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Durham, NC

What does everyone recommend to put under the pumpkin as it gets bigger? Right now its about the size of a cantaloupe. I've seen pics of sand, but that's about it. Thanks for any advice! -Randi aka NDNskylight

6/29/2009 11:19:29 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Mill fabric. It is a fine metal mesh belting, and doesn't rust, and... lets moisture drain through, pumpkin can grow easily across the slick surface. Most important, resists mice and star moles coming up underneath to chew holes in the fruit.

Some use sand then mill fabric or various combos.... I prefer just flattening well and putting the mill fabric under the pumpkin. It'll last for many seasons as well.

6/29/2009 11:48:08 PM

Johnstown, Ohio

We try to put soething solid underneath...we are trying truck-bed liner this year. (Got three old ones for free). Make sure it drains somehow, so a perforated board or something similar. We then put paper mill fabric directly beneath the pumpkin (between the pumpkin and the hard surface.

6/29/2009 11:48:31 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Oh, in chat, click upper right corner. Tom at Extreme Pumpkin carries it for reasonable. Well worth your investment.

6/29/2009 11:48:54 PM

Johnstown, Ohio

OkieGal...yours is metal??? Mine is plastic. Hmmmmm.

6/29/2009 11:49:52 PM

New Carlisle IN

Play sand will work just fine and a lot less expensive than the other options (they need a truck bed liner????))
Terry

6/30/2009 1:17:24 AM

Buffalo, New York

i use sand too, works fine.

6/30/2009 2:14:20 AM

Albert County, New Brunswick,CANADA

how about a well built hardwood pallet?

6/30/2009 7:07:20 AM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

I put down a couple layers of landscape weed fabric before the sand. Seems to work OK.

6/30/2009 9:23:39 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I thought they were metal, they sure CUT like it... (those edges are lethal, I've gotten my body parts and scarred a pumpkin last year with a bare graze) Will have to get out and cut a corner of one and some matches and see if the stuff will melt and if it does, how it melts.

6/30/2009 9:23:49 AM

Ohio

I use Mill fabric, (I dont think mine has metal in it though,,lol)
and I also use 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch blue insulation board. You can buy it at most places like Lowes or HomeDepot.
But ether one works good I think. What I like about using the blue insulation board is that most of my pumpkins on the bottom have a nice flat shape to them when they are done growing.

6/30/2009 9:39:29 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I've used the blue insulation board in the past too Brooks, make sure you poke a bunch of holes in it to let the water drain out under the fruit.

I switched over to Mill fabric a few years ago, just easier to manage and get under the fruit. (Okie, I do believe that it is fibreglass...no metal in mine either...lol)

6/30/2009 11:22:28 AM

[email protected]

Pulp Mill Fabric on a bed of sand. Drains well, you can adjust the fruit & mice can't chew through it.

6/30/2009 11:40:21 AM

Santa Cruz, CA

We put down plywood and then play sand on top. I'm thinking of switching to something else this year since we can get a con-caved spot on the bottom of our pumpkin. I think it makes it weak there when that happens. I'd like to try mill fabric but can't seem to find it on the Extreme Pumpkin site. Who else carries it? Thanks for the help.

6/30/2009 11:58:35 AM

Bemidji Minnesota

I use landscape fabric, and I put about 2" of sand over it. The sand seems to work like bearings and rolls and moves enough to not distort the pumpkin as it grows. I wont prevent a flat bottom size (thats physics) but it well help keep it from getting scratches as it grows.

6/30/2009 12:41:11 PM

[email protected]

Play sand is like beach sand. It's too round to provide good support. Builders sand is more angular & will provide for a better (flatter) bottom. In the perfect world I build a stable base of builder's sand then the mill fabric with play sand on the fabric to act like ball bearings. This permits for easier vine adjustments than just sand &/or wood alone.

6/30/2009 12:49:01 PM

Okla

Creekside here is the link to Extreme pumpkins site for the fabric. http://www.extremepumpkinstore.com/ccp0-catshow/millfabric.html

6/30/2009 2:47:10 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Did the melt test with match and clipping, it's some sort of fiber coated with something that smells like 'plastic'.

It's still lethal on a raw edge.

Thomas, good to know you're still around. :)

6/30/2009 3:46:26 PM

Cheshire,Ma

Randi,
I sell mill fabric. 5' x 5 1/2'pieces. Email me at
[email protected]

Dan

6/30/2009 5:30:20 PM

Whidbey Island

Does anyone know how to cure the edge of mill fabric so it is not so sharp?
Tx.

6/30/2009 9:33:00 PM

I like to put a scales under mine in Oct.

6/30/2009 10:45:43 PM

[email protected]

Dan H's belts are awesome. We have several.

I believe the edges can be flamed with a torch but I've never bothered.

unkadan has the best advice of all here by far.

7/1/2009 8:49:17 PM

Durham, NC

Thanks a bunch folks!!!

7/2/2009 12:51:46 AM