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California High Desert CinnamintStick@msn.com

This will be my first year growing pumpkins. Due to where I live (CA high desert, Sunset zone 10/11), I have not been very successful growing vegetables. I have learned a few things with my past failures but it is a real challenge here. My soil is sand with aged horse manure that has been blown on top and tilled in. The wind blows here most of the time. The horses are up wind. Sometimes the wind is pretty bad (I have had barn walls blow down) but most of the time it is just drying. I was told this is a wind tunnel. My summers are not as hot as people think of the high desert. We seldom have days over 100 but lots of days in the 90's. The sun is bright at 4,500 ft elevation. Our last frost is late May going right into the hot weather. Crops like tomatoes have a hard time setting fruit due to the heat. Will I have problems with pumpkins setting fruit? Right now I hand water my plants. Is that a problem with pumpkins? Do you just water the mound or will I be watering the whole patch? Water goes straight down. It does not spread out. I normally plant in a depression rather than a mound. Drainage is no problem here. The soil is very deep where the patch will be. We are putting chicken wire around the patch. It should help with the rabbits, but I still worry about the kangaroo rats, mice and ground squirrels going over the fence. I will take any advice.

3/28/2008 12:17:15 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Wind fences aren't too difficult - Jerry Rose found a great design - search "rose fence wind".

The real challenge sounds like automated misting/irrigation. Hand watering just doesn't sound feasible. Where does you water come from?

3/28/2008 2:10:01 PM

California High Desert CinnamintStick@msn.com

I don't think I found the post you where talking about. I did read a few on wind and fences. I don't think anything will help much when it comes to stopping this wind. The wind comes right through trees that where planted as wind breaks. Even standing next to the house on the opposite side of the wind will only block the wind a few feet. Most wood fences would be blown down. My tomato plants where not damaged from the wind as long as they hugged the ground. I just did not get fruit until very late fall due to the heat. To late to ripen before my first frost.



I do have lots of land and a big area for my patch. We also have as much manure as we could ever want. This was a horse breeding ranch. I still have about 20 horses (anyone want a free horse?), milk goats and lots and lots of poultry. There is no leaves or grass for compost. I do use alfalfa hay in the compost piles. So far I have bought 10 seeds. I usually plant a lot so I have something after all the varmints get done eating. I am a stay at home Grandma, so time is not a issue. We do have public water with one two hundred foot hose in the patch. We have 4 inch pipes and way to much water pressure. We are thinking of putting more hose outlets so I won't have to drag a hose to far. I am limited a little physically to what I can do.

3/28/2008 4:40:30 PM

California High Desert CinnamintStick@msn.com

Can you explain how the misting systems work? Do they stay on all the time?

3/28/2008 4:51:25 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Misting involves using low volume irrigation emitters that come on intermittently. The aren't used to irrigate. Rather they just moisten the plant, As they dry, the plants experience evaporative cooling.

You mention that heat isn't a problem but if things are as dry as it sounds, misters would help limit rapid dessication.

Here are several examples:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=52779

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=66061

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/DisplayPhoto.asp?pid=4364

Jerry Rose used boards. Here is what I remember of the affair: I believe they were 4" wide & 8 feet long. These were driven into the ground one every 8" which meant that 1/3 of the area was "walled". This resulted in a wind protection are 4 times the height of the "wall".

Another option is "The Great Wall of Nesbitt".

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=20656

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/DisplayPhoto.asp?pid=4879

3/29/2008 12:24:13 AM

California High Desert CinnamintStick@msn.com

Thank you for your reply. My husband and I looked over the links. We spent the day working in the patch and talking about what we could do. We think the wind will cause the misters to be ineffective if they are not low to the ground. I took some pictures today. I will be starting a diary soon to give a better idea of what I am dealing with. We both had no idea what goes into growing a big pumpkin. We also did not know they even got as big as they do. We both are dreaming about pumpkins. Is that crazy?

3/30/2008 12:03:23 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

No...it's perfectly normal around here. It's the rest of the world that's crazy. ;o)

3/30/2008 1:48:18 AM

Rhode Island

growing in the desert ? with heat in the 90 and over 100 degree range ? frequent high winds ? sandy soil to grow in ?

well at least powdery mildew and disease will not be a
problem.the things that concern me the most are

getting enought water to the plants ( id recommend soaker hoses, lots of them.

protecting plants from hig winds which is a killer - fences probably would not help much (just like that barn door ) id stake every leaf stem if i wanted to stand a chance at holding the plant together

pollination time a real challenge with that heat. ice around the pollinated fruit plus a fan on low would help.may still be ineffective.

personally if you can grow even a 100 pound pumpkin in the conditions you mentioned then my hats off to you

pap

3/30/2008 8:14:59 AM

Rhode Island

bamboo stakes can be purchased at most home and garden stores.
they are three ft long and as thin as drinking straw. but they work. ( tie the stem at top to stake ).

also cut edges ( 6 to 8 inches in length )of plastic coat hangers work well when pinning a vine down.

3/30/2008 8:21:12 AM

California High Desert CinnamintStick@msn.com

Tremor,

Good to know I am not crazy.

Pap,

My husband said 100 pounds sounds like a nice goal then. I would be happy with just finishing the season with sucessful pollination and a plant that is not eaten or blown away. I can't have the desert win.

I think I am just going to use this year to learn by. I am going to try a few methods and start dates to find out what works best for my climate. I should have a very small window of cool weather that is not frezzing or to hot for pollination if I can time it right. Did I mention that sometimes I am very lucky (and only 2 1/2 hours from Las Vegas).

3/30/2008 8:21:21 PM

Rhode Island

if your trying to time the pollination periodwith yourcooler weather (good call by the way ) then figure to be pollinating 7 to 8 weeks after the young seedling goes into the ground.

3/30/2008 11:11:48 PM

Fresno, Ca

I am in the San Joaquin Valley in Central Ca. Fresno area. I work for an agricultural company and one of our main crops is fresh market tomatoes. The guys here in the valley don't seem to have problems getting fruit set until we get multiple days of heat in the 100's. That maybe varietal though? I would add as much horse manure as you are able to help "bulk up" the soil which will also help your soil retain water. Mulch around your pumpkins once the begin growing with the horse manure to help retain moisture too.

4/3/2008 1:56:28 AM

Sloughhouse, CA

I'm in the Northern part of the valley Sacramento. We have days 100-115. You might need some sun shades. What part of the High Desert are you in Antelope Valley or closer to Barstow?

4/7/2008 4:21:59 AM

California High Desert CinnamintStick@msn.com

Sorry, I have been out in the yard working all weekend. I live in Phelan CA. I have lived in CA all my life and never heard of Phelan until 4 years ago. Some people know where it is at because they stop for gas going to Las Vegas. Others know it from going to Mountain High in Wrightwood about 10 minutes from my house. The mountain is why I am cooler than most of the high desert. But is also is why I am winder. I live in a microclimate that is even different than most of Phelan. When you drive off the main road coming to my house you always hit a blanket of cool air when the temperature drops 10 to 15 degrees year around. Sunset Garden book says we have 110 summer days over 90. I do know when we had that heat wave two years ago that broke records we only got to 102. All my friends down the hill lost lots of animals. I had 2,000 chickens and did not lose any. I copied our city motto below from there website. I always laugh when I read it. They forgot to mention the 350 days of wind.



Welcome to Phelan California
The Land of Champagne Climate

Spread across the desert foothills of the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, between elevations of 3,000 and 4,000 feet, is Phelan California, an unincorporated San Bernardino County community enjoying over 350 sunny and beautiful days each year.

Only 90 minutes from Los Angeles, 30 minutes from San Bernardino and 15 minutes from Victorville, Phelan stands out as a down to earth community filled with pride.

4/7/2008 12:40:00 PM

Fresno, Ca

I used to go to Victorville 1-2 times a year for work, had some chicken ranches down there. So you definitely have to battle those sandy soils! It was always windy down there we lost the roofs of the barns on more than one ocassion! Enjoy those 15 days of still air! Good luck with the pumpkin patch.

4/7/2008 9:33:25 PM