From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Sparks, NV

Hello, their i hope everyone's 2013 season is great this year ^-^. ok so, i live in sparks NV, and we will usually plant middle of may, when the snow melts off of peavine MT. we do this because it will freeze threw April. I know most people plant in 1st-2nd week of April but i cant. so i was thinking to plant my pumpkin early and put it in a 5gal pot and get a little head start inside. i know if the roots touch the sides of the pot when i plant it, the roots will be a little shocked, and wont grow as fast. please tell me if you have an idea for me :). thanks!!!!

3/15/2013 1:13:22 PM

Taylorsville, California

Josh- it's not hard to fashion a small hoop house or some sort of simple cover to keep frost from damaging your baby plant, this is your best option. I live not far from you and have friends in the greater Reno area and usually your April's are fairly mild with only a handful of frosts. I start seeds around April 20th and they go into patch around first of may, similar start date would be perfect for you.

Auston

3/15/2013 3:06:01 PM

Stanwood, Washington

Your plant can handle some pretty low temps with a soil cable and a hoop house.

3/15/2013 4:28:30 PM

Stanwood, Washington

To answer your question it works in theory but it seems like it would be pretty hard to transplant from a 5 gallon bucket without disturbing the roots. If you do try it, cut the bucket in half vertically and tape it together with duct tape to make it easier to remove.

3/15/2013 4:41:22 PM

Germany

here´s a picture from a German grower (from his CrazyGrowers diary), he uses large buckets, but upside down, with the bottom cut out and the lid being the new bottom. This makes it easy to remove the bucket from the root bale...just set the "pot" into the plant hole, then remove the lid, then add some soil around the pot and then move the remaining shell of the pot upwards.

http://crazy-growers.de/userpix/17_img_4024_1.jpg

3/15/2013 4:54:37 PM

Germany

forgot to mention this: Picture was from the diary of benny_p

3/15/2013 4:55:21 PM

Colorado

I've been using two gallon buckets forever. The seedling takes 15 to 20 days to get big enough for transplanting. When the seedlings forth true leaf is 2-3 inches across the root system is good for transplanting.You have to have good light for this to work well-i have a hobby greenhouse.Also I transplant into a temporary green house.

3/15/2013 5:18:02 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

use a 4 or 5 gallon bucket with lid on
upside down with bottom cut out
put a circular piece of thin plywood or paneling inside
put in dirt/potting soil
Transplanting:
prepare hole
take off lid....but hold dirt in with the circular piece
set in hole, slide out circular piece
the upside down pail will pull off like a cone
no disruption of potting soil or roots
good for an extra 10-14 days inside

3/15/2013 6:04:39 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

before pushing the garden soil around the transplant,
treat the exposed roots with mycorrhizae and maybe some root stimulating medium

3/15/2013 6:08:30 PM

Stanwood, Washington

Pumpking,
Thats a great idea. It looks like the buckets in that picture are also cut verticly and taped to make it even easier to remove them.

3/15/2013 7:35:28 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

The Wiz taught me this in a letter back in 2010 when I was starting out, and I still use the same method that Pumpking (Jorg) posted.

3/15/2013 9:28:17 PM

Vermont

Check out my 2023 diary, I use a similar method with 22 quart food storage bins. The clear bins let you see the roots, you can tell how bound up the root system is getting. Surprisingly, even in my 22 quart containers the roots reach the outside edges of the bucket within 4-5 days after planting using wet paper towel method.

3/15/2013 9:50:14 PM

Albert County, New Brunswick,CANADA

With spring a bit later in my area, I use a garbage bag to line the biggest pot I have-like the size of a tree pot.Garbage bags can be pretty strong. When the time comes to put in the hole, I pull the bag out of the pot-sometimes have to use my feet to keep the pot down, and simply set it in the hole. Then, with a razor knife, proceed to hack away at the bag but once one side is cut out, it is easy to pull out of the hole. I almost have a 2 foot vine by this time by growing inside and later greenhouse.

3/16/2013 12:39:30 AM

Hinckley MN

I buy 7 galon grow bags from Growers supply:
http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;;pg109863_109865.html

To transplanrt I just cut an x in the bottom of the bag, place it in the hole, cut up 2 sides of the bag and gently pull the bag off the rootball. I surround the plants with 1 gallon milk jugs filled with water and cover with double AG 19 row cover. I also use soil heating cables under the plants. It makes a huge difference.

3/16/2013 10:26:43 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

2023 diary? Emmett Brown is that you?

3/16/2013 12:45:19 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Lol luke

3/16/2013 1:26:06 PM

Torrance, Ca.

All the diary's that are 10 years ahead are in the private message forum Luke.............

3/16/2013 2:10:20 PM

Vermont

The 2023 diaries are on futurepumpkins.com :)

3/16/2013 8:02:46 PM

Sparks, NV

thank you all for the help :)
-Josh Baumgardner

3/16/2013 9:02:23 PM