From

Location

Message

Date Posted

South Hero, VT

VT state fair is 2 weeks. People want to see a giant orange pumpkin. What's the best way to get my AG really orange?

8/12/2011 7:30:01 PM

Cincinnati,OH

A good shot of potash.
Or a can of orange paint if it's an ugly color. lol

8/12/2011 7:32:47 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

krylon spray paint.

8/12/2011 7:58:18 PM

Litchfield N. H. 03052

Leave it uncovered , the sun isn't as hot now , that is if it is ment to be orange .

8/12/2011 7:58:25 PM

Muddy Waters

You can Dust them with pray paint.I only do it to sell them after weigh-offs The trick is to just Dust them dont paint solid,keep it 3-D nobody ever knew!I have dusted green Squash 400 pds & given as pumpkins!They paint christmas trees!!

8/12/2011 8:17:02 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Has it got some colour Steve? If so, rubbing with a wet rag and olive oil gives her a nice sheen and makes the orange look more orange.

8/12/2011 8:34:54 PM

South Hero, VT

It's an orange 'un, and I don't want to buy boxes and boxes of Crayola crayons just for the orange ones.

8/12/2011 9:02:57 PM

Cedar City, Ut

lol good idea!!! (not to self.. oranger crayons) hehe

8/13/2011 10:42:50 AM

Cheshire Ma USA

Canola oil

8/13/2011 11:31:47 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Glenn I am surprised to see you encourage the use of any oil on the pumpkin. Lifting these things is dangerous enough without the extra lubricant on them. Anyone coming to the doylestown weighoff should not have any oil on their pumpkin if they want to be sure it makes it to the scale. Oiling the pumpkin will also get you DQ'd from our $500 Howard dill prize.

Spray painting a pumpkin? That's sacralidge.

8/15/2011 9:45:41 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

A lot of growers don't realize it but pumpkins have their own natural wax just like a pepper. Take a soft dry towel and buff a small area like you would a car. You won't believe the difference and no oil needed. It won't work on the cantalouped ones though.

8/15/2011 10:24:25 AM

canal winchester ohio

Sun, if it's meant to be then a week exposed will bring it out.

8/15/2011 11:24:43 AM

Dorval,Quebec

Tan them up Steve!Maybe not if it's 90F...

8/15/2011 11:45:49 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

lol...a couple of drops of oil spread with a wet rag on a large pumpkin will not cause a hazardous condition for your lifting crew....and certainly not detectable and a reason to DQ a persons entry....that is silly!

Can you tell that this one was rubbed with oil....don't think so....

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=120805

8/15/2011 11:59:21 AM

Nottingham, UK

North Shore Boyz, thats a nice pumpkin. Can you tell this rookie why you have blankets on your pumpkin?

8/15/2011 12:42:52 PM

Mass

"They" paint xmas trees? fake ones maybe, I grow them for a living, no painting going on here. fertilize them early fall to green up for sales season.

8/15/2011 1:08:03 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Glenn, we will just have to disagree on this one.

8/15/2011 2:01:16 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I respect your opinion Jim, you know that.

Imagine how upset Brooks would have been if they DQ'd him on his 977 last year that "looked" like it had been polished with something but indeed had not..

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=146589

8/15/2011 2:30:10 PM

canal winchester ohio

Glen your completely right. in 2006 I was constantly asked at the weighoff if I had polished this one. I didn't even rub it with a cloth. But the "appearance" at a gpc might have gotten me dq'd if someone might have pushed it.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=146589
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=56221

8/15/2011 3:13:49 PM

canal winchester ohio

Ignore that first one I was looking at brooks & forgot to update the paste...lol
here it is
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=56771

8/15/2011 3:15:32 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Thanks Glenn, you know I am just playing devil's advocate here. When I saw this thread, I immediately thought about Brooks and his 977. He was very upset about people remarking that he oiled it up. There is definitely a difference.. if you ever get close to an artificially glossy pumpkin you will know. Brooks and I talked it over, because he got criticized from a bunch of growers for greasing it up. That's when I told him about the polishing factor with a dry cloth.

8/15/2011 7:45:17 PM

Claysburg , PA

I`ve been ask several times about some of our pumpkins that were very orange. Jimmy is right about a very soft cloth will buff it up . We cleaned them off with a little bleach/water solution then gave them a good rub down . Works great and still keeps you legal .

8/16/2011 6:57:53 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Still a slippery slope when you are "asked or accused" of polishing your kin with something cause your competitor wants you DQ'd because your pumpkin is too orange and shiney...

I know the rules and would never polish a pumpkin with anything but a soft cloth if I were hoping to take home the Howard Dill award.

8/16/2011 12:22:23 PM