Tom, What I use under the pumpkins is sterilized or clean sand keeps them nice and dry. I spread it about 3" thick...... Cut off a 40 lber today it was my largest nice and round but the stem had a crack and it was on a secondary. Trying to thin down to 3 pumpkins per plant now.....................Having a time trying to keep the plants cool....95+ in Boonville My next largest is 36 in cir......What's your largest