How do you lift giant pumpkins

19 years ago

I'm new to giant pumpkin growing. The only thing I'm afraid of is success :) I don't know how to move a giant pumpkin if I manage to grow one.

What are some good systems for lifting and moving giant pumpkins?

Should I place something under the pumpkin before it gets large - so there is something to grab onto when lifting?

I see pictures of pumpkins sitting in the field and I can't quite figure how anyone manages to get these things onto trucks and trailers without damaging them.

Paul

Comments (5)

hermantomato
19 years ago
paul i suggest you go to bigpumkins.com
and ask their. there are several methods for pumpkin lifting, pitures diagrams,products and blue prints.

Here is a link that might be useful: bigpumpkins.com
wayne_perrier
19 years ago
Generally they use a purpose-built "pumpkin tarp" with many (10+) built-in handles to move these babies. Another method I've seen used is when the pumpkin is still small (
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Next time you think an Atlantic Giant or Big Max is going to wigh more than 6 men can easily move on a tarp, place a well-padded pallet under the fruit. A forklift may not be able to negotiate the soft soil, but a tractor with a front end loader and some well-placed chains will be your answer. I have just the machine for harvesting any giant pumpkins. Believe it or not, I will use my combine. My machine has a feederhouse crane [for loading/unloading its header] and I can hook the chains to the pallet and haul the big fruit. Beside, I think it will be really cool to employ a combine for harvesting a giant squash! LOL!
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Premature pumpkin harvest here. Heard a large crack in the back yard yesterday, and went outside to find my largest Big Max lying on the patio with a big gouge out of it. Either it got too heavy for the stem to support or the squirrels were playing with it. Anyway, it broke off and rolled down a slight slope and over the retaining wall fence. Decided it was nature's way of telling me to harvest and get the vine into the compost pile. The big pumpkin weighs 43.5 pounds and has a 54 " circumference. The smaller one is only 13.3 pounds with a 31" circumference. Loved growing these this year and will probably grow them again next year. 3 New England Pie pumpkin plants have produced 5 good sized pumpkins and I have 6 more that should be ready in a few weeks!
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So without ever trying it are you saying my belief is rwong? gumby_ct said: "My belief is that any vining plant will be able to hold any fruit it will grow. After all what did Mother Nature do before "we" came along?" Are you saying that the fruits of plants developed over the year but the roots, stems, tendrils, etc never caught up? Kinda like Microsoft eh? Just as an aside the last time I harvested a pumpkin - I had to use a pair of loppers to get it off the vine. Do yours just fall off? You think 3ft up w/o a sling is just too high? Like a high wire act? btw - History of Pumpkins. showed nothing to the contrary.
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You actually have to take into account a bunch of different things. I don't grow pumpkins personally but we had them in the garden when I was a kid and with a good grow we could get about 12 but it required that my family really keep up on the nutrients, watering, things like that. They weren't huge pumpkins or anything but we considered it a nice little harvest! Here's a lot more information than I ever needed to know about pumpkins but you might find it helpful. :)
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douglas14
19 years ago
Paul,
This is how we moved my 615 lber. last year:

After cutting the pumpkin from the vine, we rolled the pumpkin on its side, and tucked a tarp with handles under it. Then we rolled it the other way, and pulled the tarp under the other side. Then a number of us lifted it onto a pallet(covered with cardboard), using the tarp.
Our neighbor, who is a farmer, then used his skid loader(with forks) to lift the pallet and pumpkin onto our pickup bed. All this requires attention to safety.
Then off to the weighoff we went.

Douglas
Joan Dupuis
19 years ago
Here's a picture of my Brother loading his onto the truck to take to the Windsor NS weigh off.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/bloomorelse/Pumpkinintarp.jpg
Maxpower
18 years ago
in abscense of a skid loader or a tractor 10 or 12 guys 8 pizza's a five cases of beer.

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How do you lift giant pumpkins

Comments (5)

hermantomato

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