# planting a Pumpkin Patch!



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

I have a decent size yard, and this is something Ive always wanted to do. So this year Ive decided to go ahead and plant a pumpkin patch!

Anyone here have one?


----------



## savagehaunter (Aug 22, 2009)

I have grown a large pumpkin patch in the past. You do need a lot of room to grow them.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

I bought some seeds last week because I plan one as well. I moved into my new home days before Halloween last year and thought I wouldnt have enough time to properly decorate so I felt that if I could at least get a pumpkin out there I could be happy. Well, the pumpkins were small AND overpriced. My funds were pretty wiped out from moving expenses so I was disheartened to not be able to get a decent pumpkin. I almost settled for the squash sized ones but couldnt find any on my grocery trip. I vowed this would never happen again and the house MUST be christened with a pumpkin this year, ya know, for luck.  

I told my dad about planting a patch and he told me this hilarious story about his friend. I guess the guy bought a huge bag of pumpkin seeds and threw them aimlessly around the yard. Not long after his pumpkin wasnt a patch it was a field! I guess you have to prune the smaller ones and make way for the bigger ones t grow from what I read, it is going to take some work. Especially if you dont want the pumpkins taking over your yard, plant like 3-6 seeds, lol. I figured Id give it a go and hopefully Ill have my own pumpkins to carve at the end of the year  I still have to read on how to set up my hills but I got a nice spot picked out in the back corner, in case rodents want to meander near the house, at least the patch is far enough away from the home and shed.


----------



## LawP (Dec 4, 2007)

Last year I decided to try planting my own pumpkins. With no room for an actual patch I researched container gardening and had two huge pots with several seedlings (started indoors). The leaves were huge and and the curly vine things were spreading like crazy.  They CAN take over your property. I had visions of that Goosebumps movie about evil plants. Anyway, before an actual pumpkin could start forming we were hit with two huge hail and wind storms. Totally destroyed my little pumpkin plants.  The dried up remains are still in their pots and I don't have the heart to try again. Hope you all have better luck with your patches than I had with my patch-pots.


----------



## Endora421 (Mar 31, 2010)

We do a pumpkin patch every year too. (Thinking of which, need to get those seeds planted!) The only sad this is that right before Halloween the leaves all die, so while we'll have some good pumpkins, there are just brown vines and wilted leaves left in the patch. I've been looking around for some kind of ground cover that would keep the patch looking green, but I haven't found anything yet that wouldn't steal too much water and nutrients from the pumpkins.
I'm tempted to find some plastic pumpkin-type leaves and just cover the patch in those for Halloween!


----------



## Junit (Sep 1, 2008)

Every year! I absolutely love it. Although we don't have a "patch" exactly... the pumpkins end up being planted where ever there is room left over because they spread out so much. Last year we had one big area and then two other test areas to see where they grew best.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Ive been reading up like mad to get all the knowledge I can. I mapped it out in the yard. Im going to have 2 rows, 3 mounds each. It will be alot, but we have a Halloween party every year, so the kids will be able to get free pumpkins. Also, If I have alot left, Ill just put them out front in a wheelbarrow and let the neighbors have at 'em. Just another one of my Halloween contributions.


----------



## Guest (Apr 16, 2010)

I do a patch every year. They need lots of water, pruning and also you may need to self polinate if they dont take off. All of that info can be found on any garden website. 

This year I got creative and I am planting them in a 4ft metal barrel. That way when it is Halloween I can wheel out the whole patch rooted in the barrel so the vines will be all over the graveyard  I will let you know how it goes. Try Jack Os or Jack O littles they are fun. I also grew an Atlantic Dill Giant but only reached 50lbs due to a vine crack. 

If you need any advice feel free to message me. Im no expert but I have planted my share of gardens.


----------



## earlysummer84 (Apr 15, 2010)

Ya, it's nice if we have a garden to plant pumpkin. cuz pumpkin is indispensable in Hallowen day.

__________________


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Well, I picked the area which will become my patch. I already marked the 4 corners.










Im gonna start stripping the grass off. My stepdads going to bring over his rototiller when Im done with that.


----------



## DJ Lantz (Apr 2, 2010)

I planted my first pumpkins this year. Based on what everyone is saying I don't think I have enough room. Is it going to be possible to steer the vines in the direction I want them to go?


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

i'm gonna plant some pumpkins in with my bushes. i saw where a guy planted them under his pine tree and they looked so pretty crawling up his branches. i'm gonna see if i have luck with my bushes.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

hallorenescene said:


> i'm gonna plant some pumpkins in with my bushes. i saw where a guy planted them under his pine tree and they looked so pretty crawling up his branches. i'm gonna see if i have luck with my bushes.


thats a neat idea! I read they need alot of sun or something, so I havent planted my seeds yet, though Im ready to go. Ive been fretting on placement in my yard because only the middle left to right gets any direct sun.

It will look bad anywhere in the middle, would look best by the house and will drain better a its higher on the hill, but fiance is afraid of attracting rodents to our home. If I put it near the shed thats just like putting an all you can eat buffet out for any rodents living under there.  

Im at a loss but I look out there everyday wishing I could figure out what to do. If they can grow under trees I have some smaller ones out by the back fence that would work, they give shade, but would be ideally the best place if they can grow. 

Do we know for sure they can grow outside of direct sunlight? please say yes!


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

i don't know. all i know is that guy who planted them under his pine tree had good luck. there were pumpkins sitting on the green branches everywhere. i had never seen anything like it. it was very pretty the orange on the green. he has done it the last couple of years. 
my pumpkin seed package says-directly outdoors in a sunny location. also says-form a flat bottom by gently setting pumpkins upright as they grow. i'm gonna still try it, planting in the bushes. when we were kids we always had a wonderful garden. we always planted memorial weekend, so that's my day.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Well Ive been reading that between May 15th and June 11th is the prime time to plant. This sound right?


----------



## Deadna (Oct 19, 2002)

DJ Lantz said:


> I planted my first pumpkins this year. Based on what everyone is saying I don't think I have enough room. Is it going to be possible to steer the vines in the direction I want them to go?


I turned mine last year in the direction I wanted. They DO have tendrils that grab everything but it didn't seem to hurt them when I snapped them off accidently. You also might wear gloves because they have little spikes that hurt! This was the first time I had ever grown them and I expected them to take up much more room than they did but I guess since I redirected them it wasn't too bad.


----------



## VNOMISS (Jul 16, 2008)

Wow, I was just saying yesterday that I wanted to grow a pumpkin patch! We have around a half acre in the back yard so we do have the room however I lack the green thumb that's for sure..LOL I can't even even keep an air plant alive! But I'm gonna give it a try


----------



## Trinity1 (Sep 5, 2009)

We tried planting seeds last year. We got a couple of beautiful vines...but they never produced any pumpkins. I'll definitely self pollinate this year if I don't get any pumpkins naturally. 

A few years ago we grew some pumpkins completely by accident. We had let a few carved pumpkins just rot in the yard. (We let the squirrels and birds feast on them) A few of the seeds took and the next Halloween we had two pumpkins! 

I also bought some gourd seeds and am going to try my hand at those too. We'll see what happens!


----------



## Brimstonewitch (Aug 23, 2009)

Anyone ever successfully grow pumpkins in the harsh Arizona, specifically Phoenix valley area, weather?


----------



## kprimm (Apr 3, 2009)

I have grown a small patch a few years in a row with minimal success, it is fun but alot of work. I kept having problems with darn squirrels eating them up.


----------



## DJ Lantz (Apr 2, 2010)

Here we go. 5 little seedlings broke through the soil today.


----------



## Deadna (Oct 19, 2002)

I mentioned before that last year was my first attempt so I am new to this. I bought 6 bags of topsoil and poked a bunch of holes in one side(for drainage) then flipped the bag and cut an X in the other side where I placed a seedling. I covered the bags with grass clippings to hide them and help keep them moist. I watered once a week with miracle grow and got plenty of blooms and at least one pumpkin made it per bag. The problem was they weren't very big but maybe I didn't have the right seeds....they looked like the pie pumpkins in size. I had read about this planting method years ago for tomatoes so I gave it a shot and was happy.


----------



## Annea (Aug 14, 2004)

I started my seed off in pots, after a week they have just got their first leaves.


----------



## Guest (May 10, 2010)

Shadowbat I cant wait to see your pumpkins grow. You are right on the timeline if you are planting them directly in the ground. You need warm top soil for them to grow. The warmer the better so May to June is right. Once they start vining out this summer you can use bamboo shoots to guide the vines in the directions you want. I also recommend filling your patch with chicken manure before planting and mid growth. You can get a bag at wal mart for 2.00 and it will boost your nitrate levels increases pumpkins sizes. Once your pumpkins begin the flowering stage I recommend giving them a weekly bath in miracle grow "Boom Bloom" This is a trick I started doing and it enhances the chance of more flowers to become more pumpkins.


----------



## Guest (May 10, 2010)

Deadna Pumpkins are a bit greedy when it comes to top soil. One plant can often foot 3 to 4 ft in the ground and every plant will also sub-root. Sub-rooting is when the vines like to stick to the ground to grab additional nutrients and in turn it will grow more pumpkins. One pumpkin per bag could be lack of nutrients. Also I recommend a blooming agent to you as well it may make more flowers and more pumpkins. 

Hallo the tree sounds interesting with pumpkings growing on them. I would just plant your seeds near your bush so they get direct sun and they will vine around 10ft if they have alot of soil so you can guide the vines into the bushes and have pumpkins grow on them. 

This year I have Jack o's growing and Jack B Littles. Last year I grew Atlantic Giants and was able to grow a 48lb pumpkin. I think he would have been alot bigger but when I left on vacation my house sitter accidently cracked the vine to the pumpkins and it stunted their growth. Then with an early frost I lost a few other pumpkins. This year I am experimenting and I have planted in a galvanized barrel to give the pumpkin 4ft of pure manure and top soil....so far so good.


----------



## zombiehorror (Apr 6, 2009)

Last year was my first attempt at growing pumpkins and I'll be giving it a go again this year! I had to share the garden with my wife's other veggies and I think her cucumbers screwed up the pumpkins and vice versa as these can cross pollinate. I had planted Big Max and some seeds from a local pumpkin farm that I saved from the previous year. I got 1 or two Big Max's that crapped out and never really developed but the plant from the local farm did produce a nice little pumpkin though it was only good for carving a very simple-classic Jack O' Lantern design.

My wife started some seeds this year indoors but it was a little to early as weather didn't permit getting them planted soon enough. The plants were looking awesome but now I only have 4 small containers with shriveled up vines in the them. Fortunately it isn't to late to just throw some seeds in the ground and see what grows.

FYI-I've read that you can make a trail with topsoil thru your yard and that the pumpkin vines will follow it. At the end of the season you just pull up the vines and rake down the soil which will keep your yard from being torn up. That way you can also keep space in between plants/vines to mow the grass.


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

last year there was a thread like this started also. it was kept going through the whole season. everyone sharing their progress.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

Mr. Gris THANK YOU! 
Your explanations on everything are perfect and I plan to follow your advice.  

I live in Florida, any chance I can grow white pumpkins in addition to the Jack-O's? I dont want them cross breeding, how can I keep them separate but not plant them in opposite sides of the yard? What kind of white pumpkins do you recommend?

I tried a google search and have found a few that I like the color and size, but info on them are scarce with their planting zones. Moonshine, Lumina, and Cotton candy white pumpkins. I have no idea if they will grow here and what to do if I can grow here to keep them away from my orange guys.


----------



## Guest (May 10, 2010)

Kittyvibe: Cross pollination can be an issue. I always plant different types away from one another to avoid that issue. I guess if you have no choice but to plant them next to one another you could always self-pollinate the female flowers to ensure they receive the pollen from the right plant. Last year my Atlantic giant was being stubborn in pollination so I would wake up every morning and check for a male flower and female flower. Often only one flower was their and the other was not, but finally I had both a female and male flower one morning. So I self-pollinated the plant. What that means is I carefully removed the male flower from the plant and well…..rubbed it inside the female flower spreading the pollen everywhere inside the flower.  Everybody can snicker now at that comment. This basically did the honey bee’s job for me. Soon the female flower died and the lump behind it became a pumpkin. You could try this same method to ensure the right pollen is given to the right plant through the growing process.

You also could try large container planting such as a barrel, water troth, bath tub or its sounds odd but even a kiddy swimming pool. Containers can often but put places that you didn’t really think about as a growing space. Now I am no master gardener these are just things that have worked for me over the years. I am sure there are a few more people on here who are pros and could give you even better advice. As far as white pumpkins go I don’t have a preference I think the ones I have grown in the past were called “Ghost Pumpkins”. With some quick research you can find out they are basic white Jack O’s great for carving. The seeds are found in most any hardware or garden center store. One of my dearly favorite pumpkin garden lover sites to visit is pumpkinnook.com. Check it out and you will see even more growing tips from the pros.


----------



## Deadna (Oct 19, 2002)

Mr. Gris said:


> Deadna Pumpkins are a bit greedy when it comes to top soil. One plant can often foot 3 to 4 ft in the ground and every plant will also sub-root. Sub-rooting is when the vines like to stick to the ground to grab additional nutrients and in turn it will grow more pumpkins. One pumpkin per bag could be lack of nutrients. Also I recommend a blooming agent to you as well it may make more flowers and more pumpkins.


Thanks for the info Mr Gris! We smashed a leftover one into the garden around march and tilled it under and now I have pumpkins popping up everywhere


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

Im going to check out your advice but I need to know the difference between what the "female" and "male" flower budlings look like to pollinate. I was told I would need to do this before but didnt realize there would be a male and female , I assumed to just take the flowering buds and pollinate those. 

That site you mentioned had alot of neat facts and how to choose the already grown pumpkin, and much more. Just it didnt show the variety of pumpkins or what area they are best grown in(state). I did google this many times. :/ 

Not much is known about the white pumpkin variety, if the info is out there Im not finding it with my google foo. My local Ace has zero seeds, and Home depot only had the one type of orange in called Jack O's. Walmart has an orange type but it doesnt say the type of pumpkin it is. I bought those seeds and the ones from Home depot.

Online most of the white pumpkin seeds I found in the variety I was looking for are currently out of stock  With limited information on them. My next step is to look at local nurseries and Lowes and also message seed sites online for any additional info. Thanks for the tips everyone, and I cant wait to see everyones sprouts!


----------



## Guest (May 11, 2010)

Kittyvibe I know my local Fred Meyer has a few white pumpkin varieties. They are a Kroger company so you may have a store related to them near you that sells the seeds. If not I can always pick you up a pack and mail them to you I have no problems with that. Just PM me if thats something you are interested in. As far as the flowers. The male has a male extension in the bud itself and the female has a shooter marble sized ball behind the bud. Once you see them in person you can definatly identify them. The male is on the left and the female is on the right in this picture. 

Deadna sounds like you will have a whole pumpkin patch this year since they have been tilled into the ground! That is really cool.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

ack! Theres no Kroger here by me, just jewelry stores with that company  I wish we had one, I always see cool deals for them online. 

The male/female buds makes me /facepalm, lol. It all makes sense the momma sprout would have a bun in the oven waiting to be fertilized. Thank you for the pic, it makes perfect sense once you see it. 

The white pumpkins types Im interested in are called - Moonshine, Lumina, and Cotton candy. Please dont make a special trip or anything, just if your already out an about shopping maybe you can see if they have them?  

Im so excited to plant! I saw a picture of a huge field with a mix of orange and white varietys, so I think If Im careful I might be able to pull off not cross pollinating them. Im not sure how big farms handle mixed fields, but I got the assumption from the pic that they just grew free out there.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Okay, finished my patch this evening. Let the growing begin.


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

boy, what a nice back yard. and what a sweet looking scarecrow. good luck on your pumpkins, your patch looks nice


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

wow, that looks so good! i wish mine was as nuch as that but alas its maybe 4X5, lol. I planted a bunch of seeds in between that size. One long row(long mound) in back are whites, and a long row in front orange ones. I hope something pops up


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

couple of years ago i had a pumpkin sitting in my flower bed. it sat there all winter. threw it away when spring came. i went out to weed the other day and i think i have 3 little pumpkins growing. i'll take a picture tomorrow and post.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

hallorenescene said:


> couple of years ago i had a pumpkin sitting in my flower bed. it sat there all winter. threw it away when spring came. i went out to weed the other day and i think i have 3 little pumpkins growing. i'll take a picture tomorrow and post.


aw, thats kinda sad and sweet at the same time. >< Dunno, it just made me tear up a lil.


----------



## Guest (Jun 2, 2010)

The pumpkin patch is looking great. Now just bring on the water and the heat and you should be in business.


----------



## DJ Lantz (Apr 2, 2010)

*close quarters*

These things are growing really fast. I really didn't know what to expect or how many would actually grow. I counted 14 plants so far in my little 4x4 space.

I'm probably going to have to buy some more chicken wire before the end of the week and expand their growing area.


----------



## Baldzillabill (Sep 25, 2009)

I want to grow some of my own as well. I have 8 started and I think I'll stop at that from what I read. lol. 

Heres how they look as of 05/29/10


----------



## Guest (Jun 2, 2010)

Dj Lantz last year my plants averaged 15ft long each. They will really take off soon as they get more heat so just allow the vines to get out of the box and climb. They look really great!! I have my pumpkins growing in my haunted barrel and I am anticipating them to start crawling out soon. The other patches are also doing very well on my other property.


----------



## ghostuponthefloor (Aug 19, 2009)

Mr. Gris said:


> Dj Lantz last year my plants averaged 15ft long each. They will really take off soon as they get more heat so just allow the vines to get out of the box and climb. They look really great!! I have my pumpkins growing in my haunted barrel and I am anticipating them to start crawling out soon. The other patches are also doing very well on my other property.



LOVE the skeletons standing (looking like they're dancing) around the pumpkin patch!


----------



## jackpot (Nov 1, 2008)

Would love to grow my own patch and I plan to at some point when the front yard isn't a concrete slab but then I also plan on planting corn as well in the front.

Love the pictures cant' wait to see what everyone's patches look like come Oct.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

woohoo! I have sprouts! No flowers yet but they are standing tall and strong  So cute! Thanks to this thread for giving me the courage to try it


----------



## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

I'm glad someone started another thread like this for this year. I am trying for my second year to grow pumpkins. Last year was very interesting and resulted in a handful of very nice pumpkins and a whole lot of weirdly shaped and underdeveloped junk. Pumpkins are not hard to grow if you give them plenty of room, but they can be disastrous if crammed too close together. We jumped into it blindly last year and ended up with WAY too many plants in a small space. The larger varieties choked out the smaller plants. The weakened plants would die back and harbor squash bugs by the dozens. It was a pretty nasty fight, and the bugs took quite a few casualties. 

This year, we have spread out and are growing fewer plants in a larger space. Here is our layout this year. Due to bad weather and bad planning, we are just getting started, so most of our plants are pretty small. The mounds on the left side of the shot are all pumpkins. 










Here is a shot of one of the mounds. The seeds were all planted one week ago. 










And here is a close-up of the seedlings. They are all starting to grow their first true leaves. 










Each mound will be thinned to two plants and then it is off to the races. Last year, the vines of the larger varieties would grow nearly a foot a day. We measured some of the vines at about 30 ft long. This year, we plan on doing more training and pruning. I'm going to take pictures every few days to keep track of the progress, because once these guys get going, it is crazy how fast they will leap across the garden.


----------



## Annea (Aug 14, 2004)

My pumpkins are coming along slowly this year, unseasonably cold weather hasn't helped. I'm going to take some inspration from Ghostuponthefloor and try some in a container.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Mines doing pretty good as well. Ill need to get some new pics.


----------



## killerhaunts (Jan 6, 2010)

My father is growing mine at his house. They have wonderful weather where they live (6 mi. from me). He started them indoors and now they are outside in the garden. I'll post pics, too when I take the pictures 
^ ^
V---V


----------



## creepyhomemaker (May 10, 2008)

I planted my pumpkin seeds yesterday and today I can see a little green poking thru. I have never grown any pumpkins besides some small ones in a container. I hope they do ok.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

as of today:


----------



## BLAKKHEART (Aug 23, 2004)

I tried one year. They grew so far they flowered then grew about 3 inches. Then dried up.


----------



## deadlypeanutboy (Oct 9, 2007)

Wow, Shadowbat!  Those little guys are looking great. With that many plants per mound, you may have bit off more that you can chew. I'm sure you're going to have a blast watching those little guys take over your yard. 

Mine have tripled in size in the last week:










They are ready to be thinned. This is my least favorite part. After anxiously waiting for your little seedlings to immerge, you have to pull some to make sure that the others don't get too crowded and die. I hate having to do this. 

If any of you are interested, I have decided to use the blog space that we are provided here on the forum and start a blog about my pumpkin patch. I know that sounds kind of goofy (I think its a bit nerdy myself), but I wanted to take lots of pictures this year so that I can keep track of how crazy the patch gets each year. I thought this would be a good place to share it all with my friends and family. I have already posted several pics from this year and last year. I hope that you guys enjoy it and can maybe learn from the big mistakes I made last year. Enjoy, and keep posting your patch pics!


----------



## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

I haven't kept up on this thread, but have you guys establishd Pumpkin Patches IN YOUR FRONT YARDS? If you have, I salute you. That's real dedication to Hallowe'en!


----------



## creepyhomemaker (May 10, 2008)

Actually, mine is in my front yard. But unless someone comes over in a helicopter they will barely see it.


----------



## Guest (Jun 15, 2010)

The haunted Barrel of pumpkins is growing good at my place. I will have to post an update pic soon.


----------



## creepyhomemaker (May 10, 2008)

So how is everyone's pumpkin growing going?


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

Im nervous about my pumpkins. I know Im supposed to pluck some out to make room for them to grow but how do you choose? I dont want to kill one that maybe was sprouting a bud soon.  

I have nice big, vining out greens but no flower buds to mate them with yet. Im not sure what to do, Ill take pics during the day tomorrow, maybe it will help with advice on what to do next?

Ive been watering them regularly and feeding plant food once a week.


----------



## DJ Lantz (Apr 2, 2010)

Here are some shots i took about a week ago. They have actually gown allot since this. I had thirteen growing in the same 4'x4' space, but i removed 4 of them two weeks ago and was able to save three of them and move them to another area. I still have 9 coming out of that small spot and I suspect that is still too many. Several female flowers have started to bloom, but no males yet.


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

dj, those are looking good


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Mine are doing well. Now, Ive read that there is supposed to be 3 inches between each sprout, is that right?


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Just ran out and grabbed a couple pics while the rain stopped. These are 4 weeks in.





















Everyone keeps telling me Im going to have a ton of pumpkins, but thats the idea.


----------



## Blumpkin (Aug 5, 2009)

One seed produced this for me last year, after Halloween was over I tossed these uncarved pumpkins into my compost and this year I have volunteers all over the place. They grow like weeds.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

wow. Those are some biguns'.


----------



## Blumpkin (Aug 5, 2009)

Shadowbat said:


> wow. Those are some biguns'.


Yeah and my soil is pretty crappy too. Mountain rocks and clay. Pumpkins make me feel good about being able to grow anything because they are so easy.


----------



## creepy crawler (Jul 31, 2008)

2 years ago we just threw our pumpkins out in the back against the garage and well don't you know we had notice I said "HAD" til our mean neighbor came over and weed wacked it down. So after my wife flipped out on her because my 2 yr old daughter was really upset they were gone! we decided to do a garden this year.
Well it is going very well to say the least...we planted green beans, snow peas, tomato's, zucchini's and 2 pumpkin plants. Everything is huge the tomato plants are 5' tall and full and the pumpkins are giant I will post pics when I get home.


----------



## Samhain.Voodoo (May 17, 2009)

Oh how wonderful! I'll have to take pics of my pumpkin patch I've started in my back yard as well! You're so lucky that you have a large area to work with though.


----------



## Autumn Myth (Sep 1, 2007)

Do you all think it's possible to have a very small pumpkin patch in an apartment?


----------



## creepyhomemaker (May 10, 2008)

Mother nature has played a joke on me with my pumpkins. This year started out extremely wet. Rained every day (Have you heard about the Nashville floods?) Anyway, I planted my pumpkins way off from my house, past the orchard where it is impossible to reach with a hose. I stupidly assumed it would stay rainy. guess what? It has only rained 2 inches since then. So now I have to water them by hand. I do it cause I don't want them to die but UGH! I'm not a fan of rainy weather and I sure don't want it to rain too close to my party like it did last year so....


----------



## shroomjuice (Oct 17, 2007)

My patch so far. As of 06/28/10


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Wow. How many do you get each year?


----------



## shroomjuice (Oct 17, 2007)

Well this is my first attempt. So we will see.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Oh. Haha, me too, so I guess we'll both see together!


----------



## ter_ran (Jan 14, 2006)

I have a big enough yard for it but too much grass to uproot.. My wife wont let me either as I have tried back in 2000 at my old home.. I just made a big mess..


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

ter_ran said:


> I have a big enough yard for it but too much grass to uproot.. My wife wont let me either as I have tried back in 2000 at my old home.. I just made a big mess..


Well, it is possible to simply build your mounds with a most without tilling up a big section. Ive seen simply the mounds done before.


----------



## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Some great pics here. I wanna see more pics when you get to the "What was I thinking?" stage. These things have a way of getting out of hand. Best of Luck!


----------



## Guest (Jul 4, 2010)

You should all be getting flowers soon if the heat has kept! I have a couple starting both male and female so it begins!!!


----------



## mysterymaiden (Aug 11, 2008)

Haha despite all of your warnings, I'm going ahead with mine thanks to you all. I have a huge pine tree in the garden at the end of my long yard, and then a small veggie garden I made this year. I had no idea where to put them, but I'm totally going to plant them under the pine tree now! I know it's a bit late, but it's my first attempt so we'll see how it goes.


----------



## DJ Lantz (Apr 2, 2010)

*7/4/10*

They are really starting to grow like crazy now. I had to remove the chicken wire area that was holding them in. The bees are doing their job too.


----------



## MichaelMyers1 (Jan 12, 2008)

So after reading your posts, I decided to plant some of my own. I just used a galvanized tub, with lots of dirt and made three mounds in it. I out 3-4 seeds in each, and some fertilizer, and then watered them. I already have sprouts growing through two mounds! So excited! Even if I just have ONE pumpkin, I would be so happy!!


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Wow. There are some great looking vines going on here. Unfortunately I dont have any buds yet. Havent seen any bees around either. Hoping this isnt going to be a problem.


----------



## wristslitter (Nov 21, 2008)

I was in New York City a few years ago and I came across a Plant Fair, they were giving out some free seeds, one of which I took was Baby Jack Pumpkins, I stumbled upon them this spring and decided to give em a chance at life even though the packet said use before Dec 2009. They LIVE! I planted them in a container. I live in the city, so room is an issue. I think they are a nice looking plant. I have lots of buds and blooms. I hope they grow. I am impressed with alot of the plants posted in this thread.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

went out this morning to check on the patch. Here are some update pics.


----------



## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

looking way good shadow bat. love your scarecrow. does he walk at night? lol.


----------



## DJ Lantz (Apr 2, 2010)

*Going strong*

Lots of buds opened up this morning and I counted four pumpkins growing now. The one in the picture is the biggest. I fertilized about a week ago and watered them all with milk. My gardener told me milk is good for them, but my online research was inconclusive. Probably just a myth, but I did it anyway.


----------



## Arronaf (Sep 9, 2008)

Here are pictures from my two patches today.


----------



## ter_ran (Jan 14, 2006)

Wow they are lookin good! Should be a nice crop once october falls around! Excellent job!


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

counted 4 of these today.


----------



## Mandathewitch (May 19, 2009)

It seems like my jack o lantern pumpkins are slow risers.. or just don't like my yard... but my sugar pumpkins are doing AWESOME! I got one that's already full size, and starting to turn orange! I'll try to take new pics in the morning... It's got about 4-6 days left before I cut it from the vine! I've got about 6 small sugar pumpkins growing right now...the ONE jack o lantern one got eaten by an evil rodent (I've since put up chicken wire to keep them out)....


----------



## Deadna (Oct 19, 2002)

Deadna said:


> I mentioned before that last year was my first attempt so I am new to this. I bought 6 bags of topsoil and poked a bunch of holes in one side(for drainage) then flipped the bag and cut an X in the other side where I placed a seedling. I covered the bags with grass clippings to hide them and help keep them moist. I watered once a week with miracle grow and got plenty of blooms and at least one pumpkin made it per bag. The problem was they weren't very big but maybe I didn't have the right seeds....they looked like the pie pumpkins in size. I had read about this planting method years ago for tomatoes so I gave it a shot and was happy.


The pumpkin we tilled under from last year sprouted up all over the place but all the pumpkins are only softball sized so "free range" didn't help at all 
They are all orange now and ready to pick too!


----------



## wristslitter (Nov 21, 2008)

Squash Bugs KILLED my plant,GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! I was in New York City for the weekend, came home and my plant looked like it been through a war, I noticed a bunch of bugs on my plant, did a search on the net, conclusion Squash Bug ATTACK.


----------



## coffee4106 (Sep 19, 2009)

I planted a huge garden in June... went on vacation, left my mom in charge.. haha... however it rained ALL MONTH and barely anything came up.. 2 squash, a row of corn, potatoes and one WHITE pumpkin

I have planted more squash and more pumpkins.. i know its way late in the season but its just now warm and the rain has stopped! BRING ON THE GARDEN!


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)




----------



## Mandathewitch (May 19, 2009)

I have 4 sugar pumpkins going now!! YAY! Just fertilized # 5 and 6 today. I like that they are quicker growing, and more gratifying in the end... I mean it's JULY and I already have 1 full grown (it's oranging up!), and 3 more getting there... I REALLY need to take some pics for this thread.


----------



## Mandathewitch (May 19, 2009)

Couple of my sugar pumpkins at varying stages of growing... I'm so excited that I have actual growing pumpkins this year! (last year I planted WAY too late!)


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Those look great.


----------



## WitchyRN (Mar 20, 2010)

I have a couple plants growing out of the compost I put around my cedar trees...I usually grow pumpkins in my front flower beds.. and try to train the vines to fill the entire bed.. lol ... living in Northern Ontario, we usually don't get big pumpkins, but I love the way the vines take over..  I usually just take the guts from the pumpkins we carve the season before, and randomly bury them around the yard..


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

I havent seen any flowers and I planted June 1st in FL. Its been generally hot with occasional showers. 

I didnt check on them for a few days and looked yesterday and noticed alot of the green leafy parts were eaten up, also theres now something burrowed at the start of my patch and in the middle of the rows. 

Theres a hole there. I filled it with water and nothing came out, but the water did get sucked up by the dirt anyway, so Im at a loss if my patch is wasted or not. 

I have no idea what else I can do and when I should have expected flowers to pop.


----------



## HoflyLoster (May 12, 2009)

Heres some pics of mine. I had planted in early July but they never gew. So I bought 6 pumpkin plants and trasnplanted them. I then decided to replant some seeds, and low and behold they decided to grow. So now I have 3 pumpkin patches! Heres some pics!









Patch #1 at the start of July!









Patch #1 at the end of July.









patch #1 one of the pumpkins. Loonie is there for size comparison









A few pumpkins at the end of July with a loonie for comparison









Patche #2 at the start of July









The first pumpkin that started growing at the start of July









My first pumpkin has grown alot since the start of July!









Patch #2 at the end of July









Another angle of patch #2 at the end of July









A couple of pumpkins growing in patch #@ at the end of July


----------



## HoflyLoster (May 12, 2009)

Loonie is there for comparison.


















Everytime I check the patch there are new pumpkins starting to grow!









Just a closeup of a young female flower bud.









These are the pumpkin plants (I have 7 of them) in my patch #3. They are only starting to have a few buds, but I did see a almost ready to bloom male flower on one of them! Hopefully they will start producing some pumpkins before october!









Flower buds just starting out on patch #3! end of july



I hope everyone keeps posting pics, I love following everyones progress!


----------



## Mandathewitch (May 19, 2009)

I finally have jack o lantern ones growing! 4 of them, as well as 4 sugar... in the small space I have available it's a miracle. Next year I'm gonna plant on the other side of the yard where there is more sun and more room.









Jack holds a special place in my heart. He is my FIRST jack o lantern pumpkin who has managed to survive and is at least so far thriving!!


----------



## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

This thread is so fun to follow. After reading it last month I decided to give it a shot in a weedy part of my yard. I bought a seed packet and just shoved them into the ground. Didn't expect much to take but surprise, surprise....they all did! Guess the patch in my yard just grows weeds...and PUMPKINS! 

I thinned out the plants to four and here's a picture of one of them:


----------



## Costume Ideas (Jul 28, 2010)

I don't personally grow pumpkins, we're too near the coast, too much moisture, we tend towards some of the rotting and fungal diseases associated with all that moisture, but we've done so in the past, my father and sister each grow a pumpkin for my nephew each year. If you tend to have morning dew, once the pumpkins start forming, you want to lift them off the ground by placing them on something with holes so the air will circulate, like making a small inverted cage with heavy duty fencing wire, for example, so moisture can't pool around the bottom of the pumpkin and it gets good air circulation.

For the person who mentioned it, you can pinch or cut off those little clingy runners all you want, it won't hurt the plants at all.

Endora, if you want to interplant something with the pumpkins, you can do that without robbing the pumpkins of the necessary nutrients. (Although if you give them some good organic fertilizer, its always welcome.) With a "fruit" producing plant like pumpkins, that uses more P and K of the NPK, you'd probably want to plant it with plants that mostly need N (nitrogen) like the leafy greens, lettuce, spinach, arugula, that sort of thing.

And if anyone needs gardening advice and can't find what they need to know through a Google search, there's actually a great gardening forum on Craigslist, believe it or not. (I'm assuming this suggestion won't offend the admins since it is a completely OT discussion board, nothing to do with Halloween, but with gardening, but let me know if you object to it and I'll remove it.)


----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

I had Fairy Tale Pumpkins I bought last year for the porch after winter they started to rot so I threw them where I usually plant tomatoes as compost. Guess what? I have like 8 baby pumpkins so far and their out of control.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

its so great to see everyones progress.  Mine on the other hand had a squash bug infestation + vines from the nearby fence + something burrowed under the patch, so they are barely hanging on. 

I just got something for the squash bugs, I hope it kills them off or severely reduces the population. If most of the bugs go away, hopefully its a mole under there and he isnt getting as many bugs as hed like and will go away. If hes eating my pumpkin roots I will have to get rid of him. (not sure whats under there its a best guess). 

And I also gave it some emulsified(sp?) fish fertilizer. The guy at Home Depot said people come in and buy cases of it and its made in Alaska. I hate fish unless looking at them in a tank, lol. So I just used some and man it was gross, but if it makes my patch bounce back to life im all for it.

Now the vines, its hard to tell whats "leafy vines" from the nearby fence that invaded my patch and whats normal pumpkin vines. The vines are wrapped around everything and it looks like the only way to get them off is a vine reppellent spray, lol. Though something like that might kill my pumpkins.


----------



## Spookmaster (Sep 27, 2008)

I started some giant pumpkin seeds in a small planter, and transplanted them about 3 weeks ago.....they seem to be doing well, but will need more time to grow....its my first time planting seeds, and I have a lot of room out here....


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

When I got home from work this afternoon my patch looked like it was on the verge of total disaster. Lots and lots of yellowed and brown leaves and dying vines. I freaked out. My wife came out and we started pruning out the dead stuff in hoped of saving the hearty vines and pumpkins that already started. I have to say we had to prune out near half the patch. I have no idea what happened. There were afew vines I knew that was going to need to be pulled to allow for the stronger ones to continue, but what I found today was like an apocolypse. I may be exaggerating for some, but after the amount of time and work Ive put into this, this was a horror sight. I mean, I felt sick inside.


----------



## Deadna (Oct 19, 2002)

My vines got a horrible open "wound" near the base of the plant...looks like a nasty cancer 
It has pretty much killed all the big plants but I did get 7 small pumpkins from ones that were tilled under from last year. Nothing bothered that variety for some reason.


----------



## Costume Ideas (Jul 28, 2010)

kittyvibe said:


> its so great to see everyones progress.  Mine on the other hand had a squash bug infestation + vines from the nearby fence + something burrowed under the patch, so they are barely hanging on.
> 
> I just got something for the squash bugs, I hope it kills them off or severely reduces the population. If most of the bugs go away, hopefully its a mole under there and he isnt getting as many bugs as hed like and will go away. If hes eating my pumpkin roots I will have to get rid of him. (not sure whats under there its a best guess).
> 
> ...


kittyvibe, don't mean to butt in, but I wanted to warn you that fish fertilizer is very high in nitrogen, at least for an organic fertilizer source, and as such it will probably stimulate a lot of leaf growth, but it may actually retard pumpkin production (with NPK, the numbers you use to evaluate fertilizer, you want a lower N number, and higher P and K numbers for pumpkins). The fish emulsion would be great for salad greens, leafy plants, etc. but might not get the desired result for pumpkins.

For anyone who can get their hands on it, I would recommend the Jobe's Organics Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer. (Amazon.com: jobe's organics tomato). It comes in both 4 and 16 pound bags, and its geared for veggie plants that produce "fruits". Its wonderful stuff. The best fertilizer I've ever used. If you live in California, you can get it at Orchard Home Supply.

(Sorry for going on and on, I'm an almost completely organic gardener. Its one of my things...) ;D


----------



## Trinity1 (Sep 5, 2009)

Everyone's pumpkins look great!!! I planted some pumpkin seeds this year....and nothing. Grew the vine...but never got any pumpkins. A few years ago I left some rotting pumpkins in the yard and low and behold...we ended up getting a few decent ones out of it. I think I'll try that route again this year and see what happens!


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Deadna said:


> My vines got a horrible open "wound" near the base of the plant...looks like a nasty cancer
> .


I have this as well.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

Costume Ideas said:


> kittyvibe, don't mean to butt in, but I wanted to warn you that fish fertilizer is very high in nitrogen, at least for an organic fertilizer source, and as such it will probably stimulate a lot of leaf growth, but it may actually retard pumpkin production (with NPK, the numbers you use to evaluate fertilizer, you want a lower N number, and higher P and K numbers for pumpkins). The fish emulsion would be great for salad greens, leafy plants, etc. but might not get the desired result for pumpkins.
> 
> For anyone who can get their hands on it, I would recommend the Jobe's Organics Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer. (Amazon.com: jobe's organics tomato). It comes in both 4 and 16 pound bags, and its geared for veggie plants that produce "fruits". Its wonderful stuff. The best fertilizer I've ever used. If you live in California, you can get it at Orchard Home Supply.
> 
> (Sorry for going on and on, I'm an almost completely organic gardener. Its one of my things...) ;D


Thanks for that info! I was using a high P fertilizer initially for 2 months and no buds, but when I told the guy my plants were overeaten by the bugs recently and the plants were decimated and dying, he suggested I use the fish stuff. 

I may just bring it back to the store but if I understand the process right, maybe feeding the stuff to bring the plants back to healthy then start it on the high P again to stimulate the flowers to bud?


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

It's been a sad past week and a half. We have had extreme humidity here and my patch has not been faring well. I already had to prume out alot of dead vines. Im talking wilted here. I resoiled the mounds with some organic graden soil hoping to help the vines a bit. Today I came home from work and things just seem to get worse.





























This is a far cry from what my patch looked like just a couple weeks ago. I do have a total of 5 growing pumpkins and more buds starting, but I seem to be losing those within a couple days time.


----------



## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Awww, darn... I am so sorry  I'll keep my fingers crossed that they'll take a turn for the better.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)




----------



## DJ Lantz (Apr 2, 2010)

*mantis*

I went outside to rotate one of my pumpkins yesterday afterwork, and got a scare from a nice size praying mantis. It's good to know I have someone keeping an eye on the ol patch when I'm not around.

I've got about 9 pumpkins of decent size growing now. I've had about 10 that I've had to cut loose because they started to fail after about a week or two of growth. A few of the Big Max's are kind of oblong shaped. It will be interesting to see if they are going to be able to stand upright.

I also had a nasty fungus outbreak that seems to be under control now (on the pumpkins that is). I had to try a few different sprays, but I finally found something that worked. 

Anybody else have an update on how their patches are going?


----------



## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

So, no pumpkins here yet. But, I did plant late... It's okay, still fun to check it out every day.


----------



## MichaelMyers1 (Jan 12, 2008)

Terra, I do not have any either, and I too, planted late.-the last week of June I would say. TONS of flowers, but no pumpkins yet. Im going to add some organic plant food to give them a little boost. I would just love at least ONE this year for my front porch


----------



## Deadna (Oct 19, 2002)

CVS has a ceramic pumpkin planter kit that claims will grow in (I think) 60-70 days. It shows a vine growing out of it with mini pumpkins hanging all over. Costs $10


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Ive got 5 total that have already come off the vine and one growing.


----------



## BLAKKHEART (Aug 23, 2004)

They all look great, maybe next year I'll try again.


----------



## ter_ran (Jan 14, 2006)

Nice pumpkins everyone! Very happy to see all the successful patches!


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

go go pumpkins! yay for everyone who grew them successfully! And to those who failed this year lets try again next year! lol. /points at her pumpkin garden and shakes her head 

All my pumpkin growths had been killed then decimated. Theres not a vine or sprout in sight  Pumpkins are really expensive around here unless you want itty bitty ones for three times the price as big ones a few years ago.


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

So how has everyone fared this season? I have cut 5 from the vine and have 5 more still on. They should be ready by the big night.


----------



## DJ Lantz (Apr 2, 2010)

I had around 8 of that them that grew to about 10lbs then failed. They were growing in the grass and I think it was a combination of the moisture and slugs that made them rot out. Next year I will use some slug killer and set them on straw. In all I will probably harvest about 6. The largest looks to be between 20-25lbs. Being my first year, I'm pretty happy with the crop. It was really fun watching them grow. 

Lessons learned.
Space the seeds wider apart. 
Keep the vines off the grass.
Need to find a safe and effective insecticide. Had a major white fly infestation and two containers of lady bugs that I released didn't seem to do a thing.
The leaves had a major fungus infestation that I should have addressed sooner. The anti-fungal spray I eventually used took care of it, but it spread across almost all the leaves before I got to it.


----------



## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

I didn't plant until July 1 but I have 2 pumpkins so far they are looking good  I'm happy. Try to take a pic. tomorrow...


----------



## Endora421 (Mar 31, 2010)

Our pumkpin patch is nothing but vines this year. Sniff.


----------



## MichaelMyers1 (Jan 12, 2008)

mine failed to...didnt plan until the end of June...lots of long vines with blooms but then nothing!


----------



## Baldzillabill (Sep 25, 2009)

I planted 8 plants....just put the young plants in the ground and walked away!! Got these 3 and 2 more still growing.

http://www.halloweenforum.com/membe...-put-them-into-ground-walked-away-no-joke.jpg

http://www.halloweenforum.com/membe...me-pumpkins-2010-picture51297-closer-look.jpg


----------



## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Here's my pride and joy:


----------



## creepingdth (Sep 10, 2009)

here's a pic of my pumpkins. the four big ones i grew, the one by my scarecrows feet, and the little gords in the bird bath. still have four or five more on the vines, hoping they'll keep turning orange, still a little green, or yellow. i had a ton of vines, but only produced these. will be saving the seeds out of those big ones though for next year.


----------



## obsessedjack (Sep 3, 2010)

Wow those big ones look great! Awesome!


----------



## The Red Hallows (Sep 21, 2009)

*I sat here for the past half hour reading every post, and all I can say now is I want a pumpkin patch.

Hearing about fungus, slugs, flies, squirrels, makes me a little nervous. We have a ton of slugs in our yard and squirrels everywhere. 

This is our first Halloween in this neigborhood/house, so we are finding out a lot of things. I thinking I may try this next year.

I love seeing all the pictures and progress reports. *


----------

