Re: Growing THE big one

In a message dated 8/1/99 2:17:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
clarion500@earthlink.net writes:

<< Subj:     Growing THE big one
 Date:  8/1/99 2:17:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time
 From:  clarion500@earthlink.net (clarion)
 Sender:    owner-pumpkins@mallorn.com
 Reply-to:  pumpkins@mallorn.com
 To:    pumpkins@mallorn.com (pumpkin list list)
 
 Everyone who writes in to this site seems to have tips and advice to others 
on how to grow the biggest pumpkin. I wonder how many good troubleshooters 
can help with this question. I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The state 
record was set in Wheatridge Colorado {elevation 4500} of 746 by Joe 
Scherber. Area growers here have a best of 352. With an elevation of 6700, is 
it possible that we just are too high up to match a 700 pound plant? I have 
been an Atlantic grower since 1990, and my bests are 325 and 322. I have 
sandy soil {yes...have added compost and cow manure each season] , Low 
humidity 90% of the time, Cloudy afternoons during the summer 80% of the 
time, seldom any nights above 60 degrees, frost in mid May and mid September, 
TONS of hail each season, Heat of 85-95 from July through August almost 
daily. These are the main things I battle each season. Who can lift my 
spirits and help me out towards getting to somewhere near a 746? I really 
would appreciate any of your comments!                                        
                                                                              
                                                                          
"Clarion"
  >>

You will need to start early to have as many months as possible to grow a big 
one.  

Try these links for ideas.

 Direct Start Method of Pumpkin Growing by George Brooks 
(http://www.athenet.net/~dang/OPP/brooks/earlpump.html)
 Compost Feeding Your Pumpkin - by George Brooks
( http://www.athenet.net/~dang/OPP/brooks/compart2.html)
 Compost Feeding Your Pumpkin Pictures - by George Brooks 
(http://www.athenet.net/~dang/OPP/brooks/mound/index.html)

Hail:
I saw an article about how a grower survived in a high occurrence hail area 
in the Red River Valley of Texas.  They erected a hail screen over the 
garden, looked like a berry growing cage, if you have ever seen one of those. 
 The top was covered with 1/2 square hardware cloth, (square hole wire 
fencing).  Rather extreme but it stopped large hail and deflected or slowed 
down much of the smaller hail.  It needs good support in the middle to hold 
the weight of the hail.

Some people in Canada grow under those pipe hoop plastic covered greenhouses 
to get an early start.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

George

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index