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Santa Cruz, CA

I understand that you must keep overhead water off your pumpkin and that is why many growers that water that way build structures over their pumpkins with tarps attached. I also understand that some growers throw a sheet over their pumpkins to keep the pumpkin skin protected from the sun. I have also heard that the pumpkin needs to conserve its heat from the day so the next morning the pumpkin doesn't have to heat up again to start growing well. Could someone please explain the whys of sheets and blankets and the ideal temperature that would be best to keep your pumpkin at. Wouldn't a tarp over the pumpkin keep it too cool? If we water with soaker hoses is a sheet enough? Our typical daily temps range from a high of 75 degrees to a low of 51 at night. Thanks for the help!

7/5/2009 2:29:22 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Covering is sunshade (the shelter building) to prevent sunscald which will freeze some of the skin, and it will not 'stretch and grow' then. Plus keeping water off the pumpkin.

Sheets have their own fans and detractors. Here I have issues with yard cats wanting to jump up on covered pumpkins AND slugs crawling up under to chew holes in the fruit.. so I build shelters.

Blankets are in the fall to help reduce heating/cooling stresses in the fruit; the cooler nights, a cover helps keep the fruit warmer. You have to remove it and recover with a dry one every day, or remove it and dry it. Do NOT use a plugged in electric blanket, that will 'cook' your fruit! (buying old not really working surplus rummage sale ones to use for covers (cut cord off) does work)

7/5/2009 7:11:20 AM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

I use a sheet of white fabric when the pumpmkin is small. When I think I have a good one going, then I add a tarp sospended from posts. Besides providing sun portection, the tarp will also direct rain away from your pumpkis, so there is less chance that rot will start on the fruit. The sheet stays on even when the tarp is in place, to keep the early and late sun fron shining in uner the tarp. If the last 2 weeks of September look to be dry and the pumpkin is orange, I will take both the sheet and tarp off to get better color.

7/5/2009 9:15:50 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I will be erecting shelters soon and will post pictures. I angle so the south and some side protection is offered by the tarp cover yet I get good air circulation. Again, only thing I have against sheets is that I have rampant slugs despite slug control. I need to teach the yardcats shell-less escargot is a delicacy or something.

7/5/2009 10:57:43 AM

No Place Special

A sheet is all you need.

7/5/2009 11:16:21 AM

Breslau, Ontario, Canada

If the sheet gets wet, don't you have to remove it?

7/5/2009 11:32:37 AM

Vancouver Island

Because I'm not great at making structures (I contract that part out) I just bought cheap, small plastic patio end tables to put over the pumpkins when they're small. Seems to work well - when the pumpkin gets big I use a tarp attached to a structure made from PVC pipe.

7/5/2009 12:15:24 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

I remember Al Eaton used carpet pad as his cover for his pumpkins. It seems like it would work as both a shade cover and keep the heat in at night. How about that options. What are the pros and cons?

7/5/2009 12:44:10 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

If we are watering with soaker hoses do I have to be concerned about too much moisture directly under the pumpkin? The soaker hoses are buried and not easy to move and may very well be positioned under the biggest keep-able pumpkin. I have 4'x4' pieces of plywood I've put down in the past to alleviate that problem. What are the cons to that?

7/5/2009 12:50:32 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

As we are about a mile from the pacific ocean, we have fog here typically in the morning which burns off between 11am and 1pm. Would the tarp on a hoop type of structure be best too keep any moisture and sun off the pumpkin? We've never used that type of structure before as I thought it might keep the pumpkin too cool. How's my thinking on that? We haven't had many mold problems in the past.

7/5/2009 12:57:30 PM

Pataskala,OH

Your overthinking something very simple just put a white sheet on the pumpkin.

7/5/2009 3:26:04 PM

Ohio

I use a sheet from start to finish, I like the silk sheets, they seem to dry out faster.

7/5/2009 10:10:47 PM

Back Yard

We use white sheets and they work well for us. We have also used them with the 1/2" pvc and rebar structure set up with the same clips we use for the cloches. They stay off the pumpkin but provide the needed shade. We leave about two inches open on the bottom for extra air circulation.

7/5/2009 10:49:26 PM

Johnstown, Ohio

Oo la la Brooks...wish we all had silk sheets to throw in the patch! (lol)

7/5/2009 10:50:23 PM

Rhode Island

those silk sheets came right off brooks bed

7/6/2009 7:11:46 AM

Joliet, IL

sheets here unless a tarp is warranted...like stem or pumpkin splits that absolutely need to stay dry and or have a fan running non-stop on the wound. also, any female that has a blossum that gets hit regularly from my watering system. last year i lost a pumpkin to blossum rot while using a sheet that laid up against the blossum everytime it got wet by my sprinkler. the sheets dry out quick, but not quick enough. this morning after my watering cycle is over, i just went and changed a sheet from a wet one to a dry one. i bought a roll of tyvek, and if i am going to tarp this year for the above reasons, i will try a white one with doubled up tyvek secured with holes placed through duct tape attached to the tyvek corners.

7/6/2009 7:32:27 AM

Wi

Shading is not required to grow a big one. Casey Neuville grew SHADE FREE last year and had 2 big ones as a result. Both heavy and the 1231 Pukos was definitely a looker.

7/6/2009 9:34:13 AM

Gettysburg, PA

my plants get good morning sun and afternoon shade is natural due to the trees in my yard. Should I still cover the pumpkins?

charlie

7/6/2009 10:20:54 AM

ordinary,VA

Charlie I would, October is long way off.

7/6/2009 3:35:04 PM

Murfreesboro, TN, USA

So, if I understand correctly the recommended covering is the sheet, but I see a con with the sheet. That is if it gets wet, you are holding moisture against the pumpkin for long period of time...unless you are able to change the sheet quite frequently. I am not in a position where I can do that. I can only get to my patch three out of the seven days a week. Would you recommend a shade structure in my case?

7/7/2009 2:52:08 PM

ordinary,VA

I use two pvc pipe and 4 rebar for a make shift rain/sun protection easy to put up and take down few seconds top.
when trying to keep the rain off the pumpkin i use the tarp it seems to help.
most of the time just use the sheet over the pumpkin..
but who gives a sheet what i use..
try a few different ways see works best for you.

7/7/2009 6:15:32 PM

Roselle, IL [email protected]

Its been wet here all year. When the September rains come I am always happy my pumpkin has a tarp / canopy over it. I think it helps keep the bottom dry, and intact

7/7/2009 7:39:14 PM

San Jose [email protected]

christine

I think the sheet is fine for you, try to keep the stem dry of course, but a sheet is all i use here

7/9/2009 11:48:21 PM