From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Hubbardsville

I was wondering if anyone has any info. on how to raise a "milk fed pumpkin"? I have some very happy pumpkin vines with a few on each vine and lots of surplus goat milk. At first I watered the plants at the base with the milk, but I can't get to them anymore-the vines are HUGE! I read somewhere that this is possible and produces very sweet flesh in the pumpkin. Thanks in advance.

8/19/2002 2:50:11 PM

Edmonton, Canada

I wonder if Kilr could answer this question?

8/19/2002 3:01:30 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

best to do a site search on "MILK" ! Yikes!

8/19/2002 3:33:11 PM

Rydal, Georgia

They got onto me for the same thing. Running Joke about Milk and Pumpkins.

8/19/2002 4:05:33 PM

Long Island,New York

I think you need to use a wick.....Kilr? ......G

8/19/2002 4:54:25 PM

Amherst, WI

In Wisconsin we have many "milk fed pumpkin growers". Some of us get pretty big.

8/19/2002 10:29:48 PM

Western Pa.

No comment!

kilr

8/20/2002 9:29:43 AM

South Hill, Virginia

I agree with G. You let the pumpkin "wick" the milk by inserting the end of each vine into a gallon jug of sour milk. The more jugs the better. Most "milk fed" pumpkin growers will end up with over 100 gallon jugs in their patch that all need to be refilled every couple of days. Stinks like hell but from what I understand it is well worth it. Keep us up to date on your progress.

8/20/2002 9:41:06 AM

Long Island,New York

Rich...you need fresh milk to avoid the smell. Not the old stuff....replace the gallon everyday whether its used up or not. "Dairy Barn Brand" works best (I have stock in it). Those pinkish AG's are usually the product of the "Strawberry Milk" and if you want a squash...go with the "Chocolate" milk..gives the dark colors typical of the Dark side...........G

8/20/2002 10:44:19 AM

North Ga

Man O Man you guys are mean!!!!! LOL

8/20/2002 11:01:31 AM

North Ga

For not giving me this info sooner!!!

8/20/2002 11:02:19 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Oh wait until next year, I will hook the cow up to the fertilizer injector. Using one of those parlor milkers. So is a gurnsey better for weight? Geneva watch out.

8/20/2002 11:20:35 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Oh boy---YIKES!

8/20/2002 11:29:30 AM

Knopp, Germany

man am i glad i have been coming to this site for the last 5 months....svrichb, you must be an author....LOL

8/20/2002 12:53:55 PM

Sask, Canada

svrichb:

The wick thing doesn't work, been there done that.

The wick dries out to fast, ya have to use small 1/4" tubing like is shown in my diary entry for da beer, that way it all goes in with no evaporating milk.

And G you are partly right on the chocolate milk thing, most use 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 white milk that way the squash is a nice light green color.

Scrumgg:

Since no one else wants to answer your question directly, I will. When you get to the point you can't apply the milk to the base (I'd stay away from putting it in using a wick or tubing unless you know what you are doing.) use a sprayer, ya know those juggs you fill up put the lid on and pump it up and then spray. (a 3.8 gallon works great.)

Then simply spray your entire plant the leaves will catch it and it will run down the leaves, down the leaf stem and down to the waiting roots at the base of the leaves, also milk the stump area really good plus I would spray at least ten feet out side of your plant area as there will be roots there as well. Svrichb is right use sour milk fresh takes to long to break down and be of benefit to the plant.

You can apply as much as you want 100 gallons sure, it's bio-degradeable.

Hoped this Helped,
TTYL
Ernie
Giant Veggies

8/20/2002 2:38:52 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

This all sounds like a BUNCH OF MANURE AND LEAVES me to believe they're really isn't a good answer of what to do to help pumpkins grow! YIKES

8/20/2002 7:30:50 PM

canal winchester ohio

You know all the replies are funny but I remember believing that once a looooong time ago & if I asked the question ( and being a newbie) only to be the butt of everyones joke I would probably " sour" on the site quickly.
Let me answer the question, a "calcium" fertilizer will help your pumpkins but milk will only lead to rot in the long run as well as drawing animals & insects to your plants.......Paul

8/20/2002 8:56:45 PM

Amherst, WI

Good point, Paul. Scrumgg, and White Feathers, that really isn't a dumb question at all. I'm pretty new at this myself and when people found out I was growing big pumpkins, about 75% of them said, "ohh, you gotta put milk on 'em". I never talked to a grower who did it, but someone always knew someone who heard of someone who did. The only thing I ever read about it was in a packet of AG growing information that I picked up at the Nekoosa Weighoff last year. It said that milk contained 90% water which is good for your pkn, but it also contains animal fat, which is not so good. Good luck. Grow 'em big.

8/20/2002 10:45:30 PM

Yreka, CA

Oh c'mon. Didn't any of you read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books when you were kids? You know, she wrote "Little House on the Prarie" among others. They are great books for kids, by the way, especially girls I suppose. Anyway, she wrote a book about her husband's childhood. It is called "Farmer Boy." In it, the hero, Almanzo, grew a prize-winning pumpkin by feeding it milk. I always assumed that it was true; her books are non-fiction. But the only person I ever heard from who had tried it said that they injected milk into the stem, and when they harvested the pumpkin is stunk so badly that they were sick. Eeewwwww.
Patience

8/20/2002 11:28:28 PM

porterville, calif.

I have seen this question about milk 2 or 3 times. I have been avoiding putting in my 2 ents worth about this. But here i go. About 8 years a go i was at a Pumpkin farm in Bakersfield. This is where I saw my first Alantic Giant Pumpkin. They had it on Display with packets of seed and growing instructions from the person who grew it. He claim he fed his giant Pumpkins milk. He had instructions on how to use a wick to do this. I wish i had bought the little booklet. I did look through it. It had step by step instructions on how to do it. But I have not seen or heard of this until I saw the question ask here. I assumed that is doesn,t work to good , if it did everyone would be doing it. But i am tempted to maybe next year or the year after maybe experiment with this to see what happens. One thing for sure I wish i had started years ago growing these great Pumpkins. But Im hooked now and plan on doing this for years to come...Greg

8/21/2002 12:15:20 AM

Northern Ohio

To solve the fat problem, you could use skim milk.
Mary

8/21/2002 9:05:16 AM

New Brunswick

I, too, saw that in a Laura Inglis book....but forgot how they said they did it. Right now, I am trying to find a fertilizer that will jump start my pumpkins. They did not set fruit till the first week of August. I am using Miracle gro 2 tbsp/ 2 gallons water...15 30 15. Is this any good at all and if so, how often should I apply it? I asked this question earlier today and it was suggested I get 15 15 30 and I am afraid I am not going to be able to find it.

8/30/2002 2:55:12 PM

Key West, FL

i saw a guy on tv once put milk into the vines.

8/30/2002 7:02:58 PM

Montoursville, PA

No one mentioned that behind every McDonalds is a dumpster. Milk with additives such as sugar will fatten anything. Takes a bit of time but the price is right. Consider it a bonus when you find more than a few drops in a cup. Don't even consider other possibles here. McDonalds has the highest sugar content.

9/29/2002 12:53:32 PM

Me

i cant tell who to believe. half of you say it works and half dont. can someone who has actually done this themselves reply. it is very important because im doing a science fair project on it.

11/14/2002 5:31:24 PM

colorado

Chocolate milk... lol

11/14/2002 6:19:09 PM

colorado

well, if it is for a science fair thing..... try different things..... chocolate milk, strawberry milk, nonfat milk, whole milk... etc..

11/14/2002 6:27:07 PM