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South Dakota

I thought it might be interesting to see what all the changes in giant pumpkin growing everyone has seen through the years they have been growing. What used to be "standard operating procedure" that now is rarely thought about? What used to be the secret to the big ones that now is common knowledge? I guess I would like the veterans share their journey.

7/12/2022 8:38:22 AM

Torrance, Ca.

All start, we use to dump the K on right out of the gate! lol

I haven't used K once this year. My fruit has been doing 40 plus a day for the last 17 days. How things have changed. And that's with major disease issues.

So many things have changed, I can't wait to hear everyone!

7/12/2022 10:12:27 AM

Western NY

Back in the olden days....

We used to put towels soaked in calcium on the fruit to increase thickness and avoid blossom end splits (it did neither).

There were a few growers that were removing every other side vine for better airflow. That only lasted a couple years I think.

7/12/2022 10:50:51 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Pollination dates get earlier and earlier. July 10th used to be the latest date for a poll.

7/12/2022 10:52:58 AM

Westmoreland, KS

First year out the gate I grew in a true Christmas tree pattern. Let the first side vines grow 15 feet next 13-14 next 11-12 so on and so forth

7/12/2022 11:05:00 AM

Grittyville, WA

In the old videos you can see overwatered, nitrogen-bloated, auxin salad. I think now with more balanced nutrition and optimal watering the plants are able to get into fruit mode rather than being stuck in veg mode. If anyone is struggling to understand optimal fruiting, there's a lot to be learned from commercial apple, cherry, and strawberry growers, and high value greenhouse crops like tomatoes peppers... The competitive high bushel corn growers know a lot also.

7/12/2022 12:37:02 PM

Colorado

The fruit themselves seem to have a longer duration of strong growth.A lengthening of the middle of the bell curve.

7/12/2022 12:39:12 PM

Jericho Vermont

Plant sizes went from huge and wild to smaller and well pruned then back to well pruned and larger. Excessive organic matter was looked upon as a good thing, until it wasn’t. Mill fabric wasn’t used and you would get that occasional mouse hole in the bottom of your pumpkin as you lifted it for a weigh off. A typical auction season on BP.com was 6 clubs and the chat rooms were alive and well in the evening.

7/12/2022 6:19:30 PM

Roseville CA

Do you think it would be possible for the chat rooms to be alive again?

7/12/2022 9:28:33 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Those chats were great!

And I forgot about the calcium drenched towels Andy! lol

And everyone, I mean everyone would trench where the vines goes and bury the whole darn thing!

And we all thought 1500 would never be grown until Ron did it!

7/12/2022 10:23:19 PM