From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Gettysburg, PA

I've searched through a bunch of the forum topics and can't find much out about this variety. I have a couple questions.

I'm growing 3 AG's and 4 PW hybrid plants right now within the same patch. While there's all kinds of info on AG's I'm not sure what to expect with the PW's? For example, how far out to pollenate, how big the vines will get, etc. So far, I'm treating them exactly as my AG's. My 4 PW plants are all out about 9 feet with good secondaries and the females are just coming on. Any tips, or just go and treat them as AG's like I have been doing.

Second question, should I worry about X-pollenation between the PW's and AG's? I'm not growing for competition. These are just store bought seeds so I don't expect competition level fruit. But, if the 2 cross-breed might it be beneficial to pollenate a PW with an AG male to get an exceptionally large PW fruit?

Charlie

6/29/2009 11:45:17 AM

[email protected]

Charlie, cross or open pollinations are fine if you don't plan on keeping the seeds anyway. The pollen only effects the seeds not the fruit.

6/29/2009 12:10:28 PM

Winston Salem NC

I grew PW's last season. didnt give them much attention, poor soil and only ferts were miracle grow weekly. I did let 5 fruit on the plant but 4 of them set after the one earlier had slowed down. ended up with a 96lb for the heaviest and the others were in the 35lb range.
Rick

6/29/2009 12:34:19 PM

Massillon, Ohio

How you proceed depends on your goal. It you want to grow one per plant, as large as possible, then treat them as AG's.

I grow Prizewinners and allow a 15' x 20' space per plant. I grow 4 or 5 pumpkins per plant. They are pollinated by the bees. They get fish & seaweed, pest & disease control. I don't bury vines. Weight is 100 to 200 lbs. Photos are in last year's diary.

I did a controlled pollination with 700 lb AG. Those seeds resulted in a 350 lb. pumpkin. I have some of those seeds planted again this year, & am hoping for a little bigger.

Gook luck!

6/29/2009 4:54:02 PM

Massillon, Ohio

"Gook luck" is one step up from "Good luck" !!!!!

6/29/2009 4:56:03 PM

Ohio

I got some Nana Rea prize winners planted ;-)

6/29/2009 9:21:22 PM

Cochecton, NY

If you are looking for a heavy weight form the PW. Do the same as AG's. I did that last year in my first year and landed one @ 163.5 If you do a little better job than I did with things like weed control and pruning you can definitely get bigger.

Out of curiosity, How big is you patch with so many plants.

As for cross pollinating the PW & AG, I did that last year and I don't think it really made a difference. If your AG's are proven seeds and not bought from a garden center, you should really research the seeds and try to trace the family tree. If you do that, than the fun starts of figuring out which crosses you want to do. You will probably wind upi changing your mind a thousand times, but go with your gut.

6/30/2009 6:47:47 AM

Gettysburg, PA

Thanks folks,

All of mine are store bought seed so I can't tell any genetics. I have the seeds planted out front in a corner of the yard where I actually had clover planted for the deer (I know...I'm just asking for trouble). It's the only place I have that gets sun since I live in the woods, but hey, those trees make great wind-breaks.

My patch is about 50'x50' and I know it's gonna get crowded. I just keep weed whacking the clover down in front of them as they grow. The plants are growing great with fish emulsion foliar spray Sat and Miracle Grow 15-30-15 on Tues. Just pollinated the first AG Sunday and the first PW this morning.

I'm gonna try to treat the PW's as AG's, because it seems to be working. I don't need 20 pumpkins, so I'll probably just keep one or two per plant and cull the smaller one when the time comes to see how big she gets.

This fall, I'll get more serious about things, clear a bigger area, till in manure and compost and buy quality seed for next year.

Thanks for the help.

charlie

6/30/2009 7:59:53 AM