From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Pataskala,OH

How is this achieved? I noticed almost 100% of the pumpkins that were 1600lb + were grown on between 700-950 sq ft. My plants always max out at 500 sq ft. But when you get down into the 500-700 sq ft range there are a ton of pumpkins between 1400-1600 lbs. Did the extra 200 sq ft make a difference. I think so looking at the data. What do you guys think?

7/7/2010 2:05:57 PM

Colorado

The trend over the last 20 years is smaller square footage.Growers used to have plants up to 2500 sq feet.My guess(nobody knows) is somewhere aroud 700 square feet is optimal.950 may be less optimal.

7/7/2010 3:25:47 PM

Pataskala,OH

2500 sq ft how is that possible?

7/7/2010 7:40:51 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

No termination of any vines, and lots of water...I would guess? Peace, Wayne

7/8/2010 1:01:03 AM

Deer Park WA

Good topic,

We try to get 75% or better plant behind us before our June 25 to July 10 pollinations. The plants dont seem to start pumping the pumpkins untill the side vines are terminated, triggering a shift from plant growth to pumpkin growth. Depending on your climatic conditions sometimes the plants fill out early and somtimes not untill later. We try to shift from nitrogen and phosphorus to potasium (organic ferts just as we start dead-heading. As far as plant size goes we like big ole 1000 to 1500 sq/ft plants I dont believe bigger or smaller is too much of a factor as long as you have at least eith to ten side vines on each side of the plant. There is a balance to everything in life and so it goes with gardening.

Best of luck in 2010, the race is on!

Gadberry's

7/8/2010 1:12:45 AM

Ohio

I agree Gad's, I remember back in 2005 or 2006 I had a 1068 Wallace plant lose its entire stump and 15 ft of main vine just 1 1/2 ft to 2 ft before the pumpkin when the pumpkin was just under 100lbs, SO I let everything past the pumpkin grow. If it wasnt for the plant behind the pumpkin there would have been no way that pumpkin would have put on a extra 500 plus lbs, this made be a believer with out question in my mind that anything growing past the pumpkin is very important and definitely does help to back feed your pumpkin.

So Im with you Gad's, let some plant grow behind your pumpkin, it definitely does help, and could save your pumpkin from a total lose like it did with my pumpkin.

(If I hadnt of lost the entire main before the pumpkin and then counting what grew after the pumpkin I think I would have had 1400 to 1700 sq ft of plant easy)

7/8/2010 8:44:31 AM

Ohio

Sorry for getting off the topic a bit Nic.

7/8/2010 8:47:30 AM

Wi

I don't think sqft of area matters. Every grower measures differently I swear. I think the lineal footage of vine is what we should all be measuring.

7/8/2010 9:22:22 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Chris, can you elaborate on that? Do you mean how far down the pumpkin set is? Is there a too far?

7/8/2010 10:28:59 AM

New York

"If it wasnt for the plant behind the pumpkin"

Maybe I'm reading this wrong (if so, apologies), but did you mean past the pumpkin?

7/8/2010 2:34:35 PM

Lexington, Ky

Yes, what Chris said....

7/8/2010 9:41:05 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Julian, in Brook's post he talks about both, behind and past the pkn., might have been a typo, or that the early growth (behind) allowed enough later growth (past) to keep the pkn growin!! Sorta thinkin it was typo errors, (time of posts) but ya never know about Brooks!!! LOL Grow em BIG!!! Peace, Wayne

7/9/2010 12:29:20 AM

Wi

I'm talking the total measurement of all vine length. Cut all the vines off, measure length, add it up.

It seemed to me that Doc had very very little actual vine last year in his patch...though the patch was large.

I can grow a single vine in 900 sqft and call it 900 sqft.

7/9/2010 2:27:29 PM

Deer Park WA

LOL @ Chris, 12" X 12" = 1 square foot we are talking total area of food factory 30 ' x 20 ' of area = 500 square feet. yes the main vine may only be 20 long but there is still 500 sqft pushing the plant. It takes vines to fill uo the area and leafs & roots to grow a giant.

7/9/2010 9:04:39 PM