From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Grittyville, WA

When someone else succeeds spectacularly, it is great for them and maybe even better for the rest of us because it forces us to compare where we're at with a new "where we could be at." And in a way this may painful, but hopefully not.

I wonder if other growers think about what their limiting factor is (if it's out of your control then you might want to avoid thinking about it). But what I'm really interested in is: how do we know with certainty what our limiting factor is? It does help us to compare what we are doing with what the most successful person is doing. But we can't copy the most successful grower exactly. The best most of us can hope for is to identify our own most-limiting factor and try to fix that one issue.

From what I've read it would appear that Ron W. identified his limiting factor(s) at least a few years ago if not longer, and despite the time, effort and money it took, he managed to get a greenhouse set up and probably a bunch of other challenges as well. Apparently he has been correctly identifying his limiting factors. It didn't happen overnight, and it probably wasnt too easy or without cost, but it was a great success.

Just something to think about.

[Last edit: 10/11/26 11:51:15 PM]

10/11/2026 11:44:41 PM

Eugene,OR

Brandon, you are exactly correct. Everyone has one thing that is a serious limiter. I think for most of us it is environment. Or underlying disease. Or a soil issue. Or lack of motivation in general. These are all things that most people just believe there is nothing they can do to fix them. But growing sure is a lot more fun if you make the difficult changes!

[Last edit: 10/12/26 9:46:23 AM]

10/12/2026 9:43:40 AM

Lexington, Ky

I'm fairly certain that some growers limiting factor is spending way too much time on this site posting and replying incessantly. A little less talk, a lot more action.

Just something to think about.

10/12/2026 7:20:35 PM

Grittyville, WA

Then block me, Wexler. I probably do post too much, but I like reading and discussing and posting. I dont know what to say. Our personal vices can be a factor that gets in the way! You are correct... but talking about me... we'd really get bored quick.

10/12/2026 10:42:01 PM

Grittyville, WA

Wexler... Make it interesting and talk about you and your season?! If you really want this site to be interesting then share. Its hard to post something meaningful to everyone. But what you post might be meaningful to some of us. Idk.

10/12/2026 10:44:44 PM

C N Y

Can I have a limiting factor of everything, lol?
Cost, manure availability, being a vampire, lol?
Ooooh, same-length sentences are always neat-o .
(Probably won't show up as-I'm-seeing.) Too many plants, painting one's season too thinly - exposing underlying causes, weeds in epic proportion, etc. are on my short-as-Hell list; I am on BP.c daily if it's raining out and exorbitantly at night, so that has nothing to do with it. Too bad Toby Keith died. He was slightly older than me. Grow 'em BIG! eg

10/13/2026 3:21:52 AM

Upa Creek, MO

I grow right up against a wooded area that I own. I am in full shade every day after 230pm and battle competition from massive tree roots in the patch. The shade limits growth and can help promote disease in rainy years.

I am on my town Forestry Commission, so you see where my priorities are with the trees.

10/13/2026 7:35:15 AM

Grittyville, WA

@ pumpkinpal after seeing Andy W. post maybe "lack of rocks" is your limiting factor.
(Joke, but remember that pic of all the Rocks in his patch?!)

@ smallmouth, yeah, trees can be a factor. I get the sense that the oaks and pines in New England don't harbor as much disease (I dont think Ron's pine trees are a negative) but I do suspect some of my trees are promoting disease. I think late pm sun would be helpful too... maybe not #1 for me, but probably in my top 5 limiting factors.

10/13/2026 11:16:24 AM

Eugene,OR

I truly believe that sharing ideas is the best way to get better. I’m thankful for bigpumpkins.com for providing a forum for us to do this. I’m particularly thankful for people like Brandon who are highly intelligent, curious, think a lot, and are brave enough to share their ideas. I believe that all of us are smarter and better than any one of us. I know I’m a much better grower because of this practice. I also believe that our new world record holder is the poster boy for sharing his thoughts and practices on growing bigger pumpkins. He made some big changes this year which involved a lot of collaboration. Looks like it paid off for him.

[Last edit: 10/13/26 11:24:07 AM]

10/13/2026 11:21:07 AM

Grittyville, WA

For me, it can be hard to be competitive and collaborative at the same time. Those who can do both have my admiration.

10/13/2026 3:25:07 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Catchup, my main vine stumps are about 10 feet from a stand of Shingle Oaks. I also have Sycamores, Buckeye, Hackberry, Swamp White Oaks bordering the patch. Sycamore roots are so aggressive and follow the water. Maybe I need to plant some Pines instead!

PM sun would help me a ton to dry out. It also gets so humid here in the summer so sun would help mitigate any disease pressure that might promote when already wet.

10/13/2026 5:33:40 PM

Upa Creek, MO

It is also 95 degrees here today so maybe heat is a factor... cold front arrives Friday and into the 70s we go.

10/13/2026 5:34:54 PM

Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

95 degrees?!? How hot was it in the summer??? 200?

10/13/2026 5:57:56 PM

Upa Creek, MO

and 93 yesterday, setting October records

10/13/2026 7:07:13 PM

Eugene,OR

Smallmouth, sounds like your greatest limiting factor might be where you live & grow. I moved to Oregon six years ago. In fact now when I sit in what we affectionately call “pumpkin prison” to talk with the zillions of people who walk by the display of the winning pumpkins from the weigh off the day before and answer the same questions over & over again, my go-to answer to the “How did you grow it?” question has become: I quit my job, moved to Oregon, and built a greenhouse.

[Last edit: 10/13/26 7:54:35 PM]

10/13/2026 7:51:35 PM

C N Y

Lol at Maurice, lol---eg

10/14/2026 2:53:00 AM

Bethlehem CT

Luke Missouri is definitely one of the toughest locations in the USA to grow Atlantic Giants. That being said, I think eventually a grower may get one to go 2000 pounds or more there!
Little Catch up thats a good point, it is a real test of our character to want to be collaborative with a grower even though we are fellow competitors. I have been burned before by growers where I have helped them get started sharing all that I know and then at the weigh off been given the cold shoulder by that grower and treated like the enemy. When this happens it does want to make you turn inwards and say to "hell with everyone else, I see how it is! let them figure it out". But the thing that you have to remember is that, that attitude is a burden to carry for the person who carries it, and from what I have seen is a strong indicator that this hobby will burn that person out eventually.
Many years ago I remember watching the great San Francisco 49ers Linebacker Bill Romanowski doing an interview on Espn after he got busted for using steroids.
He had the following to say and I will never forget it. Because I believe it is true in all of life. He said; "When I started playing football with concerns that maybe I was too old, maybe I wasn't fast enough, maybe I wasn't strong enough. I started playing the game with fear and thats when my problems started. On the contrary when I was playing the game for the joy and love of the game I never had these problems."

[Last edit: 10/14/26 8:32:33 AM]

10/14/2026 8:31:18 AM

Bethlehem CT

Growing giant pumpkins competitively is about as pure a competitive sport/hobby as there is. And as long as the grower's goal is to try and get better every year, they can sustain a long life in this sport.
Lastly,There are definitely levels to this sport. There are levels in all competitive endeavors. So just because all of us have achieved different levels to success, We shouldn' be discouraged by other people's successes. I may not be good enough to play in the NBA, but that does not mean that I can't or won't enjoy hooping it up in the mens league on monday night. It's the same game, just different levels.

10/14/2026 8:31:28 AM

Bethlehem CT

As I learned from Bill Romanowski I need to be in it for the love and joy of the game, putting my faith over fear. I have to remember that this hobby is more like track and field than team sports. Giant pumpkin growing is purely objective, it comes down to weight and thats it. Nothing else matters. I am not competing with other growers to earn a coach's love to get minutes on the athletic field or basketball court. I am not competing with others for a spot on the team. I am not being judged to determine if I am the winner, like MMA,boxing or gymnastics. (green squash being sort of an exception to this lol) I am competing against myself, I want to get better every year. Guys like Ian Paton and Ron Wallace are so far ahead of me in this race, I would get discouraged if I kept comparing where I am with where they are.

[Last edit: 10/14/26 8:40:43 AM]

10/14/2026 8:31:34 AM

Grittyville, WA

@ big moon I would add that the inclination to involve one's kids might lead to an eventual success. We get old and stuck in our ways... Its within my natural inclination to try to make at least one change every year but I do get intimidated by the amount I'd have to do and learn to get to 3k. But it could be the case that the things we struggle with are things our kids will not struggle with, as long as they can observe our mistakes, they can learn to do easily those things that were hard for us. I think I can see this 2nd generation mojo in Ron W. And I've seen it before, elsewhere.

[Last edit: 10/14/26 10:53:50 AM]

10/14/2026 10:50:28 AM