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long Island

Finally, I got one to take. It is still small but its growing. It is now about 7 days old and the size of a basketball.

I have been covering it with a white sheet

Do I cover the pumpkin and the stem? Or just the pumpkin?

I have also noticed that some of the terts are starting. They all seem to explode at the end with a cluster of male flowers. I have been cutting them off but forgot what causes this. Can anyone help me with that?

7/28/2010 10:09:33 PM

Ottawa, Canada

Shielding the pumpkin from the sun should be your main goal. Shielding the stem won't harm it either. Tertiaries are normal, they're just extra vines that the pumpkin shoots out to keep expanding. Keep cutting them off unless you have room to fill. Typically, the main and secondaries will cover your entire patch without requiring the terts.

7/28/2010 10:30:09 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

wally34, covering the stem is a good thing to do to try and keep it dry...but if it rains, or if you run overhead sprinklers... and the sheet gets wet, it could cause prblms...? Oh, yeah...remove wet sheet, and replace w/ dry one, once wet!!! I would pull sheet back to cover pkn only. A raised shade structure might be better than a wet sheet on the pkn stem!!! The sheet on, (or shade over) the pkn, is to keep direct sunlight from yer pkn, causing the skin to age more quickly...young pkn skin expands easily, old pkn skin cracks easily w/ large growth!!! Hope this helps. Peace, Wayne

7/29/2010 12:57:11 AM

Deer Park WA

We use a piece of plastic over the cloth sheets when we water or it rains. Keep her shaded with the sheets and DRY!

7/29/2010 2:04:58 AM

Navarre,OH

Congrads wally on the set! If we wait we will get rewarded. I waited and waited and waited now I have 3 marrows set and growing FAST. Guess the little bit of cooling down of the weather helped out many of us.

7/29/2010 9:22:31 AM

Western PA

Wow!!, 7 days old and basketball size is HUGE !! I would like to see some day 20 and day 30 pics, this could get to be a monster.

7/29/2010 2:23:38 PM

Montauk NY, USA

Try to build a big sun shade 10ftx10ft. Mine has grown out of my shade which is 5'x 5'. Wally, where are you on LI? I'm in Montauk... gotta couple of bigguns growing.... Keep in touch, I'm curoius as to how your patch does! skishing@aol.com

7/29/2010 4:22:34 PM

Long Island,New York

Dont put plastic over the fruit on Long Island.

7/29/2010 4:26:17 PM

long Island

I will keep the sheet dry.
I will not be covering the stem.
Thanks for the replies.
And yes I am very excited and will keep posting my progress.

What about the tertiaries that I found with the clusters of male flowers at the end? Isn't that a sign that the plant needs something?

Montauk is awesome. So beautiful there. I live in the land of 70`x 100`. It would be a nice size patch if it wasn't for all the room the front lawn, driveway, and not to mention, the house, takes up.

7/29/2010 7:26:10 PM

Newfoundland & Lab, Canada

Haa haa... my place is similar wally, 75' x 175' with about 60' of front lawn and a 6 car driveway. I'd have room for a couple of good plants on the front if the wife would let me dig it up.

7/29/2010 11:46:06 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Congrats, Wally & skish!!! Grow em Big!!! Peace, Wayne

7/30/2010 1:05:16 AM

long Island

This is my pumpkin on day 15. I still have not named it yet.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=141321

8/1/2010 9:53:44 PM