Re: Newbie needs help.

Chris: Sounds like everything is going pretty well in your patch. If you did not pollinate the fruit and they are swelling, then they were open pollinated by bees. Generally speaking, I prefer to have a fruit at around 15 ft. from the crown of the plant so that the fruit is fueled by enough secondaries to continue growth. In my opinion, fruit closer than 8 ft from the crown tend to top out earlier and have less potential for the real heavy weights...
Measure the circumference (parallel to the ground) of the three daily and keep the fastest grower, even if it isn't the biggest fruit at the time. I usually make the cut down to one fruit after they have reached at least volleyball size, sometimes bigger. 
Keep up the good work...

Frank
Hudsonville, MI


-----Original Message-----
>From: Chriss <chriss@columbus.rr.com>
>Sent: Jun 22, 2006 12:20 AM
>To: pumpkins@hort.net
>Subject: Newbie needs help.
>
>Hi everyone.  This is my first year to grow a giant.  Heck it's my first 
>year to grow anything ever.  I am so addicted.  I spend hours reading what 
>anyone has to say.  I bought my seeds at the Circleville, Ohio Pumpkin show, 
>out of 4 seeds I have one plant.  It's huge already and I have 3 fruits on 
>the main vine.  Ok. now my question.  Which fruit do I keep and when do I 
>"thin" out the rest to get a giant?  Another question, how do I know if they 
>self pollinated?  Do I really need to do it by hand?  I'm so new at this, 
>but so thrilled to go and see how much it's grown.  My vine grew over 17 
>inches in 3 days!!!  I don't want to have just a big vine, I want a really 
>BIG PUMPKIN!!!!  I will take any and all advise.
>I am so interested in this and am having so much fun!!
>~Chriss
>Delaware, Ohio 
>
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