From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Milky Way

I covered the pumpkin with blankets. Can I let the blanket the whole day on the pumpkin?

9/17/2008 10:30:03 AM

Midway, UT

I know of a grower in California that does that and it works for him. Personally I watch the high temperature forecast and then decide. If it is going to get too warm I don't leave it on.

9/17/2008 10:54:50 AM

Taber, Alberta

I take my blankets off most every morning now. We're getting a lot of dew and they are soaked by the time I get to them in the morning.

9/17/2008 2:55:53 PM

Milky Way

The blankets are not wet that is not the problem.
I asked, because I thought maybe the pumpkin needs some light, because a plant needs time of light and time of darkness.

9/17/2008 3:54:29 PM

Nikiski, Alaska 99635

You can leave them on all day. I prefer a polar fleece that is breathable. At least once a day I like to get the blanket off and let the pumpkin get some fresh air, preferably during the warmest and driest time of the day. Make sure blossum end and stem end are not staying damp for extended periods.

9/17/2008 10:32:41 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

For years we kept our pumpkins covered with carpet pads all day and night. We too aired the pumpkin out once a day. The carpet pad did not cover the entire pumpkin though and went about half way down the pumpkin when they were over 500lbs. Sometimes the stem seemed to sweat. If that was happening we kept the blanket off that part. This year for the first time we kept blankets on at night and a sheet during the day. We really tucked in the pumpkin, We used four fleece blankets at night with the carpet pad on top of that. We started doing this after we took a lazer non-contact temperature reading of the top (82 degees) and bottom (74 degrees) of the pumpkin and noticed there was a 8 degree difference between the top and bottom. When we added more blankets all the way to the ground and tucked the pumpkin in tight, we were able to keep the top and bottom temperature equal. (82 degrees) Papa had said on one of the boards that 84 degrees was his ideal temp to keep a pumpkin. We have cold nights here in Santa Cruz, California all summer long between (55 and 60 degrees) so I think we really need to save our heat. The non-contact thermometer called a Raytek was really interesting to work with. One of our pumpkins that aborted reached 92 degrees just prior to aborting. I wonder if temperature could be a predictor of problems.....just at thought.

9/18/2008 12:04:27 AM