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Ct

This is my year and I picked my pumpkin today and it weighed 290LB! All organic. The plant was mostly dead from powdery mildew. I was pleased but I think I know a few of my mistakes:

-transplant was too large, too late.. got shock
-didn't hand pollinate and plant didn't self pollinate until ~August 1.
-plant wasn't in full sun
-perhaps could have used a heavier hand with the fish emulsion earlier in the year
-didn't use anything to keep away the bugs or powdery mildew

Anyways thanks to all (Wilbur, VTSteve, others) that helped me get my start back in this thread:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/msgboard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=392874

9/19/2011 6:17:13 PM

Ct

first year*

9/19/2011 6:17:38 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Well congratulations on getting a pumpkin! Review your notes over winter, but don't forget your fall patch prep now... and I bet you get a pickup load sized one in 2012.

9/19/2011 7:02:01 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

It is a great accomplishment to get a big pumpkin start to finish all organic! Congrats. You should contact Alex McCracken who got 1014.5 pounds this year with no chemicals sprayed and an even bigger one still in the patch! Growing them big is hard enough I can't imagine how complicated it would be with no pesticides or fungicides.

9/19/2011 8:03:53 PM