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long Island

I tried to move my pumpkin today. It is still on the vine. I plan to cut it off on Saturday. I have been looking at all the pictures on the diaries. My pumpkin is no where near as big as everyone else's. I am very proud of it though and I am determined to get it to the weigh-off on Sunday. I have no idea how to get my monster out of my backyard. It just wont budge. Not even an inch. The tripod idea is out. I can not back a truck into my yard. I have no lifting tarp. All I have is a skid and a dolly. both my son and I together weigh less than the pumpkin. I'm 165 and he is 155. I hope I can get some of the neighbors to help. Were going to need it. Every Time I go out to the patch to make some kind of a plan the pumpkin looks bigger and bigger. This thing just wont budge.

9/29/2010 11:28:07 PM

British Columbia

Grew my first big one this year. It was 647. I got six friends to come over and help. I had dug a hole beside the pumpkin the size and depth of a wooden pallet. I put some rope as strap handles tied onto the pallet. Pallets are easy to find by the way. I had some thin, 1/8 inch, plywood to ease under the edge of the pumpkin from the pallet side. This gave a smooth surface to slide the pumpkin on. When every body arrived we dropped the pallet into the spot beside the pumpkin, slid in the plywood under the edge of the pumpkins so we could slide,(shuffle, rock etc) the pumpkin on to the pallet. Dig deep enough so that you are moving a little bit down and not lifting up. Very soon it was on the pallet and then it was simply a matter of everyone grabbing a rope handle lifting and shuffling off. We used a couple of planks to slide pallet and pumpkin onto the truck. Of course, we drank a short toast of pumpkin ale to the great Pumpkin Goddess thanking her for all her blessings before cutting the vine. It was a lot of fun and easier than I thought it would be.

9/30/2010 12:03:56 AM

Las Cruces NM

You'll probably have to tripod to get it on skid/dolly and then move to truck and tripod again to get it onto truck. I'll have the same problem if I grow a monster -- just hasn't happened --- yet! Good luck!

9/30/2010 12:08:05 AM

Bloomington, IN

You might not be able to get a truck into your back yard, but what about a forklift? You could make a duct tape strap lifter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYJ7A2K0ZMQ

connect that to the forklift and carry it to the truck. Just my 2 cents.

9/30/2010 12:48:43 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

beer and pizza = bodies

9/30/2010 8:09:14 AM

long Island

I like the bury the pallet and rope handle idea. I`m glad I posted my problem. Now I have a plan. Thanks everyone.

9/30/2010 9:19:53 AM

Long Island,New York

where on long Island? If you want to load Friday I can help if you're close...I have a tarp. Less than 400lbs is just two people if you are w/o disabilities. Is it too wide to fit through the gate?....Glenn

9/30/2010 11:29:32 AM

long Island

I am on the south shore, nassau county, about 10 minutes from Jones beach.. I wont be home from work until Saturday. That's when I plan to bury the pallet and hopefully get a few of the neighbors to help me with the lifting ropes. It looks like it will get through the gate OK. Thanks for offering to help. I`ll keep my progress posted. This is so much fun. I cant wait till Saturday. Looks like the rain will be ending about then too.

9/30/2010 12:12:24 PM

Long Island,New York

lol...I looked out my window and I dont see you? I am in North Massapequa. You can borrow my tarp but I will be in Allentown Pa area Saturday and Sunday. We leave for a softball tournament probably around 7am. My lovely wife will be here if you chose to borrow the lifting tarp Sat after we leave or I can leave it on the porch here or whatever...return it when your done with it in a week or whatever- I have squat so no need for it this fall here.
Glad to help.....lemme know- [email protected] (Glenn)

9/30/2010 12:26:04 PM

Ohio

How big is your pumpkin Wally? If it isn't that big this will save you a load of time.

If I get a pumpkin thats about 250 lbs, and sometimes they are ALOT more, I can get just my wife to help me move the 250 lb size,, and she is a wimp,,lol,, If the pumpkin is bigger you will need more people,but a blue tarp or a bed sheet will support more then you think they will. Just use good judgment, if you dont think it will lift it dont do it.

but all I do is I will use one of those Blue tarps
(plastic cover to keeps things dry) or even a bed sheet, sometimes it better if you fold it in half for better support, but I will get on one side of the pumpkin and tilt it up on its side , then when its titled up I will then put half the tarp under one side of the pumpkin, and when I go to to lay the pumpkin back down I will then pull the other half of the tarp the rest of the way underneath the pumpkin.

Once thats done I will get two sides of the four corners of the tarp or sheet and my wife will get the other two sides and then we just lift it up and carry it to where it needs to go. Its easier then it seems Wally, and the tarp or bed sheet will work and hold alot of weight with no problem at all, just make sure your tarp or sheet isn't 20 years old with holes in them if you do some lifting with them,,,LOL.

9/30/2010 12:43:56 PM

British Columbia

Just to follow up on what brooks said, - If your pumpkin isn't over 200 - 300 lbs. then a tarp works great. I have a couple of old sails that we use in the garden to move large rooted plants around. My wife, 115lbs maybe, and I have moved some surprisingly big plants that way. When I loaded my "large" pumpkin last week three of us warmed up with the little 347 lber on a small sail. It was very easy. Also, to slide the pumpkin onto the pallet using the tarp is the way to go. Good luck on it, it is a lot of fun, especially when it's the first time for anything over a 100 lbs. I'll be glad to help, I'll just need a plane ticket from Seattle!

9/30/2010 1:38:39 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Glenn, if you are in Allentown PA this weekend you are gladly welcome stop by my patch and then Tim Rosa's to see two of the finest red-orange monsters ever grown on this earth! Jim Gerhardt [email protected]

9/30/2010 1:47:29 PM

Long Island,New York

sometimes a nice fresh big sheet of cardboard is your best friend as you drag the pkn to the truck on it.

9/30/2010 3:02:14 PM

long Island

Thank you very much LIpumpkin. I would like to take you up on your very kind and generous offer. I have sent you an email.

10/1/2010 12:13:36 AM

So. Maine

Hot air balloon , BIG ONE !

10/1/2010 12:17:24 AM

long Island

Thanks again Glenn. Tomorrow is the big loading day. I will post here how things work out. That tarp will sure make things go a lot easier. At least I look prepared now for the big load. Thanks to you.

10/1/2010 9:01:36 PM