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Giant Vegetables

My first year with Giant Pumpkins

18 years ago

Allow me to say how much I appreciate the storehouse of knowledge that Gardenweb offers.

This is truly a great place.

That being said, I would like to offer a couple of images of my first attempt at Giants.

In the center are 3 vines of Big Mac's and on both ends 2 vines of the new White Lumina PVP hybrid.

The first image shows the entire plot and the second shows a few 'kins already growing. I hand pollinate and on a few, cross polinated the white with the Mac.

In total I have about 10 'kins growing and several females nearly ready for pollination.

I have them growing in a blend of Miracle-Grow garden soil and black dirt. Initially I was fertilizing with a blood meal/bone meal blend and when the vines leafed out I added a little potash.

Now I'm doing about 80/20 potash bone meal once a week.

Comments and tips appreciated and welcome

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Comments (7)

Revilo
18 years ago
Looks good, RandyM! Your plants seem healthy.

Have you been foliar feeding? Many growers rely (sometimes exlusively once the plant is established) on foliar feeding with mollases and fish and kelp extracts. It seems that Neptune's harvest (fish and seaweed- it can also be used as a soil drench) is commonly used. I wanted to use it this year but was unable to find it.

Oliver
RandyM
Original Author
18 years ago
Hello Oliver and thank you for your kind words.

I am not foliar feeding but using a method I've been using for years in traditional gardening.
I hand blend the NPK components and apply them to the soil between the plants. The reason being that over time, watering compacts the soil and makes it more difficult to absorb nutrients to the root layer.

I gently loosen the surface of the soil around the plant bases with a small garden hoe, then sprinkle in the fertilizer and water generously. This emulsifies the nutrients and carries them down to the root system.

I've had a lot of success with this method and also have 6' tall Big Boy tomato plants fertilizing this way.
Lots of tomatoes and I can't wait to see how big they will grow.
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I'm genetically incapable of following a precise recipe. But we will shortly be making a few pies with 'Cha-Cha' kabocha squash. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and glop, bake the halves in a 350 oven for an hour - hour &15 minutes until when you pinch them, they give easily, and not burned. Let cool. Then scoop out the insides, throw out the skin. I use a food processor, but I suppose a mixer would do, but anyway, add a couple of eggs, cup-ish half & half, and the squash to the bowl, then spices. Grated fresh ginger, bit of honey, cinnamon, and couple tablespoons of lime juice. The squash itself is naturally very sweet and dense, so it doesn't take much sweetener at all. So what I've discovered is that making a custard isn't that hard, the milk and eggs does that for you with out much measuring. The question comes in with the spices, and we add a lot of cinnamon and ginger - say a tablespoon of cinnamon and a full two inches of ginger. But you're after that combination of cinnamon, ginger, and lime. You could add less, I suppose. I use a store bought crust, then bake at 350 for an hour - hour & a half, using a straw to check for doneness. The custard may split if you cook it too long, but thats not a problem, aside from cosmetics. It's wonderful for breakfast. :-)
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Hanover301
18 years ago
Looks good. I'm growing Big Max. Is that the same thing as Big Mac? I only did one plant because I really wasn't that serious about it but it's growing so well that I'm starting to get hooked. I have 2 pumpkins going with one about the same size as yours. Keep us updated on your progress.
RandyM
Original Author
18 years ago
Yeah, the Big Max is what I was talkng about (I guess I was hungry when I posted).

I will track the progress of the biggest three fruits in the patch.
The largest is 9 inches in diameter and 2 are 8" as of this writing.

I have been trimming back the vines beyond the fruit as well.

Also, I have been spraying all my plants with carbaryl to get rid of them hated japanese beetles.

If you decide to do the same, get the Ferti-Lome Carbaryl rather than Sevin.
Ferti-Lome is 23% Carbaryl
Sevin is 5% Carbaryl

As an added benefit, Carbaryl is effective for killing the SVB too.
RandyM
Original Author
18 years ago
Here is an update on my three biggest fruits.
I lovingly named them Panch, Lefty, and Spike.
They and several smaller fruits are doing quite good.
Pancho is 11" dia. as well as 11 1/2" long
Lefty is 11" around and Spike is 10" diameter.

Pancho
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Lefty
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Spike
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RandyM
Original Author
18 years ago
Pancho is now 37" round (he was pollinated on July 2)
Spike is now 38 1/4" round (he was pollinated on July 3)
Lefty is the runt at 36 1/4" (he is a Lumina and was pollinated on July 3)

This is my experimental year.
If these grow to a respectable size (over 100#) I will try some Atlantic Giants next season.
RandyM
Original Author
18 years ago
Here's a little update on my pumpkin growing adventure.

After a few days of non-growth the boys are back on track.
Spike has taken over the lead in the growth department.

Stats:
Circ. 44'
OTT 30' & 30.5'

104.5 OTT= 32# weight.
Not earth shattering, but for a twenty-day old pumpkin, not too shabby.
The others, Pancho and Lefty are a little behind.
The image shows Spike with some of the foliage pruned away.
In the foreground are giant sunflowers, about 9' tall now with no heads yet.
I have switched to foliar feeding every other day using 'Monty's Joy Juice' (yep that's the name.) I couldn't find the Neptunes Harvest.
Monty's seems to be working pretty good as well. It is a late season feed that comes in at 2-2-15.
I also blend in a little molasses for added calcium and micronutrients.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Monty's Joy Juice

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