Topic: 2012 Pumpkin Season is almost here

[Dandytown]

I soak my seed for 1h then gently file the sides and place them between moist cotton wool in a zip lock bag and place in the airing cupboard.  90% of the time the seeds will germinate in 1-2days.  I pot them on in warm soil and they break the surface in another 1-2 days.

I do this as I do not have a propagator and the Mrs hates pots of mud around the house.  However, I can hide the seeds  ;) but would rather just germiate in pots in the airing cupboard but think I'd be pushing my luck.

[Spireite]

HI Dandytown, I planted 7 seeds, 6 went into a small unheated propagator on the windowsill, and 1 pot went into the bottom of the airing cupboard, just to see if it would do better in there. (The airing cupboard is MY domain, not the husband's - admittedly, I used the spare room windowsill, not sure he would tolerate a windowsill full in our bedroom!!  ;) )
I have 2 tiny seedlings...from the windowsill, and they took 10 days.
I shall be more experienced next year...

[Dandytown]

its perfectly normal for them to take some time if its not hot enough.  The airing cupboard is a good place.

Correction:  I file then soak not soak then file, sorry.

 :)

[pete JB]

Personally, I wouldnt try and germinate without heat. Competition seeds hate sitting in cold compost and they tend to rot.
The best thing you can do is to get them to germinate as quickly as possible and then give them a good light source so they go sturdy rather than leggy.
Just my opinion

Pete

[slyfox-mal]

well what a strange year we are having so far  the weather is all over the place i have had all sorts of problems trying to grow  one of my plants yellowing leaves and stunted growth

 i put this down to cold wet soil i have decided to put one other plant in there also and the first to lay down wins the space

here they are together

some people ask how im venting my tunnel here is how i have done it

 just stick with it ladies and gents and remember its a marathon not a sprint good luck

[pete JB]

Mal.

The yellowing in the middle of the leaf looks genetic to me. I wouldnt worry about it.
The general yellowing is probably due to low temps at night.
Keep chugging away. As you say, it`s a marathon not a sprint.

Pete

[brownowl23]

I have two pumpkins currently in pots but to go into the plot at the weekend. One a little spindly but fgrgroing OK, slightly yellowing leaves which I put down to the chilly weather. The other one (one of Pete's seeds from last year) is looking very sturdy and doing very well.


Here's to big pumpkins rthis year

[Jeannine]

We have a kid and parent pumpkin patch in the process here, they have cleared a couple of wet plots that are no good for early planting. It is fun to watch the littlies pulling out the weeds etc.

XX Jeannine

[pete JB]

I have two pumpkins currently in pots but to go into the plot at the weekend. One a little spindly but fgrgroing OK, slightly yellowing leaves which I put down to the chilly weather. The other one (one of Pete's seeds from last year) is looking very sturdy and doing very well.


Here's to big pumpkins rthis year

Pete likes this (in the Facebook style)

Thanks for giving my seeds a chance

[Jeannine]

Pete, we got germination on the small ones and the medium ones but nobody got germiantion from the biggest ones, not even me..odd?

XX Jeannine

[brownowl23]

I have two pumpkins currently in pots but to go into the plot at the weekend. One a little spindly but fgrgroing OK, slightly yellowing leaves which I put down to the chilly weather. The other one (one of Pete's seeds from last year) is looking very sturdy and doing very well.


Here's to big pumpkins rthis year

Pete likes this (in the Facebook style)

Thanks for giving my seeds a chance

Your welcome Pete. Thank you for letting me have some. Im hoping it grows a biggie :) My boys are cossetting it.

[Jayb]

I was a bit later sowing than I planned  but I have two healthy looking 749 Bragg plants, thank you Pete, germination was 100%  :). Both still in pots in the greenhouse. If the weather doesn't improve shortly I think I'll make a temporary cloche for them when I plant out.

I'm sure I should know this but to get them to grow in the direction of the length of the cloche, how do I know which way they will grow?

[chriscross1966]

If this weather doesn't improve soon I'm going to plant out my pair of AG's under big cloche frames I think.... I've got lots of spare glass from greenhouse rebuild so it'll be a symphony of 2 foot squares ....

[Dandytown]

I was a bit later sowing than I planned  but I have two healthy looking 749 Bragg plants, thank you Pete, germination was 100%  :). Both still in pots in the greenhouse. If the weather doesn't improve shortly I think I'll make a temporary cloche for them when I plant out.

I'm sure I should know this but to get them to grow in the direction of the length of the cloche, how do I know which way they will grow?

The vine almost always goes in the opposite direction to the first true leaf.  I planted my pumpkins very early just as the first true leaf was exposing itself.  I therefore had to work out which way the first true leaf would go and to do this I just worked out which side would put the leaf up the correct way (i.e. not upside down).

However, if you have multiple leaves and do not the know which was the first then I am not sure Jayb, sorry

[Jayb]

Cheers Dandytown, I'll go and take a look, hopefully I'll be able to tell  :)

[slyfox-mal]

well its been a while with no updates in here  so here is mine i ended up pulling mu original plant and going with a backup  here it is

 its been a difficult year so far so cold and wet  no records going to be broken here this year

come on ladies and gents lets see how your doing  all the best and good luck regards mal

[Dandytown]

Hey Mal,

Here's my smaller plant, hoping to pollinate tomorrow http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=182229
 
Here's the bigger one, hoping to pollinate in about 5 days
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=182225

Appauiling weather isn't it.  I'll be looking to build two tunnels like yours next year, do the sides roll up?

[chriscross1966]

Well I've put mine out on the plot, decided to gounprotected in theend, but they are on a bigpile of horse poo that went there last autumn adn now seems to be a rich brown soil... plenty of chicken pellets adn some BFB... they'd started to vien for the most part so not too hard to workout orientation...fingers crossed etc....

[slyfox-mal]

hi pete i have been following your diary on bp.com keep it up mate
weather this year is horrid and its not looking any better in the near future  building the tunnel is definatly the way to go and yes the sides and ends roll up if it gets to hot  no fear of that  lol  regards mal

[Digeroo]

Mine are doing well outside, especially the one which has a bail of straw to keep it warm. No sign of any flowers yet.   One has produced a second shoot should I remove it?