From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

I am wondering if anybody out there has tried to plant secret pumpkins.

I had the idea last night while sitting on a bench near a bare raised bed at my University. I thought, wouldn't it be cool to secretly plant pumpkin seeds there? Then I got to thinking that this could be a fun movement. People would go to ravines, wooded areas, abandoned lots, wherever, to plant AGs. They would not disclose the location for security reasons, but would take periodic pictures for a journal like on this site. It's a bit subversive, and a bit reminiscent of pot growers, but it could be a good way for people to grow AGs without a garden or farm of their own.

11/19/2004 1:38:50 PM

Edmonton, Canada

I've got one tucked in behind the building I work at! My productivity goes down in the summer, but the boss doesn't seem to care!

11/19/2004 2:24:04 PM

Garden

I planted a few in a friends front yard one night(without telling her), but the gardeners just mowed over them.
I thought about keeping a few in my pocket and just randomly plnting them, but finding a place that had a consistant water supply was a problem.

11/19/2004 2:37:08 PM

Indiana

That is what your supposed to do with pot seeds on april 20th every year plant them in a public place. hmmm think of 1000#ers in all the city parks

11/19/2004 6:29:05 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I know a grower called Jill who has been growing AGs secretly for quite a long time. Back in the 1970s she broke the 1500lbs barrier and now she grows them in the 2000lbs range on a regular basis.
However, as she wants to remain secret, she doesn’t show up at any of the weighoffs, doesn’t tell us where she is growing them and how she is doing it.
So, growing secretly is definitely a good idea as long as you don’t need the public’s interest in your achievements.

11/19/2004 6:33:13 PM

Itzetown City

LMAO, thats a good one, martin!

11/19/2004 7:27:36 PM

[email protected]

Martin,

Rumor has it that Jill sets them, out along the side of the Garden State Parkway.

11/19/2004 9:14:04 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

That's really weird. I've been thinking about doing that for awhile and have actually been scoping out spots, but thought I was the only one that nuts.

11/20/2004 12:29:05 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

I was thinking some more about this.

There should be a contest for the best/biggest pumpkin grown in a secret location, and one for the best location.

I think that almost anything should be allowed as long as the area is accessible (or, at least, visible) by the general public. For example, the Whitehouse lawn may not be accessible to everyone, but it's visible.

I don't think there should be any restrictions on fertilizers or irrigation systems. If you can get away with building a huge apparatus in a public area, go for it!

And, the most important rule is that you are NOT allowed to ask permission. That would ruin the pseudo-subversity of it all.

11/20/2004 12:40:28 AM

Ontario, Canada.

crammed....LOL..... This is the neatest topic yet here at BP.com.


Subversive growers of North America rise up and plant your seeds. I can think of several spots an AGP might grow and mature into a huge pumpkin.

11/20/2004 6:17:44 AM

Long Island,New York

been there done that...nothing but heartbreak and dissappointment.

11/20/2004 8:36:00 AM

Whidbey Island

You need a water source, perhaps good soil and fertilizer. Look for a public spot with a septic system and drain field. Then an occasional light pruning and culling at night and you might have a winner.

11/20/2004 9:46:38 AM

[email protected]

Gorilla gardening is exciting but potentially illegal & loaded with possible heartbreak. G is right.

11/20/2004 12:35:04 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

I'm more thinking about planting hundreds of seeds in areas where they are likely to grow mature fruit. I'm not planning on taking care of them. I just want to introduce "wild pumpkins". edge of ravines where they may have a water source. Spillways, creeks, undeveloped land. Kind of a Johnny Appleseed of pumpkin growing.

11/20/2004 6:19:44 PM

Hanover,Ontario,Canada

What and attract more cucumber beetles!!!!!!!

11/20/2004 6:55:52 PM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Will seeds survive in the ground over the winter? Would ity be a waste of time to go down to the ravine near my house tomorrow?

Daver, YES! We should try to attract all of the cucumber beetles that we can. Better in a secret location than in our own patch. :-)

11/20/2004 7:03:33 PM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Tremor, I guess you're right about the possible legal implications. But, I imagine that the only illegal part would be planting the seed. And, I don't know how they'd prove that it was you who did it. I imagine that it's not illegal to "visit" a plant in a public place.

11/20/2004 8:02:32 PM

Erlangen, Germany

crammed:
Sounds like a fun idea! Of course it wouldn't be possible in an overcrowded country like the Netherlands (where I come from) because there every square meter is owned by someone, and regularly mowed or dug up. In Germany (where I live now) chances look better, although there probably is a rule against it: they have rules against everything :-)

Where I work there is a lot of greenery between the buildings, and they don't mow everywhere. Think I'll try it there, like Smitty. During the night they have dangerous watchdogs running around. So I will be forced to care for the plants during work hours...

11/21/2004 5:10:33 AM

[email protected]

Some seeds always manage to survive winter & get tilled under here in the spring.

The legality issue I was thinking about was more concerned with the possible use of pesticides to keep them healthy.

If I had one cranking up over 300 lbs in July & saw Powdery Mildew setting in, I'd be hard pressed to restrain myself from applying a fungicide.

11/21/2004 7:51:01 AM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

This is bizarre, for years I lived in a 400 sq ft apartment and every year I thought about sneaking off into a city park (Stanley Park for those of you who know Vancouver) and planting some AG seed in the park somewhere, out of sight. I actually did once, but there was too much shade, and not enough time from me tending it. If you can, I say go for it. I don't know of any kind of legal charge (at least here in Canada) for doing it, technically, unless the plant causes damage, but with the running gun battle down Broadway about an hour ago, what cop is going to go after a pumpkin grower??

11/21/2004 9:31:31 AM

Oz

CANADIANS with guns????

11/21/2004 9:46:54 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Guns...They must be drug dealers from the US....LOL

11/21/2004 11:31:21 AM

Napa Valley, CA

Many of the freeways here in California have water systems to keep the shrubbery green. Maybe I should take a few thousand pumpkin seeds and toss them in the freeway shrubbery around the state. Hmmm, I think giant pumpkins lining our highways and median strips would look a lot more
interesting than oleander.

11/21/2004 4:39:27 PM

Itzetown City

Seaman, sometimes it looks like wilderness but as in other countries also in Germany every sqare meter is owned personally or by the state.
And here no rules against anything, show me the rule against tax paying, I would need so bad. LOL
But sure, it would be interesting to plant some pumpkin seeds in the wilderness and look what happend.
OH oh, by Secret Pumpkins I thought at Pumpkin voyeur and Mike F. or so and now I must read about "canadians with guns, Drug-Dealers etc.", I´m totally confused. LOL

11/21/2004 5:50:08 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

All self respecting Canadians own guns. It's just the drug dealers & lowlifes that have the unregistered guns and use them for criminal activities.

Phil

11/21/2004 7:15:53 PM

ENGLAND

Just come back from a great spot for a Secret Pumpkin next year. Large Spring fed Pool in a clearing in the middle of a very large wood. The trees are not close enough to the edge of the pool so as to restrict the light for 90 percent of the day. No one ever goes in there except for the Kame Keeper and i will inform him of what i will be doing. I am not going to direct Seed but place a seedling a few feet from the waters edge and just leave nature to do it's work.

11/22/2004 7:44:57 AM

ENGLAND

Kame Keeper ?? Should read Game Keeper

11/22/2004 9:25:13 AM

Erlangen, Germany

boehnke,
of yourse you're right, every m2 has an owner. Well, if I plant at my workplace, at least I'll know who the owner is, yes?
(If you could see some of the stuff growing there, one or two pumpkin plants will hardly get noticed.)
My colleagues will just wonder why I don't go to have lunch with them anymore...

On the tax thing, sorry I have to disagree. To me it looks as if there IS a rule here against paying tax, but it holds only for large companies, not for individuals... :-)

11/22/2004 3:15:23 PM

Montoursville, PA

Keep an eye on you neighbor. Remove his little yellow neck squash seedlings and slip in a winner. :)

11/30/2004 9:00:26 PM