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Rhode Island

1.keeping the plant warm and healthy early on is key.be it greenhouses-heating cables-night time heat& protection? whatever your area of the world demands.you cant over do it here unless of course you forget to vent your house on hot days. then you could and will cook the plants.go with warmth at night and air flow and mild temps during the day.
2.take your time easing the main vine down to the ground.even a small soil ramp under the main will help get her on the ground.do not attempt to move the main (at any time a)until the air temp is warm or she can and will snap.
3.bury the main and side while growing the plant. add a small amt of mico product asyou go.stake the outer tips of each side and your main to keep in place. wind is your enemy and will snap the ends.uncover the main once boarer season has passed.
4.when pollinating on hot days keep the young pollination shaded - remove flower petals after a couple days if not the rotting petals could rot your segment area of the young fruit.
5. once you have choose your fruit be sure to put that s curve in to avoild future stem stress. (think of the vine as a horse shoe with the fruit at very tip of the curve) also cut off that last set of sides before the fruit. so it does not get in the way of the shoulders later on.
6. put belting or plywood-etc, under the choosen fruit before it gets to big to manually move.-very important as a fruit sitting on damp soil can and will promote rot later in the season.
7. spray as needed for diseases common to your area.
8. mouse bait around the growing fruit can be a big help.
9. keep pumpkin shaded during july and august for sure.
10.mildew is one of our enemies/ never water when the plant is heavy with due in the a.m. ( spores will splash around and spread)allow plant to dry before night fall.

3/8/2012 10:09:46 AM

Hinckley MN

Thanks Pap, these tips are awesome. I wish I had known these things last year.

3/8/2012 10:24:31 AM

New Zealand

yes.... point 2 was something i wish i knew 5 months ago... but learned the hard way. a soil ramp can save your season.

3/9/2012 2:31:15 AM

Rhode Island

a couple more pointers

11. when it rains it spores. always apply some form of disease sprays after a hot humid rain fall.
12. once your done pollinating its a marathon not a sprint.
pick the pumpkin with the best shape/natural angle off the main. dont be concerned if your not first outta the shute.no one wins a weighoff in july.
13. when all else is equal? pick a pumpkin with as long a stem as possible. short stems can be big trouble as the fruit grows
14. read a book on diseases in your area of the world. learn to recognize the signs, then react to what you see before that light at the end of the tunnel turns out to be an oncoming train. dont be cheap- have a leaf tissue test done during mid season.
some of the best growers in the world got that way because they could see & react to a problem before it got outta hand.
15. vetern growers of the world will tell you that its not uncommon to lose 1/4 to 1/2 of your pumpkins each year.your growing a freak of nature so splits,pin holes,sag lines,slow growers,natural and unnatural disasters, happen to everyone.its not a natural thing for a piece of fruit to gain even 10 pounds a day much less those that grow anywhere from 25 to 45 per day during peak growth period.
not every pumpkin you choose will make it all the way either.hey, if it was easy ? every weigh-off would be littered with award winning pumpkins.if you want a guarentee?grow marigolds or even tulips.

3/9/2012 8:26:03 AM

Baker City Oregon

What would we be looking for in a leaf tissue test? Would I have that done where I had my soil test done?

3/9/2012 11:15:59 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Thanks pap!


And great question whitey,,,,been wondering that myself!

3/9/2012 4:45:46 PM

Hinckley MN

even before physical symptoms of nutrient deficency are visable, a leaf tissue test can determine the deficency in time to correct it. it is a common preventative step in commercial fruit production.

3/9/2012 7:13:27 PM

Rhode Island

exactly as said by ben

3/10/2012 8:50:58 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Thanks Pap

3/10/2012 9:20:43 AM