RE: growing in a greenhouse to beat the heat.

Hello all---
  Have a couple of questions about growing the "Big One" in a greenhouse----how does one allow for the plant to vine and spread out? ....and also how would you bury your tap roots and set a fruit in such a small space? I gave some "thought" early on, as to trying to grow in a huge tub on the patio, but after just one season, found out this is NOT the way pumpkins want to grow----they simply NEED lots of room! I have seen photos of one grower with a plant in a large tub, out by his patch,  grown simply for a supply of desired male flowers to pollinate his one plant in the ground (w/ females) allowed to sprawl out big......This was a good idea for limited space to grow, but a greenhouse, except for starting seedlings, just would not be big enough for a mature pumpkin plant AND its giant fruit.....any thoughts or experience with this would be appreciated. Best of luck to all and always..........HAVE FUN!!
  Rebecca (Rebkin) Steward
  Hercules,  CA

Stephen Jepsen <ctpumpkin@optonline.net> wrote:
  Thomas,

I used to grow in just such a greenhouse. The plastic at the ends were fixed
double layer 6 mil - 3 year greenhouse grade. But the top & one side was
doubled to permit inflation (winter insulation). I installed to plastic as a
"loop". At the loop end (nearest the ground) I had a single 2"x4" that was 3
feet longer than the greenhouse. This was used to roll the cover open on
warm days. The long board & the plastic rolled on it would be fixed to the
frame with heavy duty bungee cords about 4' above the ground, then closed at
night. Later in the season we would fix the cover at the highest point &
leave it there for the summer.

A Dayton louvered exhaust fan (about $250 at Grainger) would exhaust heated
air from the west end while a ($20 Home Depot) plastic louvered door on the
east end would let cool air in near the ground. The ventilation system is
controlled by an 100VAC switchable greenhouse thermostat (about $45 from an
online greenhouse supplier).

http://www.farmtek.com

The only problem you might encounter that I didn't would be one of short day
length in February. However since the plants are small then, you should be
able to compensate with artificial lighting for a while.

Pumpkin pest control in a greenhouse is very similar to any other crop. The
Florida greenhouse cucumber growers have researched this exhaustively. The
University of Florida offers much data. You will; find many useful links
here:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/CV268

Whiteflies are the most notorious & prolific insect pests with aphids
running right behind them. Marathon is used in commercial applications where
the goods are to be sold. But Merit 75WP (applied as a soil drench) is
labeled for greenhouses where the plants are being produced for
ornamental-non-resale. This is the "conservatory clause" that will save you
30% over the cost of Marathon.

Contact fungicides (Daconil & maybe a copper spray) are all you would need
this early in the growing season. They pose no unusual problems so long as
you pay heed to the normal temperature considerations.

I'll assume that most Oklahoma grower are already attuned to using misters
for heat relief. The greenhouse frame makes this even easier since it serves
as a mounting location for the misters.

Best wishes,

Stephen Jepsen
CT Giant Squash & Pumpkin Growers Assoc, Pres.
ctpumpkin@optonline.net

www.ctpumpkin.com

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pumpkins@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of
Thomas
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 12:13 AM
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Subject: growing in a greenhouse to beat the heat.

I need some input from growers about this next season growing giant
pumpkins
in a greenhouse. I have a nice sized greenhouse that I will have to recover
with plastic and shade cloth.

Our weather here in Oklahoma gets so hot, so fast and that is one of the
main reasons there are not many growers or large pumpkins grown here. I am
looking at getting a very early start next year to try to beat our heat and
get a pumpkin up to a good size before it gets to hot. This would mean
starting about the middle of February to maybe around the first of March or
better yet maybe even earlier. What I need is ideas on what all it would
take
to grow in the greenhouse. Ideas such as such as how much light it would
take
to support a plant and maybe some type of controlled heat.

I would like to try to fix the plastic on the sides where I can roll it up
on warm days so that it would dry out a lot of the moisture inside the
greenhouse until the weather turns warm enough. I will be able to take the
plastic off when the weather turns hot and put a shade cover over it to cool
the plant along with a misting system. I might even try to grow a pumpkin
and
a melon plant inside the greenhouse.

So what are your thoughts about growing in a greenhouse such as pest and
disease control, keeping it dry inside a greenhouse, what all other elements
you can think of.

Thomas

S.W. Oklahoma

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