giant pkn time again

[Jeannine]

Pete, I have never attempted to grow ahything huge but when starting regular squash off a little while ago I found some Giant English Marrow seeds that Bryan in the US sent me as a thankyou gift about three years ago along with some Sunflower seeds. The marrow have germinated so will have a go with them.

I garden on a community garden and we are doing a pumpkin  growing contest for the kids, I still have to get seeds for that..any ideas what type to buy to give them a good chance at a big one. I pretty much know all the squash but have never had too much to do with pumkins.I would be starting the seeds off and handing out plants.We are running a wee bit late but our season is longer than the UK so we should be OK is I get them in fairly quick.

Regarding the marrow, how big is it likely to be..roughly when grown by a regular gardener, and how big when grown by a pro!!

Thank you XX Jeannine

[Andy H]

I thought your season was about the same length!

Funny, I must have gone by your place when I went from vancouver to surrey to see a friend as few
years back!

[Jeannine]

The weather is similar, but we have the longest growing season in Canada 221 days , our last official frost date is March 28th and our first is Nov 5th. So usually we can get things outside earlier and leave them out longer.

Vanouver to Surrey would take you the opposite side of the Fraser River to me but in miles only a few.

XX Jeannine

[Dandytown]

I still have to get seeds for that..any ideas what type to buy to give them a good chance at a big one. I pretty much know all the squash but have never had too much to do with pumkins.I would be starting the seeds off and handing out plants.We are running a wee bit late but our season is longer than the UK so we should be OK is I get them in fairly quick.

How many seeds would you need Jeannine as I have a few spare from some pro growers although they are all different? That said if its for kids then its just for fun.  Let me know as there is no point storing seed that was so generously given to me and which I do not need.

[Jeannine]

Oh thank you that very kind of you, but no, it wasn't a hint for seeds, it is just that I have focused so much on squash over the years and rarely grown pumkins unless the very edible ones for pies etc so when asked to do this a few days ago it rather caught me off guard.

I was rather hoping to  start decent sizes for them and as there are so many I figured you copuld help me decide.

Hey, you never know we may have a budding 5 year old with a green thumb just waiting to break a record.

In reality, we were hoping it may be that we start a tradition here so the biggest this year would start it off.

Re numbers I guess I will have to over sow but spares would go to the foodbank for the kids there.

Thank you again for your wonderful offer but I wouldn't feel right taking your special seeds  I know they are expensive. You are very kind.

XX Jeannine

[Dandytown]

Honestly Jeannine, they cost me nothing more than postage and recycled packaging.
I only have 3 or 4 but I don't need them so you can have them.

I think if I had grown a giant pumpkin at the age of 5 or had even seen one then I would have been hooked from then (much to the dismay of my mum and her overtaken garden).

Try www.bigpumpkins.com as that is where most of the pro-growers blog etc.  You could approach some of them and ask if they have some seed you can buy.  As Pete mentioned, most would be only too happy to share the stock.  Use me as a fall back if you like but the offer is always there.  Better to use the seed while they are 'fresh' rather than have me store them.
I have a seed from a 1504 lber which broke the UK record.  Surely that will excite the kids

[brownowl23]

my two boys will have one each this year, they are only 3 so I guess I might just be growing huge ppumpkins forever now

[Dandytown]

Well this is my first year for growing Giants and I really want to get one big enough so that I can take a photo of son (2) and daughter (5) sitting on it.

Also want to beat everyone else on our plot 

[Andy H]

Me too! I want to have to ask for help to get it in the car and take it to the post office to get weighed only to be told
Its over what the scales can do

[Dandytown]

I want to have to hire a fork lift to get it off the plot.  Need to think ahead.  Right, where can I hire a crane in Nottingham 

[slyfox-mal]

glad to see that giant fever is starting to kick in againi hope you all grow a massive pkn this season and youre only a pound behind me lol good luck
regards mal

[Andy H]

seeds arrived today! Cheers Pete. Hope we are not too late but gonna try and beat our 138lb which raised £100 for alzheimers in a guess the weight compo.

Who has had the heaviest on A4A so far???

[pete JB]

Hey Andy.
Glad to hear they arrived safe. Get em in ASAP.
My best is 749 Lb`s but I wasnt on A4A then so I guess I`m starting from scratch. I hope it goes well this year but May has been crappy so far. We need some sun up here !!!

Pete

[Nigel B]

 
Great thread folks... And kudos to Pete for his generousity...
I have an Atlantic Giant on a very exposed site so it's under cover using something called Terram 1000 as a 'fleece'.
It seems to like it.
Fingers crossed I'll have something to show off at the end of it....

[slyfox-mal]

well here is the first look at one of my plants this season i still have it undercover as im forcast thundershowers today so may get a little hail in with it so better to be safe than sorry its just over 8 feet long now  and growing nicely

[slyfox-mal]

this is my other plant a little behind the other at only 4 feet long  but its on the more shady part of the patch  this is the 275 van hook plant the other is the 1145.5 van hook

[Sinbad7]

Wow they look fantastic Mal.

I looked at mine today and it's nothing like that.  I did notice though it looked as though a flower was going to form should I nip it out?  If so when do I decide  to leave the one flower on it?

Never tried to grow a giant pumpkin before so think I might need some advice on how to do it.  And, what is the best feed I can give it and how often?

Sinbad

[slyfox-mal]

thanks sinbad i shall not pollenate a female until the vine is about 11 or 12 feet long  if you do it to soon  the main vine wont be long enough to lift  high enough and may snap with a big fruit set on it  dont nip any off yet see how it goes  keep the soil loose ahead of the plant and start to bury the main and secondaries   and remove any third stage groth as soon as you can  god luck and all the best mal

[Sinbad7]

Many thanks Mal.  If the weather is fine tomorrow I will take a photo of it.

I haven't had it covered since I planted it out ages ago and I was a bit upset when I planted it as the stem spilt, so didn't know if it would come good but it seems to have survived okay.

Looking forward to the challenge 

[Dandytown]

Mal, since your 8' plant and my 8' plant are neck to neck    I will be watching closely to see how they both grow and dates and stuff etc.  I removed the tunnel yesterday so here's hoping that the weather stays warm.  Fingers crossed, legs crossed........

Sinbad:  Only a novice myself but from reading I have learnt that most stem splits heal themselves.  I'm asuming it has split along the vine and not across it.  Mine has suffered a split and seems to have repaired itself.