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I. Falls, Minn

I have an area 30x50. Do I plant two plants, one each in a 25x30 section? Or can I plant two in a Christmas tree pattern (1&3) and one coming from the other side in the middle of the one and three (2)? [ /1\2/3\ ]
I'm thinking of two GIANT pumpkins with a field pumpkin in the middle.

11/17/2015 9:44:08 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Your plan will be OK, but you will have to keep the vines pruned back a lot. Would give you around 600 sq ft per giant and 300 sq ft for the field pumpkin. If you grow just 2 giants like this [1/2] you can have larger plants to grow the giants. But with the shorter growing season up there in Frostbite Falls, the smaller plant might be ok.

11/17/2015 11:16:21 AM

New Berlin, PA

I tried to do the same thing this past season, but the middle plant was also an AG. I found it too tight for space, and had a hard time getting in to weed/work on the plants/spray/etc.

I also agree with Iowegian, you'll be pruning a lot.

11/17/2015 1:59:04 PM

Germany

Hi frostbite, you´ve got email.

11/17/2015 2:25:32 PM

I. Falls, Minn

I don’t want to get them too crowded. This year I grew a 1020lb and 830lb in one 600sq ft. spot. It was so crowded that I couldn’t get between them without breaking vines. Pumpking had a good idea, to plant two plants back to back on a 30x30 spot. I could run them into the grass.( which I could roundup) That would still give me room for a Field pumpkin. Could someone please explain the reasoning behind the Christmas tree pattern? I’ve read about growing them in 350-400sq.ft. Yet it seems people still grow them as large as their area will allow. Was this just theory or are people doing it?

11/17/2015 5:13:27 PM

East Jordan, MI

the "Christmas tree pattern" is named such because during the plant growth it resembles a Christmas tree. This helps give people a visual of how to train the vines perpendicular to the main. However,
after it reaches the end of the patch, the sides are allowed to continue to grow until they fill out the spot (making the end result a rectangle).

11/17/2015 6:48:18 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

The bigger the plant, the more leaves you have for photosynthesis, generating the sugar for the fruit. And you get more roots to take up water and nutrients. In my deep valley, I miss the early morning and late afternoon direct sun, so I like a bigger plant to take advantage of the sun I do get. I try to get at least 750 to 800 sq ft or more. I also like to keep a little vine growth going up into September to keep the plant and fruit going as long as possible.

11/17/2015 6:49:17 PM

I. Falls, Minn

Thanks, this makes a lot more sense. Hopefully next summer will be as good as this one and allow me to grow more plant behind the pumpkin. I don't believe our growing season will ever allow me to get 800 sq. ft.

11/17/2015 9:44:50 PM