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Pumpkin Vines Newsletter

> >From:  Wendy Stayner[SMTP:pumpkin@ajm.net.au]
> >Sent:  Tuesday, June 17, 1997 8:55 PM
> >To:    pumpkins@athenet.net
> >Subject:       Pumpkin Vines Newsletter
> >
> >Hello
> >
> >I have included below my condensed newsletter which goes out to
> >Australian Giant Pumpkin Enthusiasts entitled "Pumpkin Vines".
> >Contributions, comments always welcome.  If you would like to receive a
> >copy please send your address to me.
> >
> >All the best to All, Wendy Stayner
> >
> >
> >                              "PUMPKIN VINES"
> >
> >ADDRESS:    P.O. BOX 205                     ISSUE NO. 15  JUNE   1997
> >           SEAFORD   VIC.   3198
> >PHONE/FAX: 03 9786 0337        E-Mail Address:  pumpkin@ajm.net.au
> >__________________________________________________________________
> >
> >Hi All
> >
> >It's been a very busy few months, firstly with the growing of our
> >pumpkins, then competing at the Australian Giant Pumpkin & Vegetable
> >Competition, my husband George & I won were lucky to win the Victorian
> >Competition, our pumpkin weighed 200.8kgs, our personal best, which
> >delighted us immensely.  For those wondering, we grew our pumpkin from
> >the 400lb+ (180kg+) Atlantic
> >
> >Giant Pumpkin Seeds available through Atlantic Seeds, the seeds were
> >picked randomly out of the bag.  We have very good soil where we live,
> >drainage is no problem, which is the one advantage we sometimes have
> >over our competitors, but that really is it - so next year, it could be
> >YOU growing the champion.  Our best advice is get your patch ready now -
> >the week after the competition (12 April), my husband and friend
> >collected a truck load of chook manure and put on our patch, hoed it in
> >and next day we then planted a crop of legumes such as oats, barley,
> >dung peas etc.
> >
> >I am pleased to say Atlantic Seeds can now be reached on the Internet,
> >our address is pumpkin@ajm.net.au.   Look for our homepage soon.
> >
> >Congratulations to B & J Benjamin, who submitted a cute photo of their
> >little pumpkins on the pumpkin (we hope to be able to include the
> >picture in a future edition of "Pumpkin Vines", they have won the March
> >'Pumpkin Vines' Competition - the judges decision was a hard one - so it
> >has been decided to award R Leenarts of New South Wales, second place
> >for his newspaper cutting of his prize pumpkin - Rene wins a packet of
> >the seeds for his endeavour - thank you to all those who participated in
> >the competition
> >                                                  All the Best, Wendy
> >
> >........................................................................
> >
> >"Pumpkin Vines" Subscription - I would like to subscribe to "Pumpkin
> >Vines"Quarterly Newsletter from the next issue for the annual fee of
> >$10.00.  Please make all cheques payable to ATLANTIC SEEDS and post to:
> >P.O. Box 205, Seaford, Vic. 3198.  Overseas Subscribers:  $12.00 Aus
> >
> >Name:  ________________________________    Previous Subscriber Yes/No
> >Address:  _________________________________________________________
> >State:  ___________     Postcode:  ______      Telephone No:
> >(__)_________
> >
> >I would like to see in future issues of "Pumpkin Vines"
> >......................................................
> >
> >
> >
> >Page 2                                                 No. 15  June 1997
> >
> >MONSTER TOMATOS -
> >Mr J L Tyndall of Griffith, N.S.W. grew a few monster tomatos this year,
> >the biggest weighing 900grams, and two others, just a bit smaller - Well
> >done - Can anyone beat this record?
> >
> >Dana Smith from Darkan Primary School, Western Australia writes that
> >sadly their pumpkins did not survive the summer school holidays.  Thanks
> >Dana for the update.
> >
> >CORRECTION:  The annual subscription to the British National Pumpkin
> >Society is 15 pounds, not as per March 'Pumpkin Vines',  I apologise for
> >the incorrect figure mentioned last issue.
> >
> >Arriving Soon - The soon to be released book "Growing Giant
> >Pumpkins & Vegetables in Australia" by Wendy Stayner and Ian
> >Miller - watch future issues of "Pumpkin Vines" for more details.
> >
> >
> >Page 3                                        Issue No. 15   June 1997
> >
> >Australian Giant Pumpkin & Vegetable Society Inc Info Page:
> ><http://ritron.rie.net.au~agpvs>    Email Address:
> ><agpvs@ritron.rie.net.au>
> >
> >AUSTRALASIAN GIANT PUMPKIN VEGETABLE COMPETITION -  5 APRIL, 1997
> >RESULTS
> >
> >PUMPKIN
> >1st    Jason Sounness     Mt Barker, Western Australia         218.6kg
> >2nd    Daryl Sounness     Mt Barker, Western Australia         201.2kg
> >3rd    Wendy & George Stayner   Skye, Victoria                200.8kg
> >
> >
> >SQUASH
> >1st       Jason Sounness Mt Barker, Western Australia       199.0kg
> >New Aust Rec.
> >2nd      Ken Ryan/Noel Feld    Carrick, New South Wales    180.6kg
> >3rd      Christopher Miller     Pakenham, Victoria          163.8kg
> >
> >WATERMELON
> >1st       Charlie Cocivera   Dwellingup, Western Australia   65.2kg
> >2nd      A Cocivera          Dwellingup, Western Australia   57.8kg
> >3rd      Jason Sounness      Mt Barker, Western Australia    37.8kg
> >
> >OTHER NOTABLE VEGETABLES
> >
> >Onion - Ian Miller, Vic.  -   1.6kgs  Zucchini - P Qualizza, Vic. 5.0kgs
> >Carrot -  Ian Miller, Vic. -  3.4kgs   Rhubarb - T Karnatz, Vic. - 430mm
> >
> >
> >Page 4                                         Issue No. 15   June 1997
> >
> >G-Day Fellow Pumpkin Growers, This is my third giant pumpkin attempt,
> >the experience over the past three years has resulted in a gradule
> >increase in my person pumpkin weights.  I have made some
> >mistakes over these years and had some bad luck.  This past season I
> >grew 4 pumpkins, 1 squash and 2 watermelons.  As the proposed site was
> >clay to the surface, to prepare this site I aquired 30 ton of cow
> >manure from a neighbour with a feed lot (of which I found out later that
> >was too much), about 2 tons chook manure and 6 tons of peat from a local
> >peat lake and approximately 70 ton sandy top soil, mixing together and
> >rotary hoeing in 2 tons lime, gypsum, 1 x 40kg NPK Blue Special and 2
> >bags super.  Each pumpkin site measured 10m x 8m with soil to a depth of
> >about 50cm.  Irrigation was performed using Turbo Tape spaced 30cm
> >apart, buried just under the surface.  Two pumpkins and 2 watermelon
> >were planted in a greenhouse, the other 2 pumpkins and squash were
> >planted outside under a frame covered in windbreak mesh.  From this
> >years experience, I found that the pumpkins grow faster outside.  The
> >plastic on the green- house has to be sprayed with hydrated lime (or the
> >pumpkin plant will get hot and burn), this shades the plant and pumpkin
> >growth is slowed.  My largest pumpkin this year (218.6kg) was
> >grown in the green- house, its growth was slower but more even than the
> >pumpkins outside, thus reducing the risk of splitting.  I planted my
> >seeds on 21 October, 1996 planting out 8 days later,
> >pollinating the flowers between 30th December and 10 January.   Some
> >factors I employed included:
> >
> >.  place a cold frame over each seedling when planting outside in the
> >garden (remove when weather is hot, replace at night);
> >.  train the main 2 runners in the north/south direction (for more sun
> >on the leaves), allowing side runners off these main runners, and pinch
> >off the ends and bury as these reach the sides of the 10x8m site;
> >.  I pollinate a couple of female flowers on the main runner when it
> >grows out of the site onto a patch of dry sand, approx 4-6m from the
> >main stem (I prune to 1 pumpkin when pollination is seen to be
> >   successful) Warning: this method can be risky if something goes wrong
> >with your chosen pumpkins;
> >.  wind is a serious problem - a compromise has to be reached between
> >wind protection and maximum sunshine on the plant
> >.  I built a weather sunproof cover over the proposed pumpkin site
> >before the flowers have opened, asrain in the flowers can stop
> >successful pollination.
> >.  I do not recommending using 30 ton cow manure, (see below), it was
> >nearly a case of over-kill.
> >.  I applied a small amount of fertiliser through the irrigation system
> >about 1 month after planting and it burnt the plants, slowing their
> >growth, thus no more fertiliser was applied through the rest of the
> >season.
> >.  Another problem is that feedlot cattle are fed salt, thus the salt
> >content of the manure can be ratherhigh.  The salt content of the peat
> >was also high but that was cured by watering out before mixing into
> >the garden.
> >
> >I have learnt a great deal about the art of giant pumpkin growing ver
> >the past three seasons, so watch out next year and get that wide angle
> >lense camera ready.
> >
> >Regards Jason Sounness  (Western Australia)
> >
> >More of Jason's tips and hints will be included in the September issue
> >of 'Pumpkin Vines'.
> >
> >Thanks Jason, Jason WON  this years Australian Giant Pumpkin
> >& Vegetable Competition - with his 218.6kg pumpkin and he also
> >created a new Australian Squash Record 199.0kg (beating my husband
> >George's and my five year old record) Well done Jason.
> >

-- 
Duncan McAlpine, Federal Way, WA   m*@eskimo.com
Why buy plants when you can grow them yourself.....?
http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/
http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/pumkin.html
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