Pumpkin season is almost here folks! May you all grow something huge and orange this year.
I'm sowing mine on the 7th April for a planting date of the 17th. Eager beaver!
Good luck everyone
Where will you be putting it on the 17th?
I'll be planting all under cover with one in this greenhouse:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=175037
Fantastic! I've looked through your photos and you certainly are dedicated, good luck with some giants this year!
Mine will be going outside in June, unless I can persuade my husband to construct a similar pumpkin house to yours but that is highly unlikely!
I'm itching to get them seeds in ( many thanks for them dandytown) but i will hold off :-X, I'm in the process of making a little cloche/ low level greenhouse thing for my pumpkins to go in to when planted out ;)
I have 2 large plants (atlantic giant) in the poly tunnel in a raised bed and growing like I have never seen before. Will be sowing a further 2200 seed end of this month, "Racer and Pie star, plus 50 small sugar.
Would be good to see how they grow Squashman. What pumpkin seed did you sow (shop brought ones or from another grower)?
Quote from: Dandytown on March 22, 2012, 12:37:08
I'll be planting all under cover with one in this greenhouse:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=175037
Bl**dy hell. Thats a greenhouse !
Good luck DT
I'll be having another crack at growing a biggie again this year, when the seed gets here that is.
Steve...:)
Quote from: pete JB on March 23, 2012, 15:03:13
Quote from: Dandytown on March 22, 2012, 12:37:08
I'll be planting all under cover with one in this greenhouse:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=175037
Bl**dy hell. Thats a greenhouse !
Good luck DT
Thanks Pete, do you mean good luck getting in and out okay?
It sure is a comedy greenhouse where height is concerned :)
Wow amazing greenhouse and love the diary :)
No DT. It was a compliment. You should do well with a house that size.
Good luck
Pete
im also getting ready to plant this years pkns im growing one in a home made poly tunnel 21 by 15 not quite big enough but it will have to do i wont be sowing my seed till about mid april i have been working hard on my soil this winter and im hoping it pays off here is where my soil stands now on my pumpkin patch
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/resultsbetter.jpg)
sorry if you cannot read the numbers in the last post here is a direct link
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/resultsbetter.jpg
Looks good Mal. Are you having a crack at marrows again this year ?
I sent Peter Glazebrook a cheeky email and asked him for some marrow seed. Hopefully the seeds he sent me are good uns !
Good luck
Pete
yes pete 6 marrows again this year mine and wurstens and also dave thomas and mark baggs and a couple off john hollingrake good luck mate this year regards to you all mal
I'm having another go at growing a massive pumpkin again ;D
well i got my homemade greenhouse finished this weekend so wont be long before the pumpkin goes in
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0361.jpg)
i just have to add some ammendments and im all set to go
Mal, thats an ace tunnel... Think I have greenhouse/tunnel envy coming on ;)
with your soil test showing good I reckon you'll do well this year. Whats your target?
mine is 300lbs more than last year.
best of luck everyone!
yes the tunnel worked out great and as for my target well its really modest peter a pound more than you will do lol
Quote from: slyfox-mal on April 02, 2012, 20:00:36
yes the tunnel worked out great and as for my target well its really modest peter a pound more than you will do lol
The kind of repsponce that puts a smile on my face ;D lol
Nothing like throwing down the gauntlet :)
looking forward to this season i guess mine has started
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0363.jpg)
good luck everyone and most of all have some fun
Nice set up Mal. Very professional.
Very nice indeed and something to think about next year.
Two plants went in today. Planted a 1304 Sperry (1610 Leiber x 1161 Rodonis) and an 852 Myers (746 Snyder x 1059.6 VMG) and hope to cross to produce something extra special to grow in 2013.
The weather is not too great, its overcast but at least that means no frost!
My seed was sown on the 9th and the plants were telling me to put them in the ground as the roots were climbing out of the bottom of their 5L pots.
Best of luck
Well, seeing as I`m not growing pumpkins this year, I`m the most chilled out man in the world !
I`ll leave the worrying to you lot. I`m missing it if I`m honest but not the stress or the 50 quid bags of Myco.
Good luck everyone.
Pete
Hi all
Just a quick question, one of my pumpkin plants has dark green patches on the leaves and looks like it is dying any one know what this is i don't want this to spread to the others..
Thanks Steve
Got a piccy Steve ?
Hi pete,
Hope i done this correct pic's should be below,[attachment=1][attachment=2]
Thanks Steve.
I just sowed my first ever pumpkin seeds :D.....I shared the seeds with my mother inlaw to see which of can grow the better specimin!!!! I don't think I can compete with you guys...so 7 small pots onthe back bedroom windowsill ;D
Steve..was that plant holding on to its seed for long? It almost looks to me like its been affected by that.
Goodlife- Yes mate all the ones in the black pots did that i ended up taking the shell's off and you can see them 4 all have yellow/brown edges to there leaves??? The one in the blue pot shed its self that's a different type,
What are the consequences of this???
Thanks.
Well..it could be that the one that looks bit sorry has had 'upset' under the seedcoat when its not dropped that easily.
If it is that..the new growth should be fine even if the current leaves don't look too happy..time will tell.
Sometimes they can get bit of 'fungal' problems if the conditions inside the seedcoat is bit too moist..that looks very much like it. Effected parts may go bit 'crispy' and rip/broke off..but other than that...there should not problems.
If you are consern..avoid too much humidity for time being..slight misting (just once) with garlic water may help too for being 'anti fungal'...but personally I would not bother... ;)
Thanks Goodlife ;)
forgot to add...be steady with watering ..that one with dodgy leaves may not need as much water for while as the others and excess moisture in the compost will just make matters worst. Wait till the new growth come up and it gets more 'needy' again before being more 'freely' with watering can.
Steve,
If I'm correct, is the problematic one, one of my 494's? :-[
Quote from: Dandytown on May 03, 2012, 16:03:15
Steve,
If I'm correct, is the problematic one, one of my 494's? :-[
Yes mate, all the others are fine.
Edit sorry there 496..
Quote from: steve76 on May 03, 2012, 20:59:28
Quote from: Dandytown on May 03, 2012, 16:03:15
Steve,
If I'm correct, is the problematic one, one of my 494's? :-[
Yes mate, all the others are fine.
Edit sorry there 496..
Sorry you were right it is a 494, long day at work that day..
I got home from work today to find that 2 of my pumpkins have germinated Yay! ;D These are my first pumpkin babies. If they start to grow well there may be pictures to follow....
Well looks like my 4 pumpkins have not made it though the weather outside in the propagator dispite everything else coming along well so Harriet and i will be getting some more plants started this week in the house :)
Mine took 10 days to germinate...is this an average timescale for pumpkins....my husband is less thrilled, he can't bear the thought of the taste of pumpkins.... :P
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.
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...
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.
:)
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
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
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0383.jpg)
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
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0382.jpg)
here they are together
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0390.jpg)
some people ask how im venting my tunnel here is how i have done it
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0387.jpg)
just stick with it ladies and gents and remember its a marathon not a sprint good luck
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
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
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
Quote from: brownowl23 on May 30, 2012, 22:57:38
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
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
Quote from: pete JB on June 01, 2012, 16:34:56
Quote from: brownowl23 on May 30, 2012, 22:57:38
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.
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?
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 ....
Quote from: Jayb on June 05, 2012, 14:11:31
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
Cheers Dandytown, I'll go and take a look, hopefully I'll be able to tell :)
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
(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/IMAG0421.jpg)
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
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?
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....
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
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?
Is the second shoot off of the main one (i.e. from a leaf node/junction) or seperate to the main and from the stump?
Finally I have tiny baby pumpkins one on the end of each lead shoot about nine of them, presume to get a giant I leave only one per plants, actually might go for quantity. Rather surprised they are all about four metres from the roots.
I know I am a total Newbie to pumpkin growing and have started with Jack o lanterns as a sort of tutorial year for me :) ...unfortunately only 3 of my 7 seeds germinated, only 2 made it into the gound...and now I am down to the one plant...it has taken over half of my tiny veg plot!!!! After a few false starts at pollination I am currently now the proud grower of a pumpkin 'about' the size of a grapefruit ;D
I shall attempt to start a photo album...or even post a pic here :)
Ok...I managed to start an album ;D ..which means I shan't attempt to post a pic within the thread as that could prove beyond my technical abilities!!! ;)
Good pics Spireite!! good luck with the pumpkin ;D
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929_07_08_12_11_39_16.JPG[/img]](http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929_07_08_12_11_39_16.JPG) (ftp://[img%20width=640%20height=480)
Hopefully this image from my gallery makes it. My 6 year old niece is visiting so helped me to measure the biggest pumpkin. 19inches around it's girth ;D
What does surprise me is how green it still is, and I think it is about 10 days following (hand) pollination. Just a basic Jack o Lantern variety.
(http://[img]http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929_13_08_12_8_27_17.JPG)[/img]
28" girth today ;D
lookin good :)
The rate of growth has slowed, it is still 34" girth, and it's beginning to ripen...maybe now some of the family will stop mistaking it for a marrow!!!
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929_28_08_12_11_47_34.JPG[/img]](http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/14929_28_08_12_11_47_34.JPG) (http://[img%20width=640%20height=480)