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Minnesota

Maybe this is a question for the upper midwest boys (Minnesota) as much as anything. I had a pumpkin pollinated on July 18th, slow growth until about August 1st. From 8/1 to 9/2, it have a very nice average growth rate. As I recall the weather was generally hot and sunny (generally highs in 80's lows in 60's). About 9/2 the weather turned to having highs in low 70's or so, with lows in high 50/s more generally. The pumpkin seemed to shut off then, and over the last 20 days has average daily growth rates about 1/7 as much as previously. There are no visible problems with the patch and everything else seems to have remained the same. That means that the pumpkin would have had good growth from about 15 days to 45 days and then dramatically slowed from 45 up. So my question is, is this "Normal", or do you think it is related to weather or possibly something else? Did anyone else in Minnesota or the upper midwest experience similiar results about the same time?

9/24/2008 9:52:04 AM

Wi

Mitch that is simply the difference between a pumpkin and an exceptional pumpkin. The 1400# pumpkins grow faster longer. Most of the real big ones simply continue to grow faster than others from D40-60. Many many variables here. Weather certainly has an effect therefore the reason most (all?) world class pumpkins are pollinated late June / early July. I'm very confident MN can grow a WR. Probably not northern MN, but certainly from say St. Cloud south.

See you Saturday.

9/24/2008 10:21:42 AM

Minnesota([email protected])

Mitch,
This is my 5th year growing these giants. Days 15-45 are roughly the the peak growing days for my pumpkins as well. I don't notice a dramatic decline in daily weights, just a gradual one after around day 35 or so. I've been measuring roughly every 5 days, and this has been the trend in my patch, here in central MN.

9/24/2008 12:22:16 PM

Going Green

Not wanting to crash another posting but I am confused! Many people told me that pumkins like heat in the 80's and 90's and then the other day I had to guys tell me their pumpkins gain more when the temps are in the 70's!

On this my first year my experience is that my pumpkins grew the best when temps were 85-90 degrees during the day and 70-75 in the evenings. Rain slows the gain down and of course rain is usually accompanied with colder temps!

The heat of the day causes the pumpkin to gain over the evening...I think!

I say all this because Mitch from Minnesota is I believe experiencing cooler temperatures and less weight gain! Futhermore by day 40 the pumpkin has grown 70% of the weight the pumpkin will ever be in most cases!

9/24/2008 9:11:25 PM

Rochester, MN

The key to pumpkin growth is NOT the daytime temps..yes, they need to be nice and sunny and 70s(or more)...but the evening temps of 60 degrees or more is required...once you start hitting days of 40 degree nights..the pumpkins start to slow down and won't rebound back to previous levels...some bouncing but not like before. So the key is to keep your fruit and roots warm...I sometimes will turn on the soil heaters also in Sept to keep the roots warm and also keep blankets on the pumpkins.
I'm a MN grower and the land of extremes is VERY tough to grow giant pumpkins...but I have a dream that we'll someday have the WR from our state!!!!
(probably in a greenhouse LOL)

9/25/2008 12:50:27 AM