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Framingham, MA

I want to preface this post by saying that I know big pumpkins can't be grown from the Connecticut Field variety. Next year I want to grow a "big" pumpkin, probably with the Big Max variety. Due to my very late start and small garden size I don't have enough time or space to attempt a big pumpkin but would like to get some pumpkin growing experience this season.

On the way home from work this afternoon I bought a packet of Hart's Connecticut Field seeds. Upon opening up the packet I saw that a lot of the seed hulls were flat to concave on both sides with apparently nothing inside the seed hull. I picked out the two biggest seeds that were rounded and then lightly sanded the edges with 220 grit sandpaper, leaving the radicle alone and very light sanding on the tips. Next I put them in a glass of warm water that is 1/3 3% hyrodgen peroxide. I intend to leave them in there for four hours and then put them in small pots with garden soil in a cooler with a large bottle of warm (90-95 degree F) water. Once they germinate and have a leaf I am going to transplant them to the garden and cover them with 5 gallon acrylic aquariums to keep the air temperature up until the consistent 80 degree weather returns. The garden gets at least 10 hours of sunlight this time of year but it is cool here lately.

My questions are:

(1) Is it common to buy store pumpkin seeds that don't appear to have anything inside them?

(2) I would like to get at least two decent sized pumpkins (approx. 20 lbs. each) out of this. Am I better off pruning flowers once I have two pumpkins going or should I let nature take it's course and hope good soil and judicious fertilizing will get me there?

6/17/2005 6:40:01 PM

Utah

1) ... not usually - most feel solid but even some that dont' may germinate. try staring some of the others ... what can it hurt ?

2) The link I found said that Conn. Field pumpkins can grow up to 25 lbs. http://www.yankeegardener.com/seeds/hartseed8b.html
So 20 lbs seems like a good goal.

I would think that you could have 3-4 pumpkins per plant without any problems. You might want to get 1-2 set on each plan and make sure that they are growing well... then cut off the next 2-3 on each plant and let next 1-2 after that set.
good luck.

6/20/2005 5:29:17 PM

Framingham, MA

Thanks Gordon. The first of my two seeds was sprouting up in it's peat pot last night. Once I get a couple of leaves I will put it in the garden and see what happens. It will probably be early August before I can pollinate but at least I will get some pumpkin growing experience. Sometimes we get lucky here and get warm weather right into mid-October ... other years the growing season is done by mid-September. The warm weather is returning with a vengeance this weekend: it is supposed to be 96 degrees and humid on Saturday so I don't need to cover them with aquariums except at night to protect them.

6/23/2005 8:18:41 AM