Re: Introduction and questions

welcome to the group !

I will send you a previous posting on watering- the group saw it last
month. 
ideally you should have more sunlight for you plants if possible. 
also if you put dirt on top of your vines - then roots will form there
and help the plant out.  even on the lawn - you can always take the dirt
off at the end of the season.  your 39" pumpkin has a chance at getting
a decent size.  

for a growth chart of a 617 pounder see: ( thanks again George) 
http://www.athenet.net/~dang/OPP/brooks/P617-691.html

a great place to start reading up on all this pumpkin growing stuff is
at:
http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/pumkin.html
this is duncans page . you can spend a few days reading all the stuff
there- 
i'd start at:
How to Grow ATLANTIC GIANT PUMPKINS
in the middle of the page.  this covers the basics of everything. 
and also here:
http://www.athenet.net/~dang/tips/10steps/10steps.html
 by Don Langevin
Don also has two great books out on how to grow giant pumpkins -
(thanks don !) 
find information on getting them at the bottom of duncans page 
(thanks duncan !) 

the archives are also at that same page.  or the direct address is:
http://www.mallorn.com/lists/pumpkins/

get going & good luck !

Gordon Tanner
Maple Valley, WA


>
> Hi there.  I just signed up for this list and I must say I like it
already.
>  I hope I can somehow contribute productively, although I'm new to
> pumpkin-growing.
>
> I'm in central PA, in the mountains north of Harrisburg (zone 7 I
believe).
>  I have 4 Atlantic Giant vines going.  They got a late start; I
learned my
> first lesson when I started them indoors a month early.  They took
forever
> to get going in the garden.
>
> The soil here is sandy, red shale-based loam, very well drained.  The
vines
> get about 5-6 hours of direct sun a day.  They are growing across my
lawn.
> The best one has a pumpkin about ten feet out which has been gaining
2-1/2"
> to 3" a day in circumference (it's nearly spherical and very
beautiful, to
> me!).  It's now 39" in girth (maybe a few more over the top) and
sunshine
> yellow.  The vine had  a few other fruits but I culled them off.  My
dog
> obligingly (but unwittingly) pruned the vine at about 20'. I hope to
put
> some pictures on my web page soon.
> My questions:
>
> 1.      Will my pumpkin attain any decent size at this rate, or is it
too late
> in the summer?  Everyone else is talking about giants already, it
seems,
> while mine would barely make a good jack-o-lantern so far.
>
> 2.      Should I shade it from the hot sun to avoid dehydration?  Wind
isn't
> really a problem since we live in a clearing in the thick woods.
>
> 3. It's been a little dry this month.  I've been giving them a good
soaking
> every other day.  Would every day be too much?
>
> 4. Any thoughts on Miracle Grow?  My best vine is growing near where
we
> toss the biodegradable garbage.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> Mike Pierich
>

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