Allotments 4 All
The Show => Pumpkin 'tastic => Topic started by: Dandytown on March 25, 2014, 18:03:54
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Just curious to see if anyone is planning on growing a giant this year?
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Hi Dandytown :wave:
I'm going to try growing a couple of pumpkins, better than I did last year, for something big. But nothing like in your or Mal's league.
Have you started your grow diary for this year?
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I would like to - if anyone has a spare seed or two. (not a very subtle hint, sorry) :happy7:
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:blob7: Yay...preparations under way...I just wish there was a little less rain so I can get out and dig and prepare my allocated patch....maybe Hubby will get me an allotment next year if he grumbles about the pumpkin taking over the garden :toothy4:
I will keep you all posted. :glasses9:
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Hi Jayb,
My first pumpkin back in 2008 or 2009 was tiny so we all start from somewhere. If your driven to grow big then you'll grow big but most allotment holders that I know (where I live) are not too keen on giving away so much growing space to something they do not plan or want to eat.
Yep, dairy started some time ago for this year ;) There are some interesting photo's in there.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2014&grower=55348&action=L
Betty, do you still have my email address? If so send me your address and I'll get some seed sent over to you!
I'm expecting something big from Spiriette this year if the weather is good as I have heard how much preparation she is doing. Looking forward to seeing your pumpkin!
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These seeds were from and 250 lb pumpkin last year will give these a go!
(http://s27.postimg.org/v5jxgo5ar/image.jpg)
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Hi Jayb,
My first pumpkin back in 2008 or 2009 was tiny so we all start from somewhere. If your driven to grow big then you'll grow big but most allotment holders that I know (where I live) are not too keen on giving away so much growing space to something they do not plan or want to eat.
Yep, dairy started some time ago for this year ;) There are some interesting photo's in there.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2014&grower=55348&action=L
Betty, do you still have my email address? If so send me your address and I'll get some seed sent over to you!
I'm expecting something big from Spiriette this year if the weather is good as I have heard how much preparation she is doing. Looking forward to seeing your pumpkin!
That is really kind of you. I will email you now.
Betty
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I've had a dabble in this area for the first time this year ... bought some giant seeds from Clive Bevan under pressure from my kids who want to enter the local competition!
And now I've made myself a hot-bed that's up and running at a nice 25ºC powered by a mixture of horse manure and spent hops I thought I'd chuck a few of those seeds in one side and let it spill over out of the frame when the weather warms up. It gives it a nice early start in the place it will end up growing ... and once the roots get through the soil layer when the bed stops emitting heat it should have plenty of food to make big pumpkins!
If it doesn't work I'll probably get several Jack-o-lanterns of normal size so that will do me!
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I grew some large pumpkins a few years back so will go for a try again this year.Enjoyed delivering them to the family for halloween
Ive bought a handful of atlantic giant seeds off a trusted ebay seller ive used before,so fingers crossed
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Gaz, send me a message and let me know what atlantic giant seeds you have and I'll let you know if they're any good. If you buy the standard 'Atlantic Giant' from a T&M,Wilkos or anywhere similar then they are not very good. You really want to be getting them from a grower not a comercial source. Most growers will be happy to give seed away for the price of a self addressed bubble envelope.
Ideally you want to know what plants produced your seed e.g 978 Geyelin 13 (854.5 Frei x self) This shows the weight, grower, year grown and then in brackets, the female plant and male plant (pollinator). The weight is irrelevant but the genetics are important. For example a seed from a pumpkin that weighed 220.3 lbs went on to produce one that weighed 1774lbs (because it had good genetics).
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Thanks dandytown.The seeds I bought were just off an ebay supplier,not much details other than that there atlantic giant tbh but have had seeds from them before.Had to have help lifting the pumpkins in the past,not monster but much bigger than on sale.
I mainly grow as big as I can for the kids but would love to grow a true giant at some point so will look out for seed swaps ect,and learn more about the varieties
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If you need some seed send me a message and I'll let you have my address. Just send a self adressed bubble and I'll get a variety over to you.
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just finishing off my new homemade tunnel 35 x14 ft and I shall have a go at a pkn in there this year not really going competitively this year just a bit of fun this will probably be my last season growing giant pkn im going to have a bit of a chill out for the next couple of seasons its great growing a big pkn but the logistics of moving it and transporting it about sort of spoil it a bit for me
but like I say to all the newish growers have fun while it lasts these things are freaks of nature and have been known to put on 50lb plus per day when they are in full swing
all the info is out there on how to grow look on bigpumpkins.com so great people on there and almost all of the greatest growers in the world are there just spend some time reading the diary section both myself and peter (dandytown) are on there
and as peter has said make sure you get quality seed please don't waste your hard earned cash on generic atlantic giant seed you will most likely be disappointed with the end product go on bp.com in the seed section and be polite and ask for seeds but always offer to send a jiffy envelope with return postage covered and you get offered world class seeds for the price of a bubble envelope and postage have fun people and grow em big regards mal
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Great advice Mal.
Well, I hope you go out with a bang this year and smash your pb. There is a new GPC site at York Maze and it would be good to see any growers in that region at the show with your pumpkins, big or small!
http://www.yorkmazehalloween.com/pages/pumpkin_comp.html
The logistics of moving these things presents as much a challenge as growing them and you certainly need some good friends and volunteers to help out along with a good plan.
Anyone close to me (Nottingham) would be welcome to some help nearer the time.
Good luck!
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this is going to be home for the pumpkin this year if I ever get it finished
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0202_zps26230a43.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0202_zps26230a43.jpg.html)
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Thought I would look in here and see if a challenge is up and running, and there is!
3rd year in a row for me now and taking it fairly serious too, I have some of Peters pumpkin seed already kindly offered to me via BigPumpkins, so I am looking forward to having a good go at it this year.
Just received two more seed today also, which leaves me in a quandry of which to grow now.
Steve...:)
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What did you get Steve?
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seeds are all sown and tunnel is almost ready for the planting out an about ten days time
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0205_zps2d5a333f.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0205_zps2d5a333f.jpg.html)
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0204_zpsc8f7f3fb.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0204_zpsc8f7f3fb.jpg.html)
let the fun begin all over again
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well everyone is keeping quiet about their pumpkins so far this year should I be worried yet
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I've got a couple of big ones going, but they're outdoor so won't win anything against you lot, though I have hopes of beating my (outdoor) personal best.
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Mal looks to be having a very good year! Not so great for me but not bad either. Also growing outdoors
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A picture of my first ever giant pumpkin. Only 20 days old, with the seed courtesy of Dandytown. it's already bigger than the Jack o lantern I grew 2 years ago :toothy10: I'm just amazed at the size of it's stem.
(http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929-080814150128.jpeg)
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A picture of my first ever giant pumpkin. Only 20 days old, with the seed courtesy of Dandytown. it's already bigger than the Jack o lantern I grew 2 years ago :toothy10: I'm just amazed at the size of it's stem.
(http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929-080814150128.jpeg)
There's nothing small about a big pumpkin once it gets going :-).... my mum has told me she's not going to want the monster I've got growing ATM (she might change her mind) .... I might have to find a charity or something to donate it to, I have a feeling it will be a personal best for me as long as we get some more nice weather once Bertha clears away...
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Looks great Spiriette!
Mal, where are you taking your giant this year?
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Great looking stem Spireite. I'm also growing from Pete's seed and I've just had to cull a split stem on a 874 so I'm looking on with envy, lol. However, I also have one of his 978's at a similar stage to yours - 38 inch circumference 19 DAP. Following here and Bigpumpkins with interest.
Simon
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I have a new pic to add to Big pumpkins later on tonight...and I might FINALLY have a set fruit on my 2nd 874 plant, only nearly a few months behind the American growers.
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It's my first time growing, but I've become more than a little obsessed! Reading everyone's posts, I've made the mistake of buying commercial atlantic giant seed. My pumpkin is 36 inches day 25 so not too shabby for a first attempt, but it seems to have stopped growing and is really green. Everyone else's atlantic giants seem to be yellow. Next year I'm going to have to grovel to the experts for seed! Holly
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Welcome Holly, and yes it is a bit addictive this pumpkin growing...I just got my first allotment with a view to growing the pumpkins there next year... as my husband is a bit fed up of them taking over the garden!! It's my first year and I think at this rate I will be lucky to make 100lbs (the Americans always work in pounds...I keep having to convert it to stones)
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its been a while since ive been on this site so here is my pumpkin as of today 40 days after pollination fugly I call her she is 300 ott and that is 602 lb not bad for day 40 doing a 20 day average of 24.45 lb per day the skin is still very young looking with no netting at all I hope to beat my old pb of 798 this year
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0344_zps9771ec78.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0344_zps9771ec78.jpg.html)
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Having just been away for qa week came back to find that #1 pumpkin has started growing again and is now probably the biggest on the site I'm on (not that that is much of a boast), it's also on a plant that still looks healthy whilst other folks are definitely going down, so if nothing else I'm saving seed from it this year. It's ancestry is an American 1329 and I self-crossed it at a time when there were few other pumpkins flowering on site. The 2nd unit (a UK 769 I believe) is a very healthy plant but the first set fruit rotted out underneath, so I've let it grow several secondary fruits in order to have some sensible ones for Halloween....
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There is a giant Pumpkin competition at the "Big Sheep" Abbotsham Devon on 19th Oct this year, check out there web site for more details. I have seen some of the entries and they are huge.
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Looks a beauty Mal :happy7:
What progress for fugly?
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fugly is about 860lb right now I shall know better in four days when I next measure her
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well here is fugly on day 57 after pollination measured today and est weight is 895 lb still going well in this nice September weather 7 weeks till weigh off
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0367_zpsde516924.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0367_zpsde516924.jpg.html)
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Smashed it, way to go :sunny:
Keep us posted :toothy10:
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Mal that's ACE and such a deserved result for you!!
You still haven't told us what weigh off you are taking it to ;)
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sorry peter the weigh off I shall be going to if all goes well is the gpc at York maze on oct 25th here is fugly enjoying a splash of water in the evening sun shine tonight I have not measured in a few days but getting close to 1000 lb now
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0374_zps18dcd3fa.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0374_zps18dcd3fa.jpg.html)
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Great colour and most importantly great size Mal. Did you mention something about this being your last year? Somehow I don't think you'll be able to hang up your pumpkin gloves :toothy10:
York should have a good turn out this year with yourself and Ian Paton attending and possibly SMT as well.
If you don't mnd, could you drop me an email regarding the sizing and cost of your polytunnel plastic as I fear it's the only way forward for me.
My biggest has just touched on 500 lbs :BangHead:
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How do you weigh them?
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I big weekend in the giant pumpkin world, the Paton twins have smashed the UK and European record with a 'kin of 1884lb and rumours have reached me that the world record has also been broken with a 'kin of 2323lb, although I cannot find info on the world record, here is the paton twins info.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-29588609
This season saw me break my own feeble personal best (was 120lb, everyone starts somewhere) with two kins, one 236lb and the biggest 303lb. Both came from seed supplied by Dandytown and very gratefull I am too. Thank you Peter.
My Mrs contacted the local paper and a photographer was dispatched, and here is the result.
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c71/photocumbria/gc1_zps2d2a5ca1.jpg)
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c71/photocumbria/gc2_zps215683fc.jpg)
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c71/photocumbria/gc3_zps382c82bf.jpg)
So I was on page 3 with my pumpkins out !!
Looking forward to next year already!
Steve...:)
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well done steve always nice to get it in the press and keep the sport going I have a weigh off coming on the 25th hoping mine lasts out till then good luck to all who grow regards mal
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Brilliant stuff Steve. Looking forward to hearing how you do Mal
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just a quick update fugly will be pulled tomorrow I have taken a few pics today before it gets loaded on to a pallet est weight is 1154 lb but to be totally honest I shall be over the moon if she weighs over the magic 1000 lb she did not turn out so fugly after all
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0430_zps407aaf5d.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0430_zps407aaf5d.jpg.html)
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0426_zps7b535e69.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0426_zps7b535e69.jpg.html)
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0428_zps4ec5dda0.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0428_zps4ec5dda0.jpg.html)
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0423_zps9c4380f2.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/IMAG0423_zps9c4380f2.jpg.html)
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Oh wow, Fugly is HUGE! Remarkably pretty for a biggy too. If I'm not too late, wish you luck with the weigh in :happy7:
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Here's mine just before Harvest. Seed kindly supplied by Dandytown :wave:
I've got the bug now. Already dug half the patch for next year lol!
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They look great sgbfly, well done. Are you going to save seed from yours to sow next year?
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Unfortunately they open pollinated whilst I was on holiday so given the effort needed to grow a giant I don't think I'll risk it as I don't know what other gourds were growing nearby.
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final weight and result at York maze 1st place with peter dandy town second my weight was 1024lbs
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/pumpkin_zpsb4410e54.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/pumpkin_zpsb4410e54.jpg.html)
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/10635775_10153301569429251_5024197875609862063_n_zpsc0ed2693.jpg) (http://s54.photobucket.com/user/slyfox-mal/media/10635775_10153301569429251_5024197875609862063_n_zpsc0ed2693.jpg.html)
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Well done Mal...I was following your diary on BigPumpkins.com .
I managed to grow 2 pumpkins from 2 plants, from seeds kindly given to me by Dandytown, I'm quite sure I drove him crazy asking futile questions all the time as this was my first year......108 lbs and 102 lbs....basically I came last (out of 14 entries) at the Southampton weigh off :D (http://[img]http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929-291014215859.jpeg)[img]
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(http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929-291014215859.jpeg)
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well done spireite it is not always about winning and well done for attending the weigh off I bet you learned a lot from dave Thomas and the patton twins if I can help in any way just shoot me a question on bp.com any time
all the best mal
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Thanks for that Mal.... It was a bit like going out to play with the big boys :happy7: Lots of lovely friendly people, a great day out, and very inspired to do better next year. I now have a target of beating my PB.
Word came back from my brother inlaws this week....I gave them my 102 lb pumpkin to carve...about the size of a space hopper...it was ably carved by the niece and younger nephew ( with a little help from their dad!!.).... the children in the house opposite them on their street are very envious; and want their parents to go shopping for a pumpkin of a similar size....I wish them luck :toothy10:
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Very well done Mal, and I see you got some "air" time last night on Look North too.
I'm planning on joining you and Peter next year at York (and anyone else). Coming from Cockermouth, Netley is a bit too far so Thompson and Morgan will have to bring my cheque to York :icon_cheers:
Onwards and upwards to 2000lbs next year !
Steve...:)
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How do you weigh something that size? I wouldn't even get it through the gate.