From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Lodi, California

I was wonderig if this sounded like a good idea. I have some plants that I have germed on my 844 seed(1775 x self) and I thought up the plan to grow several plants in pots overwinter and selecting the pumpkins with the best shape and crossing them with pumpkins with the biggest stems/vines to allow for a higher capassity of energy (glucose/nutrient) flow throughout the plant. The pumpkin on my 1775 had a great shape until it developed a dill ring (which I attribute to a lack of calcium and too much potassium baised on tissue tests). I woulld then take the seeds from the pumpkin and plant them in a genetics patch during the summer, and cross the large stem/round pumpkin with a genetic line that has produced some really big pumpkins, such as the 2009 Wallace or 220 DeBacco. What do you guys think?

12/14/2013 1:52:59 PM

Cincinnati,OH

Iv'e tried to grow an AG pumpkin from a 5 gallon bucket a couple times. Never could get a pumpkin to set. you will need to use something alot bigger.

12/14/2013 2:08:22 PM

Austin MN

Ash try one of those 55 gallon plastic drums. I would think that should work

12/14/2013 4:59:39 PM

Johnston, Iowa

Sounds like a question for Matt D

12/16/2013 9:29:35 PM

Lodi, California

Thanks for the help. I talked to Matt a couple of days ago. Thanks.

12/16/2013 10:29:50 PM

Connecticut

If you want to just grow a pumpkin plant you can do that with no soil;-) The challenge is when you want to grow a pumpkin to maturity. If the plant is overly stressed it will not set a pumpkin and with the aggressiveness of the root systems it is easy fro them to feel stressed.

Personally, I feel the 5-gallon is to small and a properly cut 55-gallon drum could work. For my winter project I go full scale to increase the odds to produce a normal pumpkin. So, for my winter projects I use about 10 yards of material for the plant. This allows a bigger plant to hopefully make up for the lack of natural light. Also, last year I had over 3,000 watts of supplemental light over the plant that grew Snowball. I will admit this is probably over kill but I would rather have to much than to little.

I am working on another winter project so stay tuned for the modifications I made for this year;-)

12/17/2013 10:18:25 PM

East Jordan, MI

I may add this to my email signature block, heck maybe even my business card.

"I will admit this is probably over kill but I would rather have to much than to little"

I think this just about sums up most everything we do (at least it does me). LOL

12/18/2013 7:26:47 PM

Connecticut

cntryboy- Having to much rather than too little is what gets most growers in trouble. Typically this is referring to compost, or nutrients, or spray products. In my case, I am over doing soil volume and possibly supplemental lighting, but my soil is in range nutrient-wise based on the test results.

Feel free to use the quote to your business card or e-mail, but let me correct the grammatical errors;-)

"I will admit this is probably overkill, but I would rather have too much than too little." - Matt D.

12/19/2013 10:32:17 AM

Massachusetts

lol cecil, mine never see's that much light!

12/19/2013 1:52:51 PM