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Vermont Green MTN State

Hi there!
Staring my 1st real Giant Pumpkin Patch this summer! I have grown 80lbs pumpkins on seeds with no special genetics last year. This year I have the real thing, Dill's Atlantic. I wanted to use a gravity drip system. Has anyone else used this system? If so did you use tape, tubing, and tubing with emitters? I have some 55 gallon drums to hold the water.
Also have you put manure tea though these systems?
Did it work or just clog everything?
How muck tea can be safely given to my pumpkins?
What would be the best way to feed the pumpkins this tea?
Thanks Guys,
Doeski

2/18/2004 2:10:28 PM

Montoursville, PA

I'll take a shot at your answer. I did this last summer being the first known grower to install T-Tape, gravety fed to a 1000 sq. ft. patch underground. You may see my tower in my diary.

I fed fish, kelp, compost tea and numerous AGRO-K liquid fertilizers through the gravety fed system. One of the keys to sucess is using inline strainers mostly to stop an error on the grower's part. I saw no build ups what so ever at seasons end when we pulled the system for fall 2004 additions of manure, compost and other amendments. All components save one we murdered will go back into use this spring.

I went to Dripworks of California a firm you can search through Google. Together we put together the system you are inquiring about.

Their catalog is on line. Quite a few of the growers here have used their T-Tape for gravity fed systems.

Take a look into the company...DRIPWORKS OF CALIFORNIA. Look at the tower and description in my diary. Make your rough plan and call them. That is what they prefer you do. In that way they can use the experience of many growers to help you specifically.

The one question that is hardest to answer is the amount you could feed. I will be feeding about a gallon of high quality aerobic tea a week through the system to the ground. In addition I will be foliar feeding the same tea once each week. This program was developed after much talk and purchase of a Biti Bobulator made by NORTH COUNRY ORGANICS. That web site http://www.norganics.com/about.html contains a lot of compost tea data you may wish to consider.
The system will make five gallons in about twenty hours. The ballance of the tea will be used on my other lawn and garden areas in support of other organic feeding we have been doing for many years. Both the Biti Bobulator and the quality of tea it will produce is clearly established as one of if not the highest quality in the industry. Testing reports are in the site for your consideration.

2/18/2004 2:46:35 PM

Eugene,OR

Doc Gipe: How many gallons of water did your tower hold and how much water did you apply per day?

2/18/2004 6:53:57 PM

someone get this person some good genetics!

2/18/2004 11:50:55 PM

Midway City, California

Brigitte Brigitte Brigitte We must remember what we were when we were just learning. Maybe you have some genetics to spare.------- Water

2/19/2004 12:03:21 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

I kind of Agree with Brigitte here. The 1st year either it hooks you hard or you fizzle out. Seeds of some known genetics are needed. Doeski if you need seeds just holler. Always willing to give a 1st year grower something good. Unless your name is Brigitte then you get to grow mine, and almost whoop my best.

2/19/2004 1:40:19 AM

Montoursville, PA

My tower held two drums or 110 gallons. It took me about fourty five minutes to fill the drums from a garden hose and one hour and twenty minutes to deliver it to my patch.

...My humus is at 17%. This high humus held lots of water while keeping it largely underground eliminates surface evaporation.

....Last summer the Northeast had to much rain pretty much all year. I used my system to deliver some fertilization. I could hardly develop any feel for how many gallons a day I would need to work in conditions different than mine. I'm not even sure what I would need but my guess is less than fifty gallons a day per plant. That must be figured out for each patch according to the patch needs. I have room on the top of my tower to add barrels if I need more. I do not think I will need to add more.

.....I can say that the black barrels warmed up considerably in half a day of sun. I used a mosquito larva killer in my barrels. First I used half an ounce of Neem Oil and later those speciality doughnut like commercial items.

2/19/2004 9:09:48 AM

Vermont Green MTN State

Wow,
I am impressed with the feedback! Thanks Guys!!!
Shannon I would most appreciate some good genetics! That would be great! I will email you. My Family is from Wisconsin, Stevens Point & Whiting.
I am so excited about growing this summer, though I look out my window and see that it will be a while before all this snow melts! In Berkshire VT where I live, we got 104 inches of precipitation this winter already!
Unfortunately I will have to start my pumpkin patch in the spring, we ran out of time to do it before the winter came last year. I do have great soil! I grew a 30lb birdhouse gourd last year, that thing could house a seagull!
There are no ladies in the Giant pumpkin growing scene here, so I am determined to become one!
Thanks Soooo Much for all the help!

2/19/2004 2:24:38 PM

Doeski! Steven's Point is just down the road from us!.... Well...a couple hours, but I know where it is anyway. Good luck this summer...Shannon lives just down the road from me, he'll get ya hooked up right! I'll send some of my seeds along too.

2/19/2004 4:31:07 PM

Vermont Green MTN State

Thanks Brigette!
I have looked at the Growers Diaries since and have seen pictures you and Shannon have posted. Like I told Shannon, no ladies compete in pumpkin weigh-offs here, so I would like to be one of the first. The guy who won last year grew a 1,039 Pounder! I don’t think I will get that lucky, but if I get one I could enter and be proud of that would be fine. I also found the seed request part of this web page, I put my name in there too. Have you requested seeds before?
I have e-mailed Shannon my address.
Thanks again guys!

2/19/2004 5:08:37 PM

Vermont Green MTN State

Oops sorry I made a spelling mistake! Brigitte. Hope my pumpkin growing is better than my spelling!

2/19/2004 5:11:02 PM