From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Eugene,OR

What do you think is the number of days which you should pollinate before a contest to maximize fruit growth without taking on too much risk of your fruit getting old & going bad?

6/11/2023 11:50:04 PM

Eugene,OR

Personally I think 115 days is the outer limit.

6/11/2023 11:50:54 PM

Austin MN

Travis had a pretty old plant last year and it was still putting on weight! My plant was only 103 days old but was still putting on around 5-7 a day at that point.

6/12/2023 8:45:57 AM

Torrance, Ca.

I think you're dead on Russ.

115 to 120 and if you're still putting on 5 pounds a day,, you have something very special.

6/12/2023 10:21:22 AM

Roseville CA

Perfect! In that case I will be bringing a 113 day old pumpkin to the hard rock. :)

6/12/2023 2:37:55 PM

Littlerock, WA

100 is ideal for me since they typical fruit is done by then; 110 is really pushing it. Anything after that, I might be sleeping with it in the patch to guard it from the inevitable rodent infestation that seems to plague me every fall.

6/12/2023 6:39:19 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

I aim for 100 days...there's no sun in my patch in early April so I can't really get much more than that. The darn house is in the way. :)
My plant didn't throw a female early enough this year, largely due to unseasonably cool and cloudy weather. First one is at 14-15'. I expect I will have 95 days to grow it, give or take a day.

6/12/2023 7:15:55 PM

Eugene,OR

I agree that 100 is much more comfortable…but when you have worked hard to get that early pollination it sure is tempting!

6/12/2023 8:45:27 PM

Eugene,OR

I live just south of the 44th parallel. Right now we have about 3.5 more hours of daylight than we do on October 1st. If you can have a fruit that is on the vine for 115 days, instead of 100 days (and that time starts now) you get an extra 52 hours of growing daylight…which is 3.25 extra days worth of sunlight! And you are getting in on the beginning of the fruit-growth curve, rather than the end of the end if the curve. That’s pretty tempting. But we know that fruit eventually go down.

6/12/2023 8:54:20 PM

New Castle, Indiana

90-100, but the fruit has to be growing at a good pace which means the plant has to be going strong. Beyond that, well father time is undefeated.

6/12/2023 10:37:20 PM

Eugene,OR

I live just south of the 44th parallel. Right now we have about 3.5 more hours of daylight than we do on October 1st. If you can have a fruit that is on the vine for 115 days, instead of 100 days (and that time starts now) you get an extra 45

6/12/2023 10:55:20 PM

Eugene,OR

Hours of sun for those 15 days. That is significant…about 3.25 “free/extra” days. Pretty tempting!

6/12/2023 10:56:45 PM

Wisconsin

Id say 115 is good number to shoot for, Ive had 2 pumpkins just under 115 days old that were still putting 5-6lbs a day (verified growing on a scale), This year depending on what my scale says, its possible that I might have one that would be 126 dap this year if I hold it to the OCT 14th weighoff

6/15/2023 12:02:05 PM

Torrance, Ca.

You don't count Mike, you have that special no disease soil! Your plants in late September look like mine in May! lol Then its all about fighting disease from there....

Rick and I are pretty famous for our disease results! Some years he's higher and others I'm higher. ha!

Sorry to get off topic Russ.

6/15/2023 2:01:32 PM

Grittyville, WA

-Unjinx-

Good to hear mobey, hope your team makes it to the playoffs. What other sport has a 120 day season??

6/15/2023 5:27:34 PM