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Buren Ameland,West Frisian Islands, Netherlands

Hello, European Pumpkin growers,

I am Theo Kiewiet and I live on the edge of the most easter village called Buren on Ameland, the 4th Frisian island from the west in the north of the Netherlands.
In 2004 I learned a lot, but the seeds were of low quality: 63,5Kg I got a second price in our local contest.
Now I know the meaning of good seeds. I got some from Austalia, from Wendy Stayner, it was a 318kg pumkin, name and year unknown.
Also I got some seeds from the USA, Wisconsin, 2004, 516(1004+603 Muller), 466 and 379(1004Werner x1076,5 Werner), whatever that may mean ;-)
Last week I had the first time 5kg gain in one day, I was so astonashed, to see a pumpkin growing so fast in reality!

One Australian plant has a pumpkin now, august 1st, of about 25kg.(pollinated on july 6th)
The two Americans are about 24kg and 12kg.(july 13th,16th)
The american 24kg is growing faster than the Austalian 25kg, so I expect two big pumpkins this year! And the first and second price (free weekend hotel somewhere and a free one hour flight above the island).
I hope to reach over 200kg, that would tripple my personal record of 2004.
Everything is on the weather, which was (exept the minor heathwave of june)worse than the last years.
Living just 1½km from sea the wind is the biggest danger.
Nights are not cold at all here, but we need a really HOT summer. Temperature reaches 30 degrees Celcius only one day in a few years....
I know many European pumpkins are much bigger than mine, but: split, what is that?:-)

Than lastly some questions:
1. Is it a problem using kg and meters?
2. Are there any other (European, Dutch, German or Vlamish) pumpkingrower boards?
3. How do I find the diary's of the other growers, just on this bigpumpkin.com site?
4. the expression flat vines and computer cables are unclear to me. Can sombody explain to me what it is?

Thanks for reading all this!
Kind regards, Theo Kiewiet.

8/1/2005 12:46:57 PM

Itzetown City

Theo, welcome to the obsession!
kg and meter is not a problem, but it´s better to speak one language. And thats inch, lbs and fahrenheit.

There are some other sites in Europa, here is my site:

http://www.norddeutsche-kuerbiszuechter.de/

but a board like this I´ve nerver found.

The way to the diaries in on the homepage on the left menueboard.
Here is the way to my diary:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2005&grower=23932&action=L

A flatviner grows a main vine flat and broad like a computercable. I had one this year on one plant, this plant is now compost. I guess its a mutation. In the foto section on bigpumpkins you´ll found some pics.
Good luck with ya pumpkins and GROW EM BIG

8/1/2005 2:42:48 PM

Esneux / Liège / BELGIUM

Théo, my son have the same name as you, so you will be a special grower for me.
Welcome on this site ! You have an excellent site in Dutch http://home.tiscali.be/pompoenclubgrasheide. You will laern everything about pumpkins. Many Belgian growers are from the north of the country and speak dutch, Jos, Jantje, LUc Bex, and so many other. Jos has a very interesting diary (look at his 2004 diary). He was the champion last year.
Good luck and I wish you a new personnal best.

Sophie
ps: I always use meters and kilos. This is an european bord !

8/2/2005 2:21:18 AM

Austria

Hi Theo,

Welcome on (the) board! I have a similar situation here, Though I should not compare Lake Constance to the sea, I live also at a place where there`s a lot of wind coming out from the west (the lake) and the air is really pushed into our small valley, situation is like in a hair blower ;-). Whilst on the german side of the lake people grow wine, and tons of apples, the austrian part is, concerning weather not a friendly. So we are in the same boat somehow. And hey, 200 kg will be my goal next year in my second season too.

Your questions:

As far as I know a split happens now and then. The bigger the fruit and the faster it grows the more likely it will split, that means it develops a "cut", some smaller pumpkins may even blow/explode when growing too fast.

There is a german board on www.bigpumpkins.de - but there doesn`t happen much really.

I think it`s very well ok to use kg, meter and C°, where you will get a problem is measuring for estimating the weight of your pumpkins, there you will have to use inches, if you want to do that.

Diaries are on the main page above on the left side, easy to work with.

I`ve had a flatvine this year too (my grower buddy Ede to be exact) - it really looks as Owen described. The main vine is turning flat and the plants are growing really strange. You can also recognize a plant going flat, when it produces two leaves at the same time instead of one. It`s probably sort of genetic defect. These plants are hard to handle and should, if possibel be replaced by a backup plant.

Theo, you will also find some nice people here, who will give really good seeds to you.

All the best!

Heino

8/2/2005 3:09:02 AM

Knopp, Germany

Hi Theo! I think that Werner, Sophie and Heino have already given you some great advice. The only thing that I would add is to keep on stopping by this website and continue to ask questions. There is lots to learn and plenty of people with the knowledge that are willing to share.

Grow them big!

owen

8/2/2005 3:17:17 AM

Buren Ameland,West Frisian Islands, Netherlands

Dear Werner, Sophie, Heino and Owen,
Many thanks for your advices and welcoming words.
Streight away I feel very welcome, a nice atmosphere on this board.

Werner,
Itzehoe is where in (North?)Germany? Thanks for the site advice I surely will try. My German language is not too bad. You welcomed me to the obsession, :D:D:D, surely it is... I have seeds from America with your name in it, are these seeds from you may be?

Sophie,
Thanks for your special welcome,the Wisdom of Sophia Philosophy and Theology, the perfect couple, ;-)
Thanks for the Flemish site, I will surely try that one, in my mothertongue it is slightly easier to extress myself.
My new personal best surely will happen this month, with ease. I surely will look for Jos' site too, I am thinking of some kind of temporary green house (not expensive!!), for next year, to avoid all the leave damage by the stong winds here, and grow them hot in the sunny but cold spring and summer days here. (Talking about an obsession: it is! :D)
Kilo's and meters I keep using, last year I changed all American sices into meters and kilo's, so I know about how much growth I have when I have 1cm gain in half circumference.

8/2/2005 9:33:34 AM

Buren Ameland,West Frisian Islands, Netherlands

Heino,
You are a new grower too, close to the shore with heavy winds... sorry. I lost so much last sunday again.
Thanks for answering my questions, it is really clear now, even the flatvine I catch, it happens a lot in plants which grow well. I got one kalebas which even the fruit was double, it keeps growing.
I look forward to next year, with some excellent seeds, exellent manure (seeweeds and may be fishgarbage!)an may be some type of wind resistant temporary plastic house.
Good luck with your pumpkins too, may be you get 200kg?!

Owen,
Thanks, I feel very welcome, and I surely stay around here.
this is thé place to bee for European growers.

If some news or questions, surely I come forward with them.
'Groetjes' Theo.

8/2/2005 9:46:48 AM

Leerdam, The Netherlands

Hallo theo,

Welkom op deze site,
Ik heb zelf dit jaar nog niet veel gepost door late start van de planten.
Veel succes. Je ligt in ieder geval voor op mij.
in mijn dagboek van vorig jaar kun je zien hoe het me vorig jaar verging.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Iwan Horde

8/3/2005 1:13:23 AM

Buren Ameland,West Frisian Islands, Netherlands

Hoi, Iwan!
Nederlanders hier?!
Wat een 'surprise'.
It gives me courage I am not with the smallest AG's. :-)
Iwan, jij ook succes, groet, Theo.

8/3/2005 9:48:05 AM

Netherlands

Hallo Theo,
Ik wil je op deze pagina ook even succes wensen vanuit Deventer. Ik zal verder niet meedoen want ik heb geen pompoenen.
Hello Theo,
I like to wish you much success from Deventer, also the Netherlands as you know. I don't think that I will be an active member in the club because I cannot have pumpkins. My patio is beautiful but with one big pumpkin in it, I cannot be there anymore. Maybe next year I try something because I like it very much and than I wil tell my pumpkins no to grow as much as all yours on this page do!
Greetings en succes for all!!
S@nny

8/6/2005 9:22:31 AM

Itzetown City

Theo, Itzehoe is in northern Germany 50 km north of Hamburg. Sorry that you have trouble to read my web-site, but there also a lot of pics on that site. You also can founs Owens 2003 pics on my site in the guest area. If you´ve seeds with my name on it, grow em next year, my seeds real good. LOL

8/6/2005 3:24:49 PM

Loitsche/Sachsen-Anhalt/Germany

Theo,
much which I would not like to repeat became a Growers already said of the experienced,
You would like to measure in cm and kg, also gives to tables which converts custom and inches if.
If the main vine gets flat, can that the growth conditions hang together. I know this from the asparagus cultivation. The plants verbändern or get hollow. But they cause also good drives. If the weather gets better, your pumpkin also will grow well.
Best greetings and good weather, Christian

8/12/2005 3:00:07 PM