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Re: Fertilizer and Other ?'s

HowTo Grow A Giant Pumpkin

If you ask 10 competitive pumpkin growers how to grow a giant pumpkin,
you're likely to get 10 different answers. It seems everyone has his or
her own way of coaxing the most weight out of thesegiants. But there is
a thread of consistency that runs throughout all the instructions, and
adhering to three basic tenets will get you well on the way to a world
record. Above all else, you need good seed, good soil and good luck. 

Good seed. If you want to grow a world-record pumpkin, you can forget
about every variety of pumpkin out there except Howard Dill's patented
Atlantic Giant. Since 1979, no other pumpkin variety has been a world
champion. Good soil Pumpkins are large consumers of all the major plant
nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), as well as many minor
nutrients like calcium and magnesium and other trace elements. The key
for big growth is soil well amended with organic matter. In the fall or
early spring, add two to five yards per plant of compost and rotted
manures. Cow and horse manures are best. Use chicken manure sparingly
and only in the fall. Cover crops of winter rye, plowed down in the
spring, are fabulous. The soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8. 

Good luck. If you can grow a good vegetable garden, you have the skill
to grow a world-record pumpkin. I've seen newcomers grow 500-pound
pumpkins their first year with good seed, some rudimentary help from an
experienced grower and a lot of luck. With the right preparation and
strategy now and in the spring (see the text on page 40 for tips on
planning your assault on the world record), next year you might just be
a contender for the world championship! 

1. PREPARE THE SOIL. Start with a pH test in fall and adjust your pH to 
between 6.5 and 6.8 by adding sulfur to  lower the pH or lime to raise
it. Apply three to five yards of composted  manure per 30-foot-diameter
circle where you expect  to plant next spring. Plant a cover crop of
winter rye in fall to be  turned under in early spring, broadcasting one
to two  pounds per 1,000-square-foot area. 

2. SOW SEEDS. Start seed indoors in six-inch peat pots about four weeks 
before your last spring frost date. Plant the  seed with the pointed end
of the seed facing down. Keep the soil  temperature at 85 to 90 degrees
F. Most seeds will emerge  within five days. 

3. TRANSPLANT SEEDLINGS. Transplant seedlings into the garden once the 
first true leaves appear or when roots  begin to grow through the peat
pot (usually seven to 10 days after  germination). Handle with care
because pumpkins are  easily set back during transplanting. 

4. PROTECT  SEEDLINGS. Place a "mini-greenhouse" over the seedlings for
six  weeks to shield  plants from wind and frost. These mini-greenhouses
can be as simple as  two storm  windows nailed together to form a teepee
or as elaborate as a four- by  four-foot wooden  structure made from 1x2
lumber nailed together with 6-mil clear plastic  stapled to cover  the
frame. Once seedlings outgrow the mini-greenhouse, use a temporary 
fence to screen  wind. I use "conservation" fence, which is bought with
wood end stakes  attached and is  commonly used at new construction
sites. A 100-foot roll cut into three  pieces is enough  for three
11-foot-diameter areas. 

5. POLLINATE FLOWERS. Eight to 10 weeks after seed starting, the first 
female flowers will appear. They're easy to  distinguish because they
have a small pumpkin at their base. If you want  to get a jump on your
rival, you'll need to  hand-pollinate the flowers. In the early morning,
locate a freshly  opened male flower. Pick it and remove the outer
flower  petals, exposing the stamen and fresh pollen. Locate a newly
opened  female flower and gently swab the stigma (internal  parts) of
the female flower with the pollen-laden stamen. 

Getting a pumpkin set as early as possible, preferably before July 10, 
is key. The earlier you set a pumpkin, the longer it has  to grow until
harvest. Since these monsters can gain 25 pounds a day,  losing 10 days
in the early part of the season could put  you well down the list at
your local pumpkin weigh-off. 

6. REPOSITION SET PUMPKINS. Once a pumpkin has set, its position on the 
vine becomes extremely important.  Most often the stem grows at a very
acute angle to the vine. However,  for optimal long-term growth, the
best position is to  have the stem perpendicular to the vine. If yours
is not at right angles  to the vine naturally, coax it gradually, over
about a  week's time, until it is in that position. Be careful, because
at this  early stage pumpkins may still abort or you may injure the 
fragile stem. 

7. SELECT THE MOST PROMISING PUMPKIN. If one plant has three strong 
vines, you could have as many as  seven or eight pumpkins set and
growing by July 20. Now you must choose  the best pumpkin and remove
most of the rest.  Measure each pumpkin's circumference at the widest
point weekly or daily  with a cloth measuring tape. Choose the one 
that's growing fastest. Also, keep an eye out for the optimum shape. 
Young pumpkins that are round and especially tall grow  the largest. 

8. PRUNE VINES. Begin pruning vines early in the season to discourage 
random growth and an out-of-control patch.  Prune each main vine when it
has reached 10 to 12 feet beyond a set  fruit. If you have a pumpkin on
a vine that is 10 feet  from the main root, cut the end of that vine
once it is 20 to 24 feet  long. Let side shoots off the main vines get
no longer than  eight feet before cutting off tips. Train side shoots so
they are  perpendicular to the main vine to accommodate access to the 
vines and pumpkins. Bury the ends of cut vines to reduce water loss. 

9. FERTILIZE. During the growing season, most fertility needs of 
pumpkins can be met by applying water-soluble plant  foods once or twice
a week over the entire plant area. Give seedlings a  fertilizer that
stresses phosphorus, such as 15-30-15.  Shift to a more balanced
formula, such as 20-20-20, once fruits are set.   
By late July, use a formula that stresses potassium, such as 15-11-29.
I  apply water-soluble fertilizer at the rate of one to two  pounds per
week per plant from fruit set until the end of the growing  season. Some
competitive growers will err on the side  of overfertilization. But too
much fertilizer can hurt more than help.  If the pumpkins start growing
too fast, they will literally  tear themselves from the vine and
explode. A very fine grower in New  England told me, "Slow and easy wins
the race."  Remember this whenever you feel the urge to overfertilize. 

10. KEEP TRACK. Measure your pumpkins at least weekly. Gains in 
circumference can average four to six inches in a  24 hour period.
Measure the circumference of your pumpkins first  parallel to the ground
around the entire pumpkin, from  blossom end to stem. Next, measure over
the top in both directions: from  ground to ground along the axis from
stem to  blossom end, then perpendicular to the stem-blossom-end axis.
Add these  three measurements together, then multiply by 1.9  to give an
estimate of the pumpkin's weight. 

Don Langevin is author of the book How-to-Grow World Class Giant
Pumpkins (Annedawn Publishing, Box 247, Norton,
MA 02766; 1993. $17.95).
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