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Pataskala,OH

What is the best way to reduce heat stress so you can get a pumpkin set when it is in the 90s?

7/13/2010 6:41:08 PM

Fresno, CA

No one would mistake me for a heavy hitter. In fact I'm a lightweight laughable when it comes to pumpkins. But I have been trying to grow Giants in regularly 100+ temps and I've found the pollinations work best when I cool the fruit by placing a little dollar-store styrofoam cooler over the fruit. I cut up the lid and put a piece of foam inside the cooler with duct tape to create a little 'loft' for a frozen water bottle to sit in. If the flower is too tall I stick the frozen water bottle on the ground and stick a cooler without the loft over the top of flower and ice bottle. I leave 2-3 inches between flower and bottle so the tissue doesn't get frozen. I put the ice bottle with the flower in the morning and replace it with a new bottle from the freezer mid-day or when I get home around 5pm. I remove it before I go to bed at night. I keep the ice and cooler going for the first 4 days of pollination. After that I switch to a little shade structure and don't ice anymore. I also have 22% shade cloth over the whole patch and a fine-spray mister system over the plant to reduce heat stress for the whole plant. I was able to get a fairly late pollination on one plant last year that didn't have misters or complete shading but I was doing the icing method on it. Last year I realized that after the high temps go over 90 I couldn't get a pollination to set unless I did the icing/cooler method. If the high temps go over 105 I couldn't get a pollination to set even with the icing/cooler method.

Next year I am going to try mulch, calcium and mycorrizae to reduce stress from moisture variability in our hot climate here.

7/13/2010 7:23:39 PM

British Columbia, Canada

If your so concerned about it, then place fresh ice every hour around the newly pollinated pumpkin.

It was 113F here last year when I pollinated my pumpkin on the 275. I did a really bad job of pollinating since I was rushed due to the fact we had to evacuate from the Glenrosa Fire. I used no ice, and the plant diden't get very much water for 4 days after the pollination since I was evacuated. Yet, the pollination still took and grew my PB 330.

For a non-competitive grower like me, It's nothing to worry about. Though for competitive growers, it may be something to worry about.

-Jordan.

7/13/2010 7:28:09 PM

New York

I'm a relatively new grower, and I got two pollinations to set in 97-102 degree heat with just a bottle of ice and some shade. Heat hasn't been an issue for me as of yet.

7/13/2010 9:47:06 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Shade and fans have worked and all have been set +90.

7/13/2010 9:50:02 PM

Navarre,OH

Would this method be reccomended for pre-pollination to keep the baby cool before pollination. The heat is killing the females on my marrow before I even have a chance to pollinate. I'm not too concerned about growing a super heavy fruit for a weigh-off as this is my first year with vining giants. This marrow doesnt like the heat for fruits but it sure is growing like a "mofo". Main is about 36' lol

7/13/2010 9:56:08 PM

San Luis Obispo, Ca.

All my girls are growing under a Peach Tree. Works out well during heat waves. But leaves still go limp. I do a lot misting. They like that a lot!

7/14/2010 12:03:56 PM

Pataskala,OH

Last week the temperatures were around 93 for 5 days straight. The last two days were 82of and 78of and it is supposed to be 87 today and remain that way all week. Will the 6 degrees cooler this week make a difference?

7/14/2010 12:45:25 PM