DougfromMN's pumpkin update

[DougfromMN]

I started three competition plants this year. Heat, drought, and cucumber beetles have been my main foes. Only one plant has a pumpkin set on it. It's currently around 450 lbs.(at day 51) I'm just grateful to have a decent one going(it's on the 1233.5 Reiss). I'll be pulling the other two plants out soon. The heat caused a lot of fruits to abort on my two non-producing plants.

[douglas]

Alot of others have had problems too including me I was able to get one maybe in the 200 pound range all depends how thick the shell is
Would lub to see a pic of yer pumpkin bro

[DougfromMN]

Here's a pic.

[douglas]

Nice color You done good this year DougfromMN

[DougfromMN]

Thanks Douglas. Hopefully it will hold up till weighoff. I'm hoping it'll make 600+ lbs., but will I'm guessing it may fall short of this. I'll try and post updates here. I chose the 1233.5 Reiss seed, in large part, due to it's color potential. My pumpkin doesn't look that orange in person. The pic was taken in the evening, and I used a flash.

[douglas]

Still looks good to me looks like it may be around fer a while by lookin at the flesh

[chickenfarmer]

Nice shot. maybe it will hit 600

[DougfromMN]

My pumpkin averaged about 7 lbs./day for the past 5 days. Yesterday it was estimated at 482 lbs. I hope she can keep 'er going!

[crazy1]

Hope it keeps going as well. It sure looks good.

[mickee311]

I'll take the pie made from that big mofo! Great looking pumpkin there!

[mckenzygirl]

Great lookin' pumpkin Dougfrom MN!
I wish mine was that huge!

[DougfromMN]

I measured my pumpkin yesterday. It estimated 502 lbs. It averaged 4 lbs./day for 5 days.
This pumpkin never had huge gains. There was a 10 day period where it averaged 15 lbs./day. Maybe faster gains would have caused a split. Sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for.
One fellow in S.D. recorded a 70 lb. gain in one day. His split. Maybe someday I'll get one going that tops 30 lbs./day.

[chickenfarmer]

Seems like it's right on track for that 600. Wish ya luck on that one.

[deb65802]

oh wow, what on earth do you feed a 600 hundred lb. pumpkin........
lolol

[Compost Pharmer]

Lots of compost

[mickee311]

And a couple of the neighborhood hooligans that cause mischief here and there......

[DougfromMN]

I tilled in a light application of cow manure in the spring. An annual rye cover crop was also tilled in. I have foliar fed with fish and seaweed fertilizer, but only a few times this season. Some growers fertilize much more.
I think good seed, good soil, and plant management are key components in growing these things. I've grown 600 + lb. pumpkins on basically non-(or very little) amended soil, and foliar feeding.

[crazy1]

dougfrommn said:

I tilled in a light application of cow manure in the spring. An annual rye cover crop was also tilled in. I have foliar fed with fish and seaweed fertilizer, but only a few times this season. Some growers fertilize much more.
I think good seed, good soil, and plant management are key components in growing these things. I've grown 600 + lb. pumpkins on basically non-(or very little) amended soil, and foliar feeding.

Great info there DougfromMN. Foliar feeding is a very good way to feed the plants. As well as using cover crops for green manure.

[DougfromMN]

My pumpkin is 70 days old today(pollination date is day 0). It's estimated at 533 lbs. It averaged about 3 lbs./day for the past 10 days. I hope it keeps creeping along. I hope to take it to a weighoff on Oct. 1.

[DougfromMN]

My pumpkin growth is gradually slowing down, which is espected. It is now estimated at 541.5 lbs. It grew an estimated 9.5 lbs in the past 5 days.
I plan on taking it to a weighoff on Oct. 1.

[DougfromMN]

My pumpkin is now estimated at 552.5 lbs. Been growing about 2 lbs. /day. Weighoff in 10 days. I still have a shot at 600+ lbs., if the pumpkin weighs significantly heavier than the estimate. No frost here so far.

[deb65802]

wow is all I can say.....incredible

what exactly do you do with all that pumpkin. Boy that would make alot of soup, bread and yummmmmm pies

[DougfromMN]

Deb,
Haven't eaten one yet. This year our winter squash harvest was low, so maybe we'll freeze some of the biggun. It's been organically grown.

[Compost Pharmer]

That's the only way to grow them. Orgaically.

[DougfromMN]

Greg, or anyone,
If you have an effective, organic control for cucumber beetles, please let me know.
They were lousy this year. Thanks.

Doug

[Compost Pharmer]

No, never have had those cucumber beetles. Maybe it gets to hot down here for them. Last Thursday it was 102F and this morning it was down to 58F. I'll do some checking around to see iffin I can find some info for you.

[DougfromMN]

Thanks Greg.
This is the first year I noticed cucumber beetles here. I thought the cold winters might prevent them. I guess I was wrong. I hope you never get em Greg. They aren't easy to catch like potato bugs; they can fly. I did catch and squish many of them, but they kept coming. I don't know from where. And they sure seem to like to mate. They eat holes in the leaves of squash, cucumbers, and melons. And they can carry a virus that can infect the plants, I hear. After the yellow flowers show up, that seems to be their favorite place(inside the flowers). If it wasn't for their affinity for the flowers, they may have eaten most of my foliage.
They were a big problem this year. I have all winter to devise an organic strategy to prevent their damage.

[DougfromMN]

I had my pumpkin weighed on Oct. 1. It was estimated at 583 lbs. Needless to say, I was quite surprised when I saw the weight on the scale.....733 lbs!!!
It won the prize for the best looking pumpkin at the contest.
I'll try and post pics soon.

[Pharmer Phil]

Congratulations Doug, I will just have to wait another year
We should get together sometime and talk, Hope to see some pics soon, thought it looked like a heavy one, Long and flatish...It's a "good Thing"

[DougfromMN]

The giant pumpkin world record was broken yesterday in Rhode Island. 1502 lbs.!!!!!!!!WOW!!!!!!!!!!