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Stanwood, Washington

I have a pretty limited amount of space to work with. I am going to have to cut off my secondaries at about 6-7 feet. This being the case would there be any benefit to allowing a few tertiaries to grow to get more plant behind the Pumpkin or will that just overcrowd the roots and leaves?

6/16/2011 2:35:26 PM

Colorado

yes,you can fill in the back wedge with tertiaries.Ive done it and theyll get much bigger(leaf size) than youd expect.If you have a relatively small area those extra leaves will help.

6/16/2011 6:07:08 PM

Lloydminster/AB

Put up some chicken wire around the patch. Vines will climb it and you could get another 5 feet of length. I put mine up to keep rabbits out and was surprised how well it worked.

6/17/2011 12:49:56 AM

Central Ca

I'm with Don. Going vertical you'll be able to harvest more sun with less crowding. I did that once and grew a 428lbs AG on 200 ft².

6/17/2011 4:34:00 AM

Stanwood, Washington

Sounds like a good idea. When the vines reach the top of the Chicken Wire do you cut them off or will they just stop growing with nowhere to go?

200SF is about what I have to work with soil wise. I can let the vines grow out into my gravel driveway on one side though. I probabbly should have done a flag pattern but I had already planted before I knew about that option. I wonder if you could do a modified flag pattern with the vines on one side doing the flag and the vines on the other side running verticle. That could be fun to try next year.

6/17/2011 12:59:22 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Captain, check out this pic from my diary last year. I had very limited room too. I grew white pumpkns all on a fence and built ledges for them to grow on. You'll have to cut them when needed, they won't just stop.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=138815

6/17/2011 1:51:48 PM

Midwest

I've experienced the exact opposite when growing a vine along the top of a fence. So, I have to disagree. Seems that a vine not rooted down becomes a 'sink' sucking the nutrients to the leaves more than the fruit. IMHO, the more roots you have in the soil, the bigger the pumpkin. My friend grew a plant in a 8x8 patch. His main ended up over 40ft long - whenever a female started, it aborted. I think the root system wasn't able to support the female. Just my opinion.

6/18/2011 12:53:30 AM

Lloydminster/AB

When vines get to the top I nip them off but the leaves still extend up. I think you do need a good root system but if the plant has a couple of hundred square feet of roots and the grower pays close attention to water demands you can grow a very large pumpkin. If your trying for the record your going to have to have more space though. I have that one patch that is quite small (400 square ft) and it has grown a bunch of 1000lb fruit including 3 former provincial records and one close to 1200lbs that split early in sept. I've been thinking that the only thing special about that patch is the chicken wire! Just make sure tou have good posts to anchor the wire because those big leaves catch the wind.

6/18/2011 11:09:45 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Why not grow the vine out to 6 or 7 ft, then turn them up towards the tip of the main in the spider type pattern, they can grow an additional 5-10 ft.

6/18/2011 11:21:38 AM

Rio Linda

Okay. I didn't intend to plant a giant pumpkin but one of my friends seeds just happened to decide to sprout in my blueberry bed on its own. How in the world it got there is a mystery to me! I am afraid of just how big this might get because I have only 3 feet or so between raised beds and the gate is only 4 foot wide. My friend has talked me into letting it go and see. The seed came from a 70 pounder but has genetics for huge. Geeze! I guess we are at the "let 'er rip" stage. Right now the biggest one is twice golfball stage. I swear it doubled in size since yesterday. I am open to suggestions on how to get a monster out of my garden whole if it does get big. Is it possible to put the pumpkin on a platform while growing? How about a 50 gallon half drum with wheels?

6/19/2011 3:14:52 PM

Stanwood, Washington

I think what I am going to do is take the first secondary and put a 180 degree bend in it so that it comes back around behind the stump. the rest of them I am going to try and send verticle for 4 feet or so up a chicken wire fence. on the opposite side of the vine, I have room to let them spill over into the gravel driveway. Don,do you have any pictures of what you have done in the past? I am curious if you attach the vines artificially at all or do you just let the tendrills hold it onto the chicken wire.

6/20/2011 3:40:38 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Captain, the only limits are what you are/aren't willing to do!!! More leaves w/dirt underneath them is certainly a plus!!! Cover those vines on the driveway w/ dirt from yer patch & I bet they grow roots...right thru the gravel, if you give some water & nutrients!!! (Avoid N during pollination time). Imagination is the Mother of Invention!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...or so I have read...somewhere??

6/21/2011 2:07:17 AM

Rapid City, SD

all of our plants only get around 200sq feet, last year we took to our weigh-off a 637, 736, 1180 and had a 1120 dmg uow.

6/21/2011 3:54:59 PM

Midwest

ok. Wayne's right. you're limited only by your creativity/imagination and desire. Build raised flower boxes about 4ft high around the patch and let the vines run in them. If you're going to go for it, go all the way!

6/23/2011 12:29:07 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

a lil cold cr, but such is life!! LOL Peace, Wayne

6/25/2011 11:40:16 PM