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Ham Lake, Minnesota

Some of us may not understand how much room it takes to grow a a single pumpkin plant. I know I was guilty last year of growing in the grass to some extent, but the boss wouldn't let me TILL UP the lawn so I slipped by with some good soil poured out in front of the vines for them to root in. However I'm not recommending that at all. I'm seeing more people who drop a plant into a 2'x2' space and let the main hit the ground for the first time in a sea of grass blades and expect to grow a monster- only to find that there plant is less than exceptional; small leaves, dinky stems, and fruit abortion. Let's stay out of the grass if we can, and only spill into the grass on the edges at best.
Anyone who spends a good amount of time checking out peoples grower diaries will understand what I'm saying. There are growers out there that grow their entire plants out in the grass and when they aren't doing so hot or all their fruit are aborting they post "HELP! ABORTS" or "WHAT HAPPENED!?!?" Please take the time to read Don's books, study the pictures on bp.com of growers patches that do well, go re-read and take notes or a highlighter to Don's books again, use the site search field on bp.com to study your questions. I know you new growers will be there in no time becoming closer to your dreams!

7/19/2007 11:27:14 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Well, for those new growers or experienced growers that just have to grow in certain areas (including over the grass) there is hope that you can still grow something very huge.

Check out this guys diary who is a 5 year grower who clearly grows over his grass....with some success.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=66863

7/20/2007 11:50:35 AM

Buffalo, New York

good find man, anythign is possible, not everyone including myself has room to grow a world record.

7/20/2007 6:45:29 PM

New Hampshire, USA

Most of my pumpkins I hope to get are maybe around a hundred pounds so that my wife and soon to arrive daughter have some to carve, don't care if i ever get a record, if it happens great.

7/20/2007 8:43:36 PM

Buffalo, New York

i am shooting for 100 pound pumpkins also.....i have 4 remaining on my plant now. with the biggest having about a 15" circumference so far.

7/20/2007 9:07:06 PM

New Hampshire, USA

Another grower told the Nebraska state record of 820 lbs. was grown on grass.

7/20/2007 9:27:45 PM

Ham Lake, Minnesota

Yes that one fellas plants would have never looked so great if he hadn't trenched ahead to provide open soil for root nodes I believe, but very interesting approach. Might as well call it a patch and till if you're slashing the lawn up that much!

7/20/2007 11:44:29 PM

Buffalo, New York

i dont know about you, but i would rather NOT slash up my lawn as much as i have to.

give the guy credit, he did well.

7/21/2007 12:09:10 AM

Hayward, CA

He seems to have a competitive thing going with his pop. Just made the best of what he had, I guess. I have our plants in our front yard also. We did not have the greatest lawn but did use the tiller to destroy what we had. My little girl is the only child in her preschool class to have "Giant Pumpin Plants a growin in the front yard"!
Yeah, limited but happy! And his plants look great!

7/21/2007 3:40:22 PM