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Location

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Date Posted

Gold Hill, Oregon

wow i thought growing pumpkins was pretty straight forward. get some good seeds plant them, make sure they have plenty of water, fertilizer and sunlight and they will do good. i thought if i took a local master gardning class that might give me bit of an edge. now i'm finding out that i have to be (part scientist) ; gotta get me a microscope, (part biologist); gotta study organisms and protozoa, (part plumber); a simple garden hose and sprinkler won't do, (part farmer) gotta grow some worms, (part brewer) i wonder if i can use the brewer in the off season to make some beer?. i thought vermicomposting was when you throw vermin in the compost to get your blood meal. wowww it gets deep!

11/25/2008 4:50:49 AM

Spanish Ontario

DREAMER you have only begun up to your knees already slowly sinking deeper an deeper into the world of growing AG PUMPKINS YOU ARE HOOKED BEST OF LUCK KEN

11/25/2008 8:45:44 AM

Midway, UT

I remember reading an article in the NY Times on Joe Jutras's world record pumpkin before the start of my first season this year. His wife was quoted as saying that he was spending 30-40 hours per week in the patch at one point. I asked myself, "What in the world does a person do for that amount of time each week?" Ask my wife how much time I spent in the patch this last season. It is pretty easy to spend just as much time as you have growing these things. lol

11/25/2008 10:00:50 AM

Midway, UT

My wife just walked in while I was completeing this post, read the post, hit me in the head and said, "Geeks--all of you" as she walked out of the room. lol

She is a good women. As a father's day gift she got me a trip to the Topsfield weigh-off for the both of us. Pumpkin growing can be kind of obsessive so she puts up with a lot. lol

11/25/2008 10:03:55 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

My hubby is a pumpkin widower. He has been a class A trooper through me growing... as I've defended to him and others, this *is* gardening.

Extreme Gardening. A good basic background in gardening helps but this will push it to places you never expected. Tell your better half AB, that it's not geeking, it's 'communing with nature'... sitting in front of the computer is geeking...

For square footage of pumpkin vine I spent as much time, water, and other costs, as I did with the same footage with my tomatoes... it's just that to fill a large plot it takes ONE plant. And if you beat the 50% odds (from sprout to scale you have an even chance of getting nothing as something happens) you get a yield of ONE per plant.

Yeah, hooked... sinking fast, and loving it. Welcome to the dream. Good luck.

11/25/2008 10:36:29 AM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Got my attention with

"And if you beat the 50% odds (from sprout to scale )"

I am intrigued by this, good survey question. I would bet its a lot worse odds than that. I'm assuming when you say to scale that the pumpkin isn't damaged.

If there's data for this let me know please.
John

11/25/2008 6:40:12 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

That's what I was told, from seed in hand to getting one to the scale, you have an even chance to lose the plant and the fruit.... I'd believe it with this last growing year being such bad weather all over.

11/25/2008 7:20:07 PM