 PM

Indiana

#1- Revamp the soil. It didnt have the push I wanted. Looking for 200 more pounds of potential So a bunch of manure and leaves
#2- Balance out the seeds I plant between seeds that always split, and seeds that never do.
#3- tell basebell7 everything she is doing is wrong so she dont kick the varsity team's a$$ next year

Tom

10/31/2004 2:56:53 PM

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

1.Try and make sure my polythene doesn't blow away.
2.Bring back the cow manure I carried away from the patch last year.

10/31/2004 3:29:05 PM

Key West, FL

grow a bigger punkin hopefully.....

10/31/2004 8:44:35 PM

Mill Creek West by god Virginia

i wll grow a 1000lber next year!!!!!!! hopefully,actually get soil better finish my foliar plans hope to have over head spray capibility but most of all make and meet more new friends from big pumpkins .com god bless ya all

10/31/2004 9:42:28 PM

North Ga

Grow A.G. pumpkins!

10/31/2004 10:34:25 PM

Wichita, KS

fertilize

11/1/2004 6:44:47 AM

New Bremen, Ohio

1. Weed Control
2. Incorporate a thermostat to automatically turn on in my misting program.
3. Continue to attempt to master vine stress on the stem. (Continue getting stem splits)
4. Invest in a gas powered mist blower
5. Grow my seed - 1170

11/1/2004 2:09:39 PM

Eugene, OR

1. Remove at least every other secondary.
2. Use some sort of hail protection.
3. Get the seedlings out of their pots earlier.
4. Try to get a larger plant past the pumpkin.
5. Be a tad more aggressive with foliar feeding.
6. Use a larger cold frame.
7. Hope for a warmer August next year!

11/1/2004 2:30:12 PM

ipswich, ma usa

Plant beans!!.......LOL :)

John (5150)

11/1/2004 3:09:46 PM

Springfield, VT

1. Cut tree shading patch
2. Add more organic material to patch
3. Building Spring windbreaks
4. Have heat source for cold frames
5. Enlarge Patch
6. Floating row cover to hold in heat and bugs out
7. Look for better seeds

11/1/2004 5:19:27 PM

White Bear Lake, Minnesota

next year I will put the seed in the dirt

11/2/2004 12:38:51 AM