From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Hempstead, TX

This is my first year to grow a giant pumpkin. I am 50
Miles northwest of Houston. So many questions. My pumpkin is basketball size now. We are getting a lot of rain and it is growing fast. Should I put something under it? A tarp? A board? When should I start covering it to protect it from the sun? Anybody else in Texas growing giant pumpkins?

Bambi in Hempstead, Tx

6/25/2014 7:50:02 PM

sevierville, Tn

Cover asap. A board with lots of sand on top would be a good growing base under the pumpkin.

6/25/2014 8:10:56 PM

sevierville, Tn

a tarp to cover would be good to keep the rain off, but lots of air flow is requiored or you will cook it in the heat and it will abort.

6/25/2014 8:12:13 PM

sevierville, Tn

kinda like a shed roof with no walls.

6/25/2014 8:13:01 PM

Hempstead, TX

Thanks so much. I have t-posts I can use to make a cover.

6/26/2014 6:56:25 PM

Hempstead, TX

Is there no one in Texas growing giant pumpkins? Because if the heat maybe?!

6/26/2014 6:57:11 PM

Hot West Tennessee

Paul F grew in 2012. I think he is state record holder. Have not heard from him since. It is a challenge in our heat and humidity. Good luck

6/30/2014 2:34:08 PM

Hot West Tennessee

Almost forgot go to http://sgpgrowers.wix.com/homepage . Great info for us growing in the southern climates.

6/30/2014 2:40:44 PM

President - GPC

Everything grows BIG in Texas.. is a another grower that shares your plight. Shade cloth and misters and maybe planting on a different schedule to beat the heat...Good Luck... http://coloradopumpkins.com

6/30/2014 3:13:41 PM

Corryton, TN

Paul passed in May 2013

6/30/2014 6:38:10 PM

Hot West Tennessee

http://www.ipga.us/Texas%20TTA.htm

6/30/2014 11:12:56 PM

Hot West Tennessee

I remember now. Watch out using misters. Downey and powdery mildew love misters.

6/30/2014 11:22:00 PM

Perkinston, Mississippi

I'm growing one in Biloxi, MS and one big tip that I can give you is KEEP IT COOL! I built a hoop house from PVC, rebar and tarp. I have a fan is the hoop house and a white sheet over the tarp. Mine primary one is staying pretty cool but I had one actually pop that wasn't shaded. It got around basketball size, I noticed a crack and I started to lift it up to examine the bottom and it literally popped open. I assume the skin hardened in the heat and the inside was trying to grow putting a lot of stress on the outside. One more thing, keep your vine loose! Don't bury the vine near where your pumpkin is. Leave about 3ft upstream and downstream from the pumpkin. Mainly, keep it consistently cool!

7/7/2014 2:25:34 PM

Tennessee

I have found that in the past I did not give the plants enough water. water is about 8 Lb per gallon, so if a plant is to gain 32 lb per day it needs to suck up 4 gal per day through those tiney roots, so I dump a lot of water on each plant. pumpkins grow a lot at night because the leaves are losing as much water. I water late just before dusk and then during the heat of the day to keep the plant cooler and give the water to suck up in the leaves.

8/7/2014 5:32:42 PM

Ltb

hello new grower im from texas also

10/3/2014 7:30:25 PM