From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ohio

When you guys start your early fair entries when do you usually start your seeds inside, and then when do you put them outside?

When does the plant really start to take off growing good, end of May?...(reason I ask this is because I have planted seedlings a couple times like 2 weeks apart and the one planted the latest always seem to catch up with the other one that was planted earlier)


I have found that if your ground isn't warm enough the plants wont really start growing, so a large hoop or green house would be needed, but what size do you guys use?Like big enough for the first three to four secondaries, or one that will cover the entire plant and pumpkin?

And at what month do you guys usually pollinated for the early Aug fairs? (or the date you try to pollinate)

I have never grown for a early august pumpkin, but most of the time when I see you guys harvest your pumpkin in Aug, 9 times out of 10 they are still growing at a very good pace,

What do you try to do to time your pumpkin to be harvested so at the very least your pumpkins growth rate will be on the down slope of your growing cycle or even when it stops growing?

i Know weather is a big thing and something you cant control. But I just wanted to ask these question for the early Aug guys who take there pumpkins to the early fairs, I know its alot more work in the beginning, I give you guys alot of credit for that.

4/30/2010 12:26:55 PM

Woodburn, Indiana

Call... JOHN VAN SAND BAGGUS!!! :-)

4/30/2010 4:18:15 PM

interesting subject i bet dan carlson marc peterson marty schickner and frantz all could add to this its timing and weather for me without a big high tunnel. and some years i sure miss the timing if cool spring im behind as i was last year/ there has been other years 2007 for instance my fall pumpkins passed up early fair ones but were growing good its hard to cut a small older pumpkin for fair and leave 400" ott younger pumpkin for fall weighoffs

4/30/2010 5:28:14 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

It's very weather dependent, at least for me. No matter what I do or when I plant, the plants are going to do what they do when it warms up.

So, it's not a matter of saying, "This is my fair plant". I just grow all of them, and when it's time for the fair (in my case, the Thursday before Labor Day) I usually harvest one of them based on how it's growing, or slowing down, or I think it might split, etc. I won't pick the biggest one.

For the fair, I'll try to pick an orange one if possible because tens of thousands of people will be seeing it, versus 100 people if I take it to our local weighoff. I'm always amazed at how many people come up to me and say, "Hey, I saw your pumpkin at the fair!" Top prize is 20 bucks, and it almost covers gas. lol

4/30/2010 6:01:36 PM

Joliet, IL

joe richards use to set up home made big greenhouses early and heat them with multiple space heaters. he would set up his greenhouses in early to mid march and and heat the soil up with a combo of sun and the pelonis space heaters with thermostatic control. i think he used warming cables too but not sure on that. he would start his seeds around april 1st and was pollinating by june 1st. the illinois record of 1468 that joe owns was from the indy state fair weigh off and his pumpkin was already about 80 days old when he picked it. i haven't talked with him in years, but some of the indy guys that knew him might have contact with him still. if you check out how early the alaska guys like j.d. have to start plants in greenhouses with snow still outside them, this is the kind of early effort needed to get one at least 80 days old for a chance at going big and have a mature pumpkin for the early weigh off dates. it has to be a tough call if one has a 1500 lb estimate and still growing to pick early at 80 days if it could still gain another 100 or so pounds if it keeps growing to day 100 like many now do.

4/30/2010 8:26:47 PM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Ok Brooks here is what I have,a 30 x 90 High tunnel for my fair stuff. Last year I had them outside by April 1st but they grew so fast that I had a hard time keeping them at 90 days plus old. This year I did not start till first week of April and planted outside second week. The pros and cons are soil is very warm and you can work on them most anytime. They grow very fast and the humidity is very high.
The cons are you if its 90 outside its 110 inside and maybe warmer. I did not roll the side up last year because they said it would be cloudy all day then the sun came out and no one at home rolled the side up. When I got home the plastic looked like it was sucking in on the tunnel. I ran there and opened it up and it was over 120 inside and everything was white with moisture on them and smelled like rotting pumpkins. I thought I was done. The thing is nothing was wilting at all and the melons and pumpkins had there biggest gains. Another issue is it is as cold inside as outside at night so you get big temp. changes from 48 to 110 degrees.You have to water a lot inside but it is controlled. Would I of grown a 179. 7 pound melon last year outside no way too cold. Would I of grown a 1099 for fair outside No. Maybe could of took a fall one that was still gaining 20 a day or more but I could not do that.

5/1/2010 8:45:00 AM

Ohio

Dan the man emailed me as well on this post, you guys have alot more work to stay on top of things thats for sure. I remember Mike Frantz putting ALOT of work into putting up a huge green house a couple years in a row, no doubt its a little more money and alot of time spent just to get one to a early Aug fair.

Im going to give it a try next year at the Ohio Fair, I found out to late that they was having their first time weigh off this year in Aug.
Next year I hope I can get things ready for it.

But then again, who knows, I might have a great grower putting on the pounds early and then stop growing by fair time, maybe I can get one over 1000 lbs by then,even though i think would be a long shot.

I know one thing I couldn't do that I have seen you fair guys do all the time and thats cut a huge pumpkin off the vine thats doing 30 to 40 lbs a day,,,, hu uhhhhh!,,not me, not gonna do it,,lol

You guys be looking for my emails early next year, cause I will be asking you guys a billion questions for these early pumpkins,,lol

5/2/2010 4:36:32 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Shaz, and Brooks...Joe told us at the Indy Fair (the year of the 1468)...same year as the 1502, I think, that his pkn was still putting 5-8 #'s per day!!! Good choice, bad choice...to bring it to mid Aug. weighoff??? Good question!!! Would it have made 1503? Would it have split, or other demise? Unknown ?'s!!! I know it was a special day to see that pkn!!!! Peace, Wayne

5/4/2010 1:19:44 AM