Just curious, where did you get the marrows from?

Yo Brian, I got them from P&P seeds. Ray has some good stuff. I think they came from you, right? I can't decide if I should grow them inside or out? They are growing wild in the greenhouse and it's too cold right now to set them out!! I got anixous and started them to soon. Oh well live and learn. Later Scott, Tohechito.

Hey Brian are you out there?

Bernard Lavery sent me the seeds the year before. He had the previous world record for giant marrows (~108 pounds, if I remember correctly). It was my first time growing them. I didn't do anything special to grow them, because I didn't have time. Most of the marrows ended up about 30 pounds. They can get much larger than that with the right culture. I enjoyed growing them, and now I several new giant strains that I'm trying from other growers. I'm hooked on growing them now.
If you have the room, you should try some of the Bott's Strain sunflowers. I'm curious how they would do in alaska.

Sunflowers do well up here. I haven't grown them but other folks I know have. What is the Botts Strain grown for, height or flower size? What is the record for height? I've seen 14 foot sunflowers at our State Fair.
Is Bernard's Marrow strain the best out there or are there others that do better? I'm very impressed with the seeds I got from P&P. They all germinated and the plant I chose to grow is going crazy. It's still frosting at night but I hope to move it into the garden soon. Later Scott.

the hieght record is 25 feet, 5.4 inches.
the head size record 32 inch .

Gonna have a nice sunflower garden this year...growing strawberryblonde's and velvet queens up front.. mammoths in the middle.....skyscapers and American hybrids in the back........3 of my 4 AG seeds "Lloyd 685" are pushing up now...most of my morning glories.....40 of them are starting second leaves...and one of my piony trees is gonna have 23 blossoms this year.........re routing one of my trumpet vines and tonite I move the wysteria away from our 250 year old pear tree............

Sounds like your growing all of those things I can't, here in zone 3. I'm envious! What kind of tree peony do you have? The herbaceous kind do well up here. I've often thought of trying a tree one? Forget Wysteria at least for now. Sounds great, enjoy enjoy enjoy. Later Scott.

Giant Pumpkins and sunflowers tall and big head.
as usual wont be doing a squash or watermelons this year.

Mammoth sunflowers again. Had one at nearly 10' last year. Trying Prizewinner Hybrid pumpkins as well

skip the prizewinner's unless you after nice orange color, and go with the true giants, Atlantic Giants.

Bott's Strain is grown for height. They produce relatively small flowers for their size. They grow between 12 and 17 feet tall. The vast majority of my plants reached somehwere in the range of 14 feet. 14 1/2 ft was my tallest. I was able to get these heights with almost no care given to the plants. I planted them at my wife's parent's house; so I wasn't there to fertilize them or water them.

The record sunflower:
http://www.geocities.com/sunflower_info/World_Records.html

Bernard Lavery's marrows are some of the best in the world. Last year was the first year I successfully grew marrows. All of mine were only about 30 pounds, which isn't anything special. Hopefully, I learned from some of my mistakes last year, and I will have a better go at it this year.
As far as other varities go, I am trying Richard Hope's marrows this year.
You can buy them at medwyns of anglesey:
http://www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk/
the page that Richard Hope's marrows are located on is at:
http://www.bazaarbuilder.com/cgi-bin/grifam/myshop.pl?catparid=58&customer=grifam

Other sites that sells giant marrows:
Exhibition Seeds
http://www.exhibition-seeds.co.uk/
with marrow page at:
http://www.exhibition-seeds.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Marrows_53.html

Robinson's Mammoth Onion
http://www.mammothonion.co.uk/
with marrow page at:
http://www.mammothonion.co.uk/shop/5/index.htm
I planted some marrow seeds from Robinson's Mammoth Onion 2 years ago, and they never germinated, but last year some of the seeds I planted the year before, germinated. The plant was a scrawny, small little thing that was shaded out by the sunflowers, but I ended up with one marrow on it that was the size of a large club. I wonder what I would have had if the plant actually grew to a normal size.

I list some information about marrows on my website.
http://www.geocities.com/sunflower_info/Marrows.html

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Posted by: tohechito 3-4 (My Page) on Fri, May 6, 05 at 1:40
"What is the Botts Strain grown for, height or flower size? What is the record for height? I've seen 14 foot sunflowers at our State Fair.
Is Bernard's Marrow strain the best out there or are there others that do better? I'm very impressed with the seeds I got from P&P. They all germinated and the plant I chose to grow is going crazy."

Here is a link that might be useful: My Giant Sunflower Website

I'm growing 4 or 5 A.G. pumpkins.
I planted my first three of the year outside yesterday.

Douglas

Douglas14, may the Pumpkin Gods be with you. Good Luck!! Scott.

Brian, thanks for all the good information. I'm still waiting to plant my marrow into the garden, might freeze yet? Planted my giant cabbages outside but I have them covered just in case. They don't mind a light frost. Watermelons are starting to run. So far so good!?!? Later Scott.

I just put some of my marrow seeds in pots two days ago. I'm growing a different variety that Bernard lavery sent me this year called a crocodile marrow (very bumpy), and I'm growing marrow seeds that Richard Hope sent me. Once those seeds germinate, I'll be potting some more. I don't plant all of mine at the same time to avoid any major disasters. I usually break up my plantings into 3 or 4 sets, spaced about a week apart. I'm probably going to grow some giant marrows from Robinson's Mammoth Onion, and possibly from Exhibition seeds as well, but they will be in a later set of plantings. They are a lot of fun to grow, and you get a lot of marrows per plant. If your growing season is long enough, you can cut off the giant you grew, and it will start re-growing more marrows. If you cut them off while they are only 10 inches or so, they are great for eating. I personally like the flavor of them better than zucchini. I don't like them when they are full sized though. They become quite watery and they lose their flavor. When they are small and the skin is tender, you can eat them, skin and all. I'm trying some of the small varieties (table dainty, etc.) in another garden for food only. eseeds.com is having a clearance on some varieties, so you can get them a $1.00 a pack.
I'm not sure why they aren't popular in this country. They are relatively easy to grow, you can use them for food, and you can compete to grow giants, and they don't take up as much room as pumpkins, and they are a managable size (getting as large as 135~ lbs. at max).

Well I put the marrow into the garden! What a chore that was. I definitley started it way too soon. It was 12 feet long and pot bound. I also accidentlly cut off the tip of the main vine, OH BROTHER!! The weather has been windy and cool, beating it pretty good. Doesn't look to good right now. Hoping it will recover and give me at least one fair sized marrow. Oh well live and learn. Later Scott.

How long is your growing season there? Marrows grow really quickly; so you don't need a lot of time to grow them. If you can get at least one descent marrow then you will have lots of seeds. If you can't get any marrows, send me an email and I'll send you a few seeds after this growing season. Assuming I get any marrows this year. Actually, on my first try, I grew a marrow plant, but the fruit rotted while it was growing; so I didn't have any my first year.

Our season is any where from 90 to 110 days. Depending on how early the frost comes to see us. You can for the most part count on 90. The old vine is trashed but the laterals are growing and looking good. I'm hoping in a month or so I can pollinate my first female. Whould that be about right?
I was reading another post you made and you were talking about smooth marrows vs crocodale marrows. Why do you think they are so different yet both are still considered marrows? Maybe only Bernard can answer that one? Well must go, later Scott.

growing atlantic giant none pollenated yet.sunflowers not sure what kind about 8 feet no flowers yet.runner beans 15inches so far.two giant marrow plants.anyone with any good seeds of any kind to swap sale or get rid of i am interested

Hey Brian,
If I knew how to post a picture I would share a pic of my marrow plant. It was garbage a month ago. Now it looks great! Practically ever leaf it had when I planted it into the garden were lost and I had a 12 foot vine going. Now I'm looking at several marrows trying to decide which one will be the one?
How are things going for you? Sunflowers marrows(Crocs)and the such? Later Scott.

You have to put it in the Giant Vegetable Gallery

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/giants/nph-ind.cgi?type=gal&random=15374

The pic has to be pretty small; so you have to reduce it until you can get it to fit. Think it can't be bigger than 40K or something. Just use any paint program to reduce the size.

Here is a link that might be useful: Giant Vegetable Gallery

Brian go to Big Pumpkins.com to see my marrow plant. Easier to upload pictures. Later Scott.

Your marrow plant looks really good. I've found my own experience that those plants are very forgiving. I had one that rotted at the base where it was planted, but the vines had rooted into the yard, and they kept growing even though they were disconnected from the base. In fact, I had a 20+ pound marrow from just a vine. People tell me that you should grow it off the main vine. If you have several growing at the same time, I would just wait a day or two and see which one is growing the fastest, and then pick the other ones. As soon as the marrow gets full size and the skin hardens, remove it and you'll get more. I have some new marrows that I'm trying this year. If I get some seeds, I can send them to you. Just send me an email at sunflower_info@yahoo.com. I'm trying the Croc marrow (bumpy variety) that Bernard Lavery sent me, and one sent to me by RIchard Hope from the UK.

Hello,
Where can I buy the regular green with whiteish striped British marrow seeds in the USA? And does anyone have suggestions for successful cultivation in North Carolina?
Thanks,
Mike