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Elmira, N,Y,

I go to GST BOCES and I'am going to try to grow gaint pumpkins in a greenhouse this winter and woudering if you guys had any tips? I'am just testing how well they do water.

10/31/2008 7:12:27 AM

Rhode Island

its an interesting subject. off the top of my head id say unless you can get a lot of tap roots into the system the results would be somewhat SMALL?
plus very costly in a greenhouse during the winter

10/31/2008 7:31:52 AM

Oz

Photo period is important.
Perhaps critical.
The night temps and day temp increases,have to mimic the spring/summer photo period.
You begin with spring exposure,and increase till"fall".

Get large sheets/rolls, of bubble wrap,and cover the greenhouse.
Humidity will be tricky.
Too much and the heat conducts to the cold outside.
Look at advanced hydroponics in Newport,Tennessee.

You will have to insulate the soil/medium and perhaps heat it.
Soil-very black,very loamy.
Airponics might induce enough root growth to get a giant going.
Hydroponics/Super soil will do the best.The pumpkin eats up huge amounts of carbon to build the massive root structure.

Super Soil.You have to get it from big pumpkin fields.
Some one around there should be able to donate some live super soil to you.
Add corn meal to soil.

Sodium lights are good for starting.
I soak seeds in fertilized water,in a clear bottle,under a hp sodium light.
Silver metal halide lights are needed for mongo growth.
Add carbon dioxide gas to green house.

No one here,,,,I believe,has done this.
Get it on live cam.
Hook it to BP.COM!
Do a step by step of concepts,designs,fabrications,and failures.You could sell the CDs! hint hint
We would love the winter updates!
IS IT GROWING YET?
I am not getting a picture yet,,,,,come on,,,what is taking sooo long!

10/31/2008 8:34:59 PM

Pataskala,OH

sounds expensive

10/31/2008 8:48:12 PM

Whidbey Island

A real good source of info about hydroponics and a group that is interested in supporting giant pumpkins is General Hydroponics. You can go to their website generalhydroponics.com or contact Jessie Pennington (went to Half Moon Bay) at jessie@generalhydro.com

Good Luck.

WPM

10/31/2008 10:43:26 PM

ExtremeVegetables.com

The cost of growing one in a greenhouse over winter will be extremely expensive. IMHO, your best bet is to set up now, tweak everything to support the pumpkins growth and wait until spring. Lighting and heating cost will be overwhelming. Your gonna need at least 40 watts per square foot for optimal growth which would require a substantial amount of lighting. A 30 X 30, (900 sq. ft.) garden would require @ 36000 watts to deliver a 40 watt per square foot footprint to the plant. With that lighting will come extraordinary heat while lights are on. When lights are off heating cost will be expensive even with wood. Two years ago I heated a 30' X 84' greenhouse with wood and used 52 dump loads of wood to heat the house, each dump held @ 2.5 cord of wood.
As far as I know Pumpkins are NOT photoperiod senstive but do require ample amounts of light which would be at least 16- 18 hours of light during the optimal growth period.

True hydroponics does not contain soil but rather a "soiless" medium which could be coco-coir, vermiculite, perlite, leca, peat and or a combination of these.

This is a great soiless recipe for optimal growth. Foliar feeding is a must do.
1 Bale Premier Pro-mix (3.8 cu ft)
8 cups Bone Meal - phosphorus source
4 cups Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
3-4 cups dolmite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
4 cups kelp meal.
9kg (25 lbs) bag pure worm castings

Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before use.

I would also add Humate, Mycorhizzal fungi and a good tea to promote aerobic bacterial growth to the medium.

GOOD LUCK!!!

11/1/2008 9:00:09 AM

Elmira, N,Y,

I am growing them at school in the greenhouse which has lettuce growing hydroponically in it its about 75 duringthe day. I am not looking to grow a 500 lbs pumpkin, just would like to see how well the plant does with its main roots in water. I planted 7 seeds and which ever one does the best will stay. They are planted in peat pots wich are floating in foam(bule 1.5 inch),the table is about 6 inches deep by 4'by 7'. pumping air into pvc pipe in the water.

11/1/2008 12:33:33 PM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Here is an experiment I ran in 2004. The plant grew Very healthy. I never did get to finish it or try it agian.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2004&grower=27505

11/1/2008 6:00:02 PM

WNC Usa

Let us know how you do.

Sounds interesting

11/6/2008 7:39:16 PM