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Kutztown, PA

Without consideration of soil type, OM, drainage, temperature etc., what volume of water would you like to get on your plant/s each week.

Not sure, but maybe a better way to ask is: How much water does a 2,000 lb. pumpkin plant drink each week?

12/13/2022 8:29:30 AM

Lodi, California

That would depend entirely upon soil type, OM, drainage, temperature etc, those are all the factors that would determine how much you should water lol.

Generally I think the consensus is that you shouldn't be able to squeeze more than a drop or two of water out of the soil, but also should have moisture throughout.

Also some people water less around the stump because the old roots take up less water as they age.

12/13/2022 12:43:36 PM

Lodi, California

Where I live, most of the summer days are over 100, sometimes 110. It does not rain at all during the summer, not a single cloud ever. My soil is very sandy. I probably need to water twice as much as many other people.

I know Andy Wolf said he waters a lot, multiple times a day, and he lives in an area that gets a decent amount of rain.

12/13/2022 12:45:35 PM

Ontario

Depends on soil. I heard of some growers doing 20-30 gallons a day, and others doing 200-300 gallons. (Maybe a little extreme, but the point remains)

Water your plant to keep your plant happy. Learn what kind of moisture you need in your soil, then learn how much water you need to achieve that moisture level.

12/13/2022 2:03:03 PM

Kutztown, PA

I think there must be some finite quantity of water a plant uses over its lifetime. But now I'm thinking plant size is a factor too. Temperature would be the major limiting factor I think. The answer would have to be a ratio of uptake to plant size adjusted by the average temperature, then divided by the number of days the plant lived. I'm getting another headache :)

12/13/2022 4:24:04 PM

Kutztown, PA

Is there a specific moisture meter reading folks shoot for?

12/13/2022 4:24:48 PM

Torrance, Ca.

The top growers in your state I know are watering 100 to 175 gallons per day per 1000 sq ft.

Like stated above, there's so many variables.

12/13/2022 4:41:44 PM

Lodi, California

Garwolf the amount of water a plant uses would probably be directly proportional to how efficiently its photosynthesizing and producing sugars. The Patons have those super dark green leaves with lots of chlorophyll sucking up CO2 and nutrients, and producing a whole lot of pumpkin, sucking up as much water as it needs to keep the process going.

12/13/2022 5:20:17 PM

Grittyville, WA

It might depend what kind of moisture meter you are using but during the time when youre trying to put the lbs on, probably youre aiming for as moist as possible without causing disease or restricting oxygen. I think that maybe 85-90% of field capacity might be an approximate target? 50% is the wilt point and at 100% oxygen & calcium uptake would probably he less than ideal. So there's your goalposts.

12/13/2022 5:45:07 PM

Peosta, Iowa

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=336188

12/13/2022 7:52:20 PM

Gays Mills, WI

a ~1000 pounder in an outdoor recirculating 'hydroponic' set up, a ~500 square foot plant used about 60 gallons a day..... consider temp, wind, and sunshine

12/13/2022 9:57:43 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Fun post Pete and I call Steve all the time asking him where his % is at with his water using those very expensive water probe tubes he uses.

I'm always shocked at how much water it takes to get them to the % he wants. Looks like yours is at 200 gallons and that sounds about right. I love the science behind growing theses monsters!:)

12/14/2022 10:03:05 AM

Peosta, Iowa

200 gal did 2 plants, hair under 2,000 sq ft all drip tape. My 1840.5 got the same everything as 2424. Tweaking and adding another set of probes this next season

12/14/2022 10:23:12 AM

Kutztown, PA

Anybody here warming their water before putting it down? If so, what are you using to warm it and what's your target water temperature. My well water can be a real shocker.

12/14/2022 11:37:33 AM

Peosta, Iowa

I fill up a 500 gallon black tank after I get done watering. Warms up during day before I water again

12/14/2022 12:05:26 PM

Grittyville, WA

Its not that big a deal to warm water up, a black drum on a sunny day adds 20-30 degrees pretty easily. I hear ya, its not too great to have 50 degree water unless its 90+ degrees out. The only good thing about 50 degree water it seems disease wont get worse at the temp.

12/14/2022 3:55:06 PM

Mn

Guess I am the oddball, 47 degree well water for my cold environment...got lucky with a couple decent ones.

12/14/2022 8:30:57 PM

Grittyville, WA

Travis that's cold! Does that go into your drip lines and/or what time(s) of day do you water??? I'm interested in changing my incorrect views on water temps.

12/15/2022 1:39:13 AM

Mn

Super cold! I don't know what drip lines are can someone please explain this phenomenon? Sounds like a lot of work lol, all overhead!

12/15/2022 12:16:33 PM

Grittyville, WA

Thumbs up. This is why I like this hobby, it seems there's always more than one correct answer :)

12/15/2022 12:33:36 PM

Grittyville, WA

...Unlike bungee jumping.

12/15/2022 12:44:17 PM

Kutztown, PA

I have to back track a little here - Andy questioned my 70 degree water reading thinking I might be mistaken.

Checked this morning - 53 degrees. I was wrong but only by 17 degrees. :)

Anyway - it needs to be warmer.

12/15/2022 2:36:03 PM

Grittyville, WA

Cold showers are healthy... or so Ive recently heard. Something to do with resetting metabolism and extending life... maybe the same applies to pumpkin plants, under certain circumstances.

12/15/2022 3:18:43 PM

Kutztown, PA

Little Kins,

My Dad once told me that my Grandfather took a cold bath every morning. I just thought that meant he was a tuff old bird.

I don't do it, but there's studies showing some real benefits to it especially for endurance athletes who are subjected to pain over time. Apparently submersing yourself in cold water can increase your pain tolerance.

To know if it benefits plants I think you'd have to know the answer to this age old question: Do Pumpkins feel pain?

12/16/2022 4:21:50 PM

Grittyville, WA

Not sure about "pain" but the way I see it, for things that are annual, cold might wake them up to the fact they wont be around forever so they need to reproduce asap to the best of their ability.

12/16/2022 8:22:57 PM