From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Mn

Hi other first year guys - I thought I would share my mistakes, tips and/or advice from my first year so far. I have read almost everything I could find online about growing giants but either forgot about it or never found the info. Below is a couple things I have learned and tips for other first year guys. To all the experienced guys i am sure these are laughable and common sense to you but this is new for me, so don't laugh too hard:) I will add this is what i have learned for my area and may not be right for you, but it is what i have done or am doing...enjoy
1. Your hoop houses, cold frames, hot houses, will get HOT. I mean HOT HOT quick - if its 65 and sunny your house will be over 100 It should vented with a van. Also, if it gets really hot out like 85 plus the only way i found to cool my plants off was a shade cloth over the hoop house. This dropped the temp like 15 degrees in 5 seconds
2. Your support sticks to hold your plant will poke holes in your leaves. keep them above your leaves or far below. The wind will blow your leaves and hit the top of the sticks poking little holes in them
3. You will love and hate the weather. Mostly hate.
4. Don't over due your soil in the start - i had my soil too jacked up making my first true leaves curl and it scared me shitless - haha
5. Don't panic - I know the old timers say this all the time, but maybe it will sink in coming from a new grower too. The saying "give it a week" is great advice. My new plants didnt start out perfect, curled deformed leaves and a week later they look great. I also had a crack in the stem on my 1781 and a week later it looks fine..etc etc etc...

5/11/2016 10:21:24 AM

Mn

6. Find a grower in your area that you can ask questions via text message or a phone call. (remember i said not to panic but it will happen no matter what i say :)) this is the best resource when you need an answer to a question or you feel to stupid to post it on BP. Trust me i have had several.
7. Dinty Moore stew works wonders for growing monster pumpkins, but don't over do it
8. Remember you are growing a pumpkin. A pumpkin....not a child...not an animal...a pumpkin...Dont take this too serious ...if your kids want to help, let them help....if they want to come in the patch, let them come in the patch - The best trick i have learned is tell them the dirt is hot lava, they never fall off the walking boards :)
Please share anything you guys have learned or just post what you are growing. I am curious to see how many new guys we have out here this year.
PS i am growing the 1781 Zyweic, 1724.5 Steil, and the 1662 Steil.

5/11/2016 10:21:45 AM

Guelph, ONT

This is cool Q Tip...your at 8 things and we haven`t hit Bug Season yet.
#9 get familiar with bad insects like cucmber beetle,and the most hated Squash Vine Borer....
My first year I seen a squash vine borer flying around.
I was like whats that thing up to? maybe it eats cucmber beetles D`oh

5/11/2016 4:29:20 PM

Central NY

Yes.. Stay on top of your spray schedule ...once a week bug killer, once a week fungicide ...NEVER spray in the sun... (I didn't even have to ask to learn that one )

5/11/2016 7:07:38 PM

Central NY

Stick to fertilizer application rates... Even if you only use miracle grow, blue-er water isn't always better...

5/11/2016 7:11:08 PM

Central NY

Take your time moving vines...some adjustments can take a couple days..(I started listening closely last year and heard every vine I cracked...always move them when it's warm ...

5/11/2016 7:13:30 PM

Central NY

Snip tertierarty vines as soon as you see them..(the vines coming off the secondary vines...or lateral vines as I've heard them called)

5/11/2016 7:16:34 PM

Central NY

Don't freak out on your spouse.. It was your fault...

5/11/2016 7:17:10 PM

Mn

Good stuff guys - thanks! ..... Any other new growers this year? I know of some of you ...whatcha all growing this year? And/or what have you learned so far?

5/11/2016 9:44:39 PM

Vancouver Island, British Columbia

ceramc heater in greenhouse (when it chilly) seems to make a difference

5/11/2016 11:09:35 PM

Nampa

Overwatering is worse than under watering

5/12/2016 12:29:03 AM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

Do not do what I do ....

5/12/2016 1:04:21 AM

Central Illinois

with #9 buy insecticide and fungicides before you need them if you have to wait 3 to 5 days for shipping you may not have a plant left

5/12/2016 7:56:57 AM

Mn

#10 - Don't be afraid to ask questions. Every single person on this site, whether they admit it or not, did not know what a tertiary vine, eagle 20, SVB, christmas tree pattern was at one point.........Good stuff Joe and DJ.....Gary you lie :) ....good point baitman

5/12/2016 8:50:53 AM

Winston Salem, NC

"blue-er water isn't always better" LOL Most of the time its worse, making a salty fertilizer saltier equals burnt roots

5/12/2016 10:59:13 AM

NE Arkansas

When in doubt ask multiple growers... I bet you get a answer from each that's close...

5/12/2016 2:56:50 PM

Ukiah, Mendocino county, California

Great info! thanks for starting this some of you notice me hanging out in chat that is a great place to pick up great information and a few slipped secrets (shhh). I did my first ones last year but was not informed was growing in rock had no clue I needed to bury vine even growing in rock and temps that topped 110 I squeeked a measly 100lbs this year I will see what happens I lots of work on soil.

5/12/2016 4:25:41 PM

Ukiah, Mendocino county, California

I know we need an acronym dictionary!

5/12/2016 4:27:41 PM

Torrance, Ca.

sparmat, are you referring to Spence? lol

5/12/2016 4:40:33 PM

Rices Landing,pa.

and don't forget to pray sometimes we need some extra help

5/12/2016 7:35:27 PM

Elizabeth, PA

#11 when hanging lights in your hoop house because they are calling for lows in the 30's the next 2 nights don't drop the lights on the plant cause they tear very easily!!! I may have said a few inappropriate words after that bonehead move. At least I planted 2 side by side so if it don't recover from its idiot owners mistakes I can pull it and let the other one go!!! Oh ya, it's my first year also!!!

5/14/2016 6:32:28 PM

Central NY

Darn.. I almost posted that yesterday ...same thing with moving walking boards around...sometimes it's better to learn the hard way..good luck bma!!

5/14/2016 7:21:31 PM

Winston Salem, NC

Oh SoCal I'm guilty too...you see that pumpkin slowing down and you think..."I know...it must be hungry for more ferts" and you hit it with a buffet of ferts in excess and shutdown city :(

5/16/2016 3:37:52 PM

N.c.

I have seen a diary of a first year grower using short sticks to pin his plants down. Better to use those three foot bamboo sticks so the wind does not tear your plush leaves on those pointy little sticks. Linus recommends pinning with cut off plastic coat hangers.

5/17/2016 7:39:08 AM

New Berlin, PA

last year was my first. A few things I learned:

1. Don't procrastinate. These plants grow fast and vine burying can be a big job if left go.

2. Take your time. When using a utility knife one accidental swipe of the blade can trim off a whole side vine before you realize it.

3. Be nice to your wife. Its nice to have help when moving mill fabric around under new fruit sets.

4. The more you read, the more you'll realize what can go wrong, and the more you'll worry. I have no real advice on that one. LOL

5/31/2016 3:19:50 PM

Mn

I forget what number we are on #13 - dollar for dollar the best investment I have made so far is a 4 gallon back pack sprayer - it's far better and more efficient then the 2 gallon pump sprayer I had before - the spray is stronger and can reach a greater distance, my arm doesn't get tired from pumping and carrying a jug around ... Ps I am sure the gas powered sprayers/misters are even better but I'm not quite there yet :)

6/12/2016 9:22:05 PM

Mn

And I forgot to add - you use it all the time

6/12/2016 9:31:40 PM

Walhalla, ND.

Not sure if this is a new tip or not. I'm a new grower this year therefore I never have any new info to share. I spend all my time learning from this site then implementing what I learn into my AG plants. But I may have something to share this time. Most of you may already know what I'm about to share so bare with me. I brewed up a batch of compost tea utilizing chicken manure. I filled one of those 275 gal plastic containers farmers use to the level of 150 gal. I then filled a 100lb potato sack full of well aged chicken manure (not composted) and threw it in the container of water. I let it sit for two weeks stirring it occasionally. I tried it on my smallest plants mixing it four to one ratio. I watched it for a week and noticed no adverse effects in fact it started to catch up to my other plants. Every week for 2 more weeks I added this same mixture to this same plant it eventually caught up to my other plants. So last week I used the same mix ratio 4to1 making a total of 6 gal, I added one gal to to each plant. 3 days later I had females on the ends of each main vine and all the secondaries of all the plants. A coincidence I don't know. I must add my intention wasn't to add microbes to the soil this brew was intended solely as a fertilizer. What are your thoughts?

6/23/2016 10:17:24 PM

Mn

My thoughts are - my wife would kill be if I brewed 150 gallons of chicken poo stew in the backyard. I have a hard enough time listening to her complain about Neptunes harvest smell, I could only imagine what that smells is like - haha - but whatever works man! Keep up the good work - grow a big one!

6/23/2016 10:41:55 PM

Walhalla, ND.

Lol. I only get a whiff of it when I walk by it. No wife,I live in the country and its 200 yards from the house. I can live with it.

6/23/2016 10:45:47 PM

Walhalla, ND.

I live in the north. (Put Up Hoophouses) Get them out there before you put your babies out there...

6/24/2016 11:04:02 PM