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Charlotte, NC

While most seasoned growers and some prepared rookie growers are just now running the OTT race while others expound on the fantastic nature of their giant vegetables I finally pulled the last vine yesterday morning. I inspected every vine..under, over, and in it. I inspected the root system, or lack there of, and paid as much attention to details as I could. All this just to gain a reference for next year....well, besides this place, of course.

*****DISCLAIMER*****
EVERYTHING BEYOND THIS POINT IS SOLELY MY OPINION AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS ADVICE. IT IS MERELY A BRIEF HISTORY OF MY ROOKIE SEASON 2010 AND WILL SERVE AS A GUIDE AND POINT OF REFERENCE FOR MYSELF ONLY. I PRODUCED 2 FRUITS THAT ABORTED WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK, THAT WAS MY TOTAL SEASON.
*****DISCLAIMER*****

Things I will beleive will give me a better chance at production.

1. Be clear with myself about what I am setting out to do. Example- Am I growing for size, novelty, or coooking?

2. Procure quality seed and store it accordingly. Example- Do not expect anything from Yanke Candle seeds, regardless of variety. Be sure of my source of seed and treat it with respect.

3. Understand the science behind growing, scientfically speaking. Example- Knowing the variety, maturity length, and any specail details about whether its a true pumpkin, etc...and what happens during germination, seedling, vegetative, flowering, and fruiting stages.

4. Understand that this hobby, not unlike others, has its own successes and failures and regardles of time and money spent even the most experienced hardcore hobbyists/professional growers are prone and can and will sometimes succumb to Mother Nature's wrath.

8/2/2010 9:51:49 PM

Charlotte, NC

(cont.)
5. Take good advice from good growers and make your own decisions. Example- Humans are fallible and will make mistakes, some more than others, but at the end of the day we are all accountable for our own actions.

6. Procure and understand the different pesticides/fungicides/fertilizers and where/when/how to use them. Example- I will not attempt to add or spray anything until I know why I'm doing it and am certain it is required

7. Bury my vines. Example- I found 23 squash vine borers in the last vine I pulled this year. Burying would have given me a fighting chance.

8. Know when to call it quits. Example- Trying to wish my vines better health will not make it so. Having a pity party will not encourage female growth, just like doing too little too late will not ensure oerfect pollination. Cut my losses and revise next years plan of attack.

9. Keep a diary. Example- I can't remember everything all the time, keeping track can never hurt, especially when determining "what went wrong?"

10. Have fun dagnabbit. Example- It's only fruit!

8/2/2010 9:53:50 PM

Newfoundland & Lab, Canada

Sounds to me like you've learned a great deal this year! That's a WIN anyway you look at it.

And thanks for the pics of the SVB eggs, I have never seen those before, and I'm sure others who have never seen them now know what to watch for. (I assume those were SVB eggs.) I just figured the SVB moth injected it's eggs into the interior of the vine.

See... now you've taught me something!

8/2/2010 10:47:14 PM

Fresno, CA

Very smart to keep a list like this I think. I have some items like that running around in my head too but have yet to document them all for next year as a reminder. Mostly my list will be all the things I did this year that I will NOT do next year.

8/2/2010 11:41:09 PM

Charlotte, NC

I wish I could attribute my most informative experiences to date to my own personal research. But alas, if it weren't for BigPumpkins.com, I would have pulled my hair out a couple of months ago and surely would have been discouraged from ever attempting to grow pumpkins again.

8/3/2010 7:55:58 AM

Western PA

eolson00, sorry to hear your season is over. Don't be dicouraged from this year. Everything you state is true.

Ask a lot of questions on this site.That is the best thing you can do. Take it from me, Tennessee Tammy, and many other new growers.

Last season the vine borers got me too. Last year I did not have a clue how to grow these beasts. I actually planted 3 seeds in one small mound(18 inch diam.) and I would walk right up to that small mound and pour water directly on the stumps, which led to stump rot. I did everything wrong. Lots of other stuff I did wrong too.

I spent every extra minute doing research from old posts and asking questions last fall and all through the winter. By February I felt confident that I could grow something respectable for a new grower. I set a 500 pound goal for this season, and surpassed it by far.

Not to be bragging to you or anyone else, I have a pumpkin sitting in my patch that is taping over 1000 pounds and is still growing. Another one is aproaching 700 pounds, and 2 more are looking great.
Everything I know about growing these, I owe to this great site and the people that use it.

Ask questions no matter how dumb you think they may be, do some research and have a great time with it.
Lee Zappa

8/3/2010 8:42:30 AM

Gig Harbor, Wa

eolson00,
Good observations about lessons learned in your first year. Sorry it didn't go any better. Last year was my first try. Last year in May, I planted four seeds about 4 feet apart with no idea which way my plants were headed. Around August 1st, I joined my local club, the PNWGPG and started to learn a few things. Somehow I managed a 235 pounder after getting much advise from some great local growers. I think I was lucky that I live in Washington State where we don't have some of the problems encountered back east.

This year I have 3 plants at my place and four more at my dad's that are going well with not too many problems.

My best advice would be to join a club if possible and get some quality seed. It is amazing how much information and seeds you can accumulate in one year. With those things, hard work, and a little luck, your second year can be so much better you wont beleive it.

8/3/2010 7:34:35 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

e, you dun good, esp. w/the tutorial...you are on the path to greatness!!!! Serious, w/the dedication you have, the good things will come!!! Peace, Wayne

8/5/2010 12:33:42 AM

Northampton MA

What's a Yankee Candle seed? I work there and I don't know what that is. LOL

8/5/2010 3:27:26 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

patrick, a Google search (Yanke Candle seeds) did turn up w/ seeds sold at Yankee Candle stores!!! Sunflowers, I think!!! The point Mr./Mrs. or ? Olson was tryin to make, was to grow seeds NOT from an unknown source!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...e, if you want a bit of encouragement, email Tammy!!!

8/6/2010 12:06:55 AM

Middle TN

Hi Eolson, This post is a lot like one I posted last year

( http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=14&p=309040 )

The wonderful people on BP have always been generous with their tips and advice even though Im sure I got a few giggles with some of the questions I asked haha
This season may be over for you (and me) but a bigger and better one is on the way! :)

Tammy

8/6/2010 11:39:25 AM

Charlotte, NC

The seeds I planted were ones I ordered from The Yankee Candle Company, online. It was a seasonal item last year from their fall/winter collection that was an impulse buy. I'm sure that the item will return this year around the same time. They were advertized as Big Max seeds. But yes, as Wayne stated, get seed from a trusted source.
Thanks everyone for all of your words of encouragement and I look forward to next season when hopefully I see some "fruits" of my labor, pun intended. :)

8/6/2010 9:05:56 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

e, Big Max are not AG's!!! I am certain that you know that now, & will not be growin them again in Two oh Eleven!!! LOL!!!
Tammy, yer link is abso hilarious/serious!!! You got advice from some of the top growers in HISTORY!!! and followed their advice, and grew a SLUNGER!!!!!! Watchin yer diary on a daily basis was way too FUN!!! Congrats!!! Peace, Wayne

8/7/2010 12:47:47 AM

Fresno, CA

I summarized my list here for next year, but the full list is in my diary..


Heat Stress Mitigation: CO2, Myco, Mulch, Start Season Earlier Standard


Patch Management: Increase and Balance Soil Nutrients, Avoid Compaction


http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2010&grower=51037&action=L

8/8/2010 11:07:08 PM