RE: helpful hints

Scott-
I am answering to you and the group.  I hope you don't mind.  you
probably do - but i am going to anway.

Don't be shy about being new or not knowing everything.  
It take a while for the group to warm up some times.  General questions
are hard to responed to sometimes.  A person might answer a different
question than the one you thought you were asking.   If you ask more
specifec questions it might help.  I think lot of people are shy about
answering questions because they feel that they might give not the best
answer or a wrong answer, mainly because they think that the group is
just experenced growers.  Which is not true.  Also some people wont
respond if they see that someone else has already answered the question.
If you want more answers you need to ask more questions.  A lot of it is
just learning as you go.  I hope you check out web site i passed along
to you. 

Western Washington can be a great area to pumpkins, with some work.
Generally it is cool and rainly here most all year long except in the
summer. So in the spring people build shelters for their little plants
to grow in.  This way they get warmed up some and don't get flooded out
by all the rain.  This is my first year in the area, so it is a new
experence for me.  

Long Island should be a good place to grow.  It might be a hotter than
ideal in the summer.  But there are people growing pumpkins all over the
country, and world -New Zealand, Canada, as well as all over the US ...
lots of them in less than "the ideal". 

I have a small backyard garden only room enough for one plant.  I have
two plants now -  They both get to grow until one establishes itself as
bigger and better.   The other i will trim back and use to pollenate the
#1 plant.   I got a late start too.  One plant is about 2 ft long the
other is about 6 inches.  but that is OK. there is still time to grow.
They can really grow fast when they get going.  My target set dates are
july 17-24th.  I have heard stories of people not setting a fruit until
early or mid August and still growing pumpkins 200 to 500 pounds.  So
you don't have to set in early july-  the bigger your plant is before
you set the more leaves and energy from those leaves going into your
pumpkin. I though i read somewhere that 200 leaves is a good number to
have before setting.  When you set a pumpkin the plant shifts its energy
to growing the pumpkin not growing vines and leaves.  Plants grow  to
make mature fruit with seeds by the end of the season so as to keep the
species going, not grow big friut.  We work them to make big fruit. 

Gordon Tanner
Maple Valley, WA
	 
> Gordon,
> 	thanks for all the tips.  Only yourself and one other person
> actually 
> responded to my questions.  I guess it's a hard group to get into.
> what's the 
> weather like in WA?  I read somewhere it's supposed to be perfect for
> growing 
> giant pumpkins.  Haven't heard much about conditions on long island, i
> guess 
> i'll find out.  I think i might have gotten off to a late start, but
> hopefully 
> my main vine will be at least 10' long by the second week of july.
> right now 
> it's only like 3', but a foot of that has come in the last 36hours, so
> all i 
> can do is sit back and hope for the best.
> 
> thanks again
> 
> scott armstong
> valley stream ny
> 
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