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Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, Quebec, Canada

Thé plant slowly started to pick up it up about a week ago maybe 3 leaves/week now hoping for a July pollination

6/10/2026 6:05:32 PM

Ontario

Weather is crazy this year. My plants like 10 feet long, last year I pollinated at 17 feet already.
Soil temp is huge, 20-25° is optimal. Soil moisture. Nitrogen, generally feeding nitrogen is a fine line, you need enough But not too much. But mainly, time. Plant has to grow roots to grow leaves, so it sometimes seems "stagnant" for the first few weeks. Keep even water, light on nutrients (maybe 1-1.5 EC calcium nitrate and mono-amonium phosphate is what id do), do some growth hormones with seaweed, get the biologicals into the soil, and let the plant chose when to take off.

Now, the real experts, who get vines to lay down and run 2 weeks from planting, that i dont know. But I can share my minimal knowledge that waiting is the best method.

6/10/2026 8:17:14 PM

Grittyville, WA

Well, the compost tea is good and the microbes will help but the microbes are not going to be as speedy as a chemical fertilizer. A lot of growers give a good nitrogen boost when the plants are small. Blood meal or an alfalfa based fertilizer might help a small plant. Some use calcium nitrate but in excess it can have side affects that you won't want to deal with, I'd advise something more natural or balanced. Chemical or organic is up to you, either (or both) works to grow pumpkins. Which is better is open to debate but the basic fact is that either will grow a very big pumpkin.

6/10/2026 8:21:41 PM

Grittyville, WA

@NDV yeah.... this site is great because we get to compare ourselves to the best growers in the world, for better or worse!

6/10/2026 8:23:42 PM