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RE: Who's Out There



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From: 	Harry Willemse[SMTP:lwillems]
Sent: 	Friday, May 30, 1997 7:05 PM
To: 	'Voltz family'
Subject: 	RE: Who's Out There

Dear Sue 
	I don't have a copy of the previous message that I sent. I have been growing giant pumpkins for over 15 years now and have had a few successes but my latest attempts have always been splitting around the 600 lbs.. I attribute this to not providing enough water, because each time it happens when it rains. The growth rate I have been getting on these fruit has been more than 30 lbs/day with one reaching 39 lbs/day. 
	When you ask for simple and inexpensive ideas, Iam not sure which part of growing you are refering to. I start my plants in my home I use barn board to make a square box 3' by 3' in that I put a hot pad, a reading light and a thermometer, Then I cover it with a piece of plywood which I can llift to open. On top Iuse sleeping bags to insulate, Iget the temp to 88, this can be achieved by changing the wattage of the light bulb or controlling the hot pad temp, or by increasing or decreasing the number of blankets you use to insulate.
	I use only professional greenhouse peat mix for starting my plants. Iplant the seeds flat in 3" or 4" pots. With these conditions I have my seeds fully emerged within 3 days. Immediatly after they emerge I transplant them into a 2 or 3 gallon plastic pot. This pot can be aplastic pail or old flower container. Icut the bottom out and turn it upside down, then I have a piece of plywood and attach it to the wide end with 2 wood srews, screwd through the plastic into the wood.
	I then move the plants to an outdoor coldframe which has an old thermostat heater installed [1500 watt] this can be picked up at a yard sale or auction for a few dollars. When it is time to plant I dig my hole, then I unscrew the 2 woodscrews holding the pot to the board [or bottom of pot which holds the soil in] Then I slide the pot off the board into the hole. When in the hole it is easy to remove the pot because of the taper. That is where I am today, my largest plant is approx 2 feet in length and was started from seed on May 8. I am quite pleased with this considering our cold spring. We have yet to see the thermometer go over 70 and it is still threatening frost. We are about 3-4 weeks behind our nomal year. In a normal year we pick asparagus in the last week of April or the first week of May this year we picked our first on May 26
	I live 70 miles northeast of Detroit in a outside a little town called Forest in Ontario. I am also the site co-ordinator for the Sarnia weigh-off. I willstop there for now if you have any specific question please don't hesitate

				Sincerely 
					Harry Willemse

ps please respond as I am having trouble at this end with mail...thanks
From: 	Voltz family[SMTP:vfarm@netexpress.net]
Sent: 	Tuesday, May 27, 1997 8:12 PM
To: 	Harry Willemse
Subject: 	Re: Who's Out There

Harry,

I'm just reviewing some of my old messages.  Let's chat over some ideas 
for our pumpkin patches!  I'd love to hear some new (easy and 
inexpensive) ideas to consider implementing at our patch.  I'm also 
willing to share what we've done (remember though, last year was our 
first, but it was VERY SUCCESSFUL!!)

I live in Illinois.

Sue
'The Pumpkin Lady'
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