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Ohio

I have talked to a couple different growing buddies and have found that they are shooting for a pollination date of the 3rd or 4Th week of June.
Just want to know what you guys think about this?,, Think it could be a advantage or a disadvantage?

Might be a advantage on putting more weight on a pumpkin when its still warmer out at the end of the pumpkins growing cycle, but it could also be a disadvantage when the pumpkin stops growing sooner then you think and just sits there (and loses weight) waiting to hit the scales.

A Lot of times I will see that growers are still putting on 5 to 10 lbs a day and its still growing the day they cut their pumpkin from the vine in October,, so maybe this is a good thing starting early?,,
I know I cant recall of ever having a pumpkin still growing in October that I could tell.

5/29/2009 9:54:53 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Good question Brooks.
It may depend on growing regions as well.

5/29/2009 10:00:43 PM

Eugene,OR

The longest day of the year is June 21...more sunlight...more growth???

5/29/2009 10:21:28 PM

Columbus Ohio

How about pollinate now. We are. One yesterday. More to come soon.

5/29/2009 10:27:26 PM

Ohio

Now?,, might be a little to early if your planning on taking it to a weigh off 1st or 2nd week of October?,,, But if your planning for a early fair weigh off, then now is good.

5/29/2009 10:37:33 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Brooks, I thought my plants were doing good then I looked at this diary....growing in the same climate as me....now I kind of feel left behind....

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=105853

Big things coming from here this year!!!

5/29/2009 11:13:26 PM

Sequim, WA

It's a nice goal to shoot for, but I doubt I'll be doing it. My plants are still in the bush stage. If I can start around Independence Day I'll be happy. I've pollinated fruit that have gone over 700 lbs. as late as the 22nd of July, and for me that's a good size. I really don't care when I get them started, as long as they grow like crazy once they are. I think that's the main thing, get some serious growth going, regardless of when the fruit is set. To do that takes having a plant to push it. First, grow the plant. Second, grow the pumpkin.

5/30/2009 1:48:51 AM

Rhode Island

brooks its a fine web we weave . a tight rope that could buckle under our own weight.
i believe the third week of june is only good if your planning on weighing at a early fair or gpc competition. much to early to still be growing in late september-early october.

my thoughts on pollination dates have changed over the years.

i was always happy if my choosen fruit was one that had been pollinated between the 4th and 10th of july.

several more years down the road my thoughts chamged to the 1st thru the 5th. most competitive growers were targeting this as well.

now? if you grow in the eastern united states i do believe that if you want to hit the bemchmarks and have a chance to become a world champion?, you need to pollinate between june 25 th to july 1st ( please take into account you would also need a proper size plant, with a minimum 18 ft main, (350-400 sq ft before the fruit.

after doing all this ? of course you would hope you chose a pumpkin that has shown a history of both size and growing for alonger period of time then most.

the scales will be the judge come october.

pap

5/30/2009 7:32:06 AM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Lot to think about there pap. Since I grow eight plants and must plan for some of the earlier GPC weigh-offs, I plan to pollinate some around the third week of June, assuming that I have enough square footage. That's why it's imperative to push the vegetative growth of these plants as much as possible NOW.

I also have a late Circleville weigh-off to consider the third Wednesday in October...a very late weigh-off indeed. Since it's impossible to tell which will be the most aggressive-growing fruit this season, I'll have to choose one to pollinate later around the first or second week of July.

Such considerations help to make this hobby very interesting.

5/30/2009 8:02:20 AM

Western NY

If I had to choose, i would like a pollination in the last week of July, with a plant mostly filled out by then. We're getting a lot better at keeping a plant healthy longer in the season now.

5/30/2009 8:05:03 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I'm aiming for first round 3rd week of June; for early Sept. If problems arise that gives me a few more weeks to try to get a set, and I can still let things grow to season end (mid Oct) here. Most going for early (Iowa State and Indy) in mid Aug, started end of March and are setting already. Agreed, also need that plant to be big enough to feed a fruit; it's like playing poker, guessing and betting!

5/30/2009 8:06:29 AM

Joliet, IL

brooks,
it is a great question and something i also have pondered over at great lengths myself. i start my plants earlier now on 4-19 for several reasons. i would rather pollinate earlier like june 24th to july 1st just in case of multiple failed pollinations on a single plant. also, one extra week of a pumpkin sitting before the weigh off can make or break some pumpkins, but i would think a sound pumpkin will be fine waiting one more week. one more waiting week before the weigh off is what...25 more pounds lost. i would think a pumpkin pollinated on june 24th will gain that extra 25 pounds or considerably more at the end of its cycle between days 60-80 of growth in warmer temps of late august and early sept. as opposed to early sept to the middle and late sept. when night time temps drop considerably.

another major considerations is how far out on the plant you start your pollinations. a 10' pollination on june 21st means most likely your 14' to 16' pollinations will fall about july 1st to july 5th. i used pollinate at 10' and beyond. but now i do not pollinate anything on the main under 12' and prefer 14' or beyond. this throws the schedule back a week.

also last year my 1041 mckie pumpkin was growing slowly all the way to the weigh off. for a shot at super huge, hopefully you get one of the pumpkins to be a long term grower and more days equals more weight.

and also, with the earlier start date, a cold wet spring will not put you a week or 2 behind like it did to many growers last year.

5/30/2009 8:26:35 AM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

We has some set in late June a few years ago. We got a very hot September, they matured too soon and rotted a week before the weighoff. I now prefer an early July polination, so they don't mature too soon and so they have a bigger plant and start growing faster. I think that the bigger plant feeding the pumpkin will make up for a week extra growing time and is insurance against maturing too early.

5/30/2009 8:27:43 AM

Ohio

Great answers from everyone, and any one's theory here could go ether way I think.
I myself have always tried to pollinate before the 5Th of July, and anything I have pollinated before July 1st has always got the ax. But after reading this post and a email that I received from the Stelts man, I think I'm going to try and keep a few early pollination's this year if I have enough plant behind the pumpkin.

Brooks

5/30/2009 3:01:51 PM

Eugene,OR

I think that the biggest challenge of pollinating early is keeping a finished fruit from rotting. Otherwise, I think that daylight is on your side if you have a big plant ready to pollinate early.

5/30/2009 11:21:41 PM

Rhode Island

i like cheese with my pumpkins. one of our 1385 jutras plants has a fruit showing in the tip at 4.5 ft out. should we go for it ? lol

5/31/2009 7:29:14 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Go for it pap, maybe make the trip to Indy!!!! Peace, Wayne

6/1/2009 12:35:05 AM

Best results here with pollinations first part of last week in June. Cold frame size matters for bigger plants "early" to keep them protected into June.

6/1/2009 8:33:36 AM

ipswich, ma usa

Who is this Skip guy?.....:)

6/1/2009 9:48:20 AM