# Pumpkin Patch 2015



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

I saw seeds already at one of the local stores. I have to do some major reworking of the patch this year to deter the "pest" problems that erupted on my last season.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yay!! Pumpkin Patch thread! Lol, I have been waiting for someone to start this thread. I am itching to talk pumpkins!

So, I normally grow my JBL's each year, due to not having much sunny space in my yard...mostly shade. I grow them in large containers on my patio and trellised up the side of my garage. (I'm sure you guys have seen my pics from the past couple years) I love my JBL's, and I get great yields, but this year I decided to try something different.

I like to paint some of the pumpkins I grow for taking out to the cemetery for loved ones graves, but JBL's never give me much room for painting and are quite bumpy. (I used to just buy pie pumpkins to paint, but wanted to take my own grown ones out there the past couple years.) So, I was originally going to try a Small Sugar/Pie pumpkin seed this year...though trellising would be a bit more work. I went out of town to a Farm and Fleet and found the Small Sugar seeds I was looking for, but then changed my mind when I found Wee Be Little seeds! I can never find these in my area! I grabbed a couple packets up and decided to go with those. I figured, they are still small enough to be trellised, being between the size of a JBL and a Sugar/Pie, and are rounder and less bumpy...so they will be perfect for painting! Plus, they are a semi-bush type, so the vines won't get all crazy long.

My Mother in Law always takes some of my JBL seedlings and we plant some at her house, too...when she harvests them, she likes to set them along a cement ledge on her garage for decoration. This past couple years, the squirrels in her yard stole every single one of them off the ledge, lol, one by one. She saw them do it a couple times. She is hoping the tiny bit of extra weight of the Wee Be Littles will make it more difficult for the squirrels to pick up and run off with, lol.

I am nervous to try a different type of mini pumpkin...knowing my JBLs always did so very well. I hope these Wee Be Littles will grow just as well. Have any of you ever grown them?? I can't find much info on growing them online, anywhere. From what I have been able to find, it seems they are pretty much just like growing JBL's and such, which is good, because I'm quite good at growing those. Is this true? Does anyone have any different tips for those WBLs specifically? Any info on size, vines, ect? Info on powdery mildew and other pest issues they are more prone to?

I was in heaven when I was at the Farm and Fleet...they had sooooo many different kinds of pumpkin, mini pumpkin and gourd seeds that I never can find in town here...I wanted to buy them all!!! I need a yard with more sunny space, lol.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Shadowbat said:


> I saw seeds already at one of the local stores.


Yeah, we had one that was already sold out of some of the flower seeds Talia wanted so I had to go online. I think part of it is it FEELS like spring here locally, and people might be rushing to buy stuff.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty, 

That's funny I ALMOST bought Wee Be Little's this year, but the mix I found had Baby Wrinkles which are more or less the same thing only more bumpy. 

I don't know a whole lot about them other than size is baseball to softball. The Pumpkemons I planted last year were semi-bush as well, and they were about the size of a big tomato plant. In fact, somewhere I think I saw a pic of Wee Be Littles in a container, with a tomato cage holding them up.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I haven't seen Baby Wrinkles before. I'll have to check those out. 

Yeah, I seen baseball to softball size, as well, from around a half a pound to a pound in weight for the WBLs. From different sites I've looked them up on, it seems the Wee Be Little vines can vary from 6-8 feet in length...still decently long for a semi bush. It would have to be a big tomato cage, lol. I have no clue, though, personally, as to how big they get. I want to say my JBL's would get around 10 feet, give or take.

Maybe I should check out those Pumpkemons, too, sometime, if they are also a semi bush type. They really only got as big as a tomato plant? Hmmm...the tomato plants I've seen people grow around here aren't very big...that would be a small pumpkin plant! How big can tomato plants, get?? Lol.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh, I just looked up the Pumpkemons and, though I didn't know their name, I knew what they were. I love those. I didn't know they were a semi bush type. Good to know, I may try the some year. When I look them up, it just says vining type, not semi bush. Semi bush would be great! I'll have to do more research.

I'd love to find some Baby Bear pumpkin seeds, too, sometime. Those would be perfect!! I have bought them one time at a farm, but haven't seen them since and have never found the seeds for sale around here, either. I want to try those, for sure, sometime.


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

UnOrthodOx said:


> I think part of it is it FEELS like spring here locally, and people might be rushing to buy stuff.



LOL Yeah, not here. It's gonna be a while before it feels like that. Not with a foot of snow outside.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Shadowbat said:


> LOL Yeah, not here. It's gonna be a while before it feels like that. Not with a foot of snow outside.


LOL! Same, here! 15 inches of snow just dumped on us, and they are calling for more tonight and tomorrow...sigh...Spring, and planting season, seems so very far away!


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

Could experienced pumpkin planters recommend their favorite online pumpkin reference sites? 
I'd love to try and find the perfect pumpkin seeds to plant. Looking for the next to impossible. 
2-3 medium to large carving fruit, Bush type with minimal vines creeping, able to produce in a short growing season in a partial shade garden or full sun in a planter.

Yep, our backyard landscaping doesn't lend well to a pumpkin patch.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I have a couple sites I use for planting and growing info, and there is pages with different types on those sites, but I don't think either of them have that specific info you are looking for. I do know that pumpkins need lots of sun...full sun if possible...too much shade won't work, unless there is some rare breed I haven't heard of, and if there was, I'd love to know about it because of all my shade, lol. I grow smaller pumpkins on trellises and in large planters that have a bit shorter of vines because of the whole shade issue. Larger pumpkins, I'm not sure about. I will link the two sites I use and you can peek through them if you'd like. If I come across anything that might help you, in the meantime, I'll post that if I do.

http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/index.html

http://www.pumpkinnook.com/


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh, I forgot I came across this site once...it has a list of pumpin types, sizes, vine types, ect. Maybe this will help you?

http://www.backyardgardener.com/RUPP.HTM

You could choose some off this list that you think might work, then look up each individually to get more specific info on each.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

doto said:


> Could experienced pumpkin planters recommend their favorite online pumpkin reference sites?
> I'd love to try and find the perfect pumpkin seeds to plant. Looking for the next to impossible.
> 2-3 medium to large carving fruit, Bush type with minimal vines creeping, able to produce in a short growing season in a partial shade garden or full sun in a planter.
> 
> Yep, our backyard landscaping doesn't lend well to a pumpkin patch.


I will say I've planted in partial shade and had no problem with any variety of pumpkin, just a little smaller fruit. 

But, your other requirements scream Cheyenne Bush pumpkins, if you can find them. 

Bush type, carving size, good yields, can be potted, only 80-90 days instead of the more typical 120ish on pumpkins.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> I will say I've planted in partial shade and had no problem with any variety of pumpkin, just a little smaller fruit.
> 
> But, your other requirements scream Cheyenne Bush pumpkins, if you can find them.
> 
> Bush type, carving size, good yields, can be potted, only 80-90 days instead of the more typical 120ish on pumpkins.


I have been looking for those Cheyenne Bush seeds, myself!! I wasn't able to find them last year, but haven't looked this year.

I'm sure some shade would be fine...but I was just saying if they have most or all shade, it probably wouldn't work out too well. As long as they get some sunshine to grow and ripen.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

http://www.abcgrow.com/squash/cheyenne-bush

First place I could find that didn't require buying a hundred or more seeds.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> I have been looking for those Cheyenne Bush seeds, myself!! I wasn't able to find them last year, but haven't looked this year.
> 
> I'm sure some shade would be fine...but I was just saying if they have most or all shade, it probably wouldn't work out too well. As long as they get some sunshine to grow and ripen.


I had a volunteer in the sidewalk on a side of my house that never gets water or sun somhow produce a fine sized pumpkin. We would just dump the melted ice from the cooler on it when we went places. After that, I say give it a shot, you just never know. 

I've always wanted to try Cheyenne bush seeds as well, but they are next to impossible to locate. Here I find some but I've already bought seeds for the year...


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## WickedWino (Aug 19, 2012)

I tried growing pumpkins for the first time last year. It was an experiment, because our yard doesn't get a lot of sun. I think I'm going to try trellising this year. WitchyKitty, do you have to net the pumpkin fruit to keep it from falling off? Or if I plant the smaller variety up a wooden trellis will they stay on? The small varieties worked best with the lack of sun in my yard. And I thought trellising might help cut down on the powdery mildew.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> I had a volunteer in the sidewalk on a side of my house that never gets water or sun somhow produce a fine sized pumpkin. We would just dump the melted ice from the cooler on it when we went places. After that, I say give it a shot, you just never know.
> 
> I've always wanted to try Cheyenne bush seeds as well, but they are next to impossible to locate. Here I find some but I've already bought seeds for the year...


Huh, I wonder if I could get a pumpkin to grow in my shadier areas, then? I'll have to ponder that, lol.
I'll have to peek at that link you posted for the Cheyenne Bush seeds...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

WickedWino said:


> I tried growing pumpkins for the first time last year. It was an experiment, because our yard doesn't get a lot of sun. I think I'm going to try trellising this year. WitchyKitty, do you have to net the pumpkin fruit to keep it from falling off? Or if I plant the smaller variety up a wooden trellis will they stay on? The small varieties worked best with the lack of sun in my yard. And I thought trellising might help cut down on the powdery mildew.


I grow the Jack Be Littles on a trellis...the pumpkins are fine hanging and don't need support...but I do have to train and tie up the vines to the wood trellis (and eventually, ropes off the trellis to the garage roof, because they overgrow the trellis quickly, lol.). I use thin soft, strips of that black weed block material and tie up the vines (loosely, not tight, as the vines thicken and could break) as they get taller...I also take the tendrils and help them wrap around the trellis and ropes. I am trying Wee Be littles on the trellis, this year...I should be able to do them the same way. If you choose the next size up, like a small sugar/pie variety, they can be trellised, too. Any bigger of a pumpkin, even a pie/sugar that gets too big, you may need to make soft cloth or net hammocks for each fruit, tied to the trellis. 
I use ropes and a tall, wood trellis that I built. I have seen others use large opening netting and such across poles or wood beams, too, for their pumpkins to grow up. Check out the pics from past PP Threads, you can see some of our set ups, and you can see how I trellised my JBL's up my garage wall. Here are the links to the past two years:
http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/134630-2014-pumpkin-patch-thread.html?highlight=Pumpkin+Patch+Thread
http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/126314-2013-pumpkin-patch-thread.html?highlight=Pumpkin+Patch+Thread

I still got some Powdery Mildew with the trellising, but that's because of my weather and the fact that my trellis is against a wall. If you can make a trellis or netting set up for them to climb up in the middle of an area, rather than up against something, it would give much more air flow.

Here are a couple pics from those two threads, of mine, to show you my wood trellis, my ropes attached since my trellis was way too short, and a close up of some of the garden material strips:





















If you go through the two past threads, you can see many more pics. In the 2013 one, my vines got crazy long and I ended up tying them sideways along the roofline, too, lol, and along the ground of the side of the garage. 2014, as you can see, my vines are neat and orderly, as I nipped the ends when they got to the desired length to stop growing.

Online, I have also seen pumpkin wood trellises that are like a teepee/triangle shape and the vines grow up and around them to the top point. There are many kinds. Here is a link to a search for pumpkin trellises: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrB8p41edJURA8AMhijzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBsZ29xY3ZzBHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEc2xrA2J1dHRvbg--;_ylc=X1MDOTYwNjI4ODMEX3IDMgRiY2sDNTlzaXN2cGFjajRvdSUyNmIlM0Q0JTI2ZCUzREgxUG1uakJwWUVKVDI3T00zOHpFS2E4ekU5cjg2ZVd0TlVaVnZnLS0lMjZzJTNEbDklMjZpJTNEV2dwNGppNzloTG5OSm9aMmtJQVEEZnIDZnB0Yi10eWMEZ3ByaWQDNWRUbmpjbHRRb201cjV4UTNIeVlqQQRtdGVzdGlkA251bGwEbl9zdWdnAzYEb3JpZ2luA2ltYWdlcy5zZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzE1BHF1ZXJ5A3B1bXBraW4gdHJlbGxpcwR0X3N0bXADMTQyMzA3OTc1MwR2dGVzdGlkA0lNR0My?gprid=5dTnjcltQom5r5xQ3HyYjA&pvid=ckUrezY5LjFU8lz.VMmTHg_oMjQuMQAAAACSAtjp&p=pumpkin+trellis&fr=&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&ei=UTF-8&n=60&x=wrt


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> http://www.abcgrow.com/squash/cheyenne-bush
> 
> First place I could find that didn't require buying a hundred or more seeds.


I tried this site...when I clicked on it, it redirected me to a new site and only large quantity orders.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> I tried this site...when I clicked on it, it redirected my to a new site and only large quantity orders.


 

I've got a local nursery, I'll ask if they can get some, be happy to mail them around.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Think I might have found an answer for doto. 

Orange Smoothie variety. http://all-americaselections.org/winners/details.cfm?WinID=397

Widely available (at least online), it's listed as semi-bush or semi-determinate (means only vines in one direction, easy to trellis). 90 days, 5-8 lb fruits put them in the basketball size range which is about perfect for most stencils, or for kids to carve yet should still be small enough to climb a sturdy trellis.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh, those would be good for me, too, as they only need a small area...thanks for letting us know! I'll keep my eyes open for those, too, if I can find an area to plant them.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I don't know if I'm ready for this. I'm still a little bitter about last year, when I didn't end up with a single (home grown) pumpkin thanks to late season vine borers.

Perhaps it's time to start considering the tiller again. I do have two quart ziploc bags full of seeds (two different kinds) that I harvested. I'm supposed to be giving them back to the farmer, since he gave us a good deal (the huge white ones he said are like 50 cents per seed!) but if I just hang on to a few...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

kakugori said:


> I don't know if I'm ready for this. I'm still a little bitter about last year, when I didn't end up with a single (home grown) pumpkin thanks to late season vine borers.
> 
> Perhaps it's time to start considering the tiller again. I do have two quart ziploc bags full of seeds (two different kinds) that I harvested. I'm supposed to be giving them back to the farmer, since he gave us a good deal (the huge white ones he said are like 50 cents per seed!) but if I just hang on to a few...


I say go for it!! Just get yourself a few plants going and see what happens...you never know, the weather could be different, it could be a better year. Many people had a bad season last year all around. Like you said, just do a REALLY good job of cleaning and breaking up the soil before planting. I only do 2-3 plants, myself, so I usually remove some of the old dirt where I plant them and add in a bag of new, fresh dirt.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Vine borers you now know will be a problem. Check locally, they follow very specific emergence schedules, spray the appropriate weeks (for the moths), and it will drastically lower your borer problem. Systemic pesticides from the get go are an option if you're not planning to eat the fruit as well.


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## WickedWino (Aug 19, 2012)

Thanks WitchyKitty! Those pumpkins look great! I'm definitely going to give this a try.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

WickedWino said:


> Thanks WitchyKitty! Those pumpkins look great! I'm definitely going to give this a try.


For me, growing mini pumpkins is soooo worth it, because they yield sooo many fruits when grown properly...and even if the conditions aren't perfect, it's still fairly easy to get a fair amount of them going. If you saw my previous years pics, I tend to get a LOT of JBL's per plant, lol.
Check in on this thread often, especially once growing season starts, and read through the past year threads I posted for ya', to get some awesome growing tips from everyone. Keep us updated on your growing, I, and others, love to see everyone's patches and pumpkins/gourds!!! I can't wait for May!!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> For me, growing mini pumpkins is soooo worth it, because they yield sooo many fruits when grown properly...and even if the conditions aren't perfect, it's still fairly easy to get a fair amount of them going. If you saw my previous years pics, I tend to get a LOT of JBL's per plant, lol.
> Check in on this thread often, especially once growing season starts, and read through the past year threads I posted for ya', to get some awesome growing tips from everyone. Keep us updated on your growing, I, and others, love to see everyone's patches and pumpkins/gourds!!! I can't wait for May!!


I'm going to have to second growing the mini opinion. 

And, coming from a farming background, and being raised that such things were more or less pointless as you don't really make any $ on them, that's saying something. Planted some a few years back on my daughter's whim, and they are just SOOO much FUN. Both how many, and how swiftly they change, it's just a delight to have them constantly growing new little bits of Halloween throughout the year. They seem to grow in pretty diverse conditions easily too. 

My wife is not a Halloween nut, OR a gardener, and even she loves the mini pumpkins.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> I'm going to have to second growing the mini opinion.
> 
> And, coming from a farming background, and being raised that such things were more or less pointless as you don't really make any $ on them, that's saying something. Planted some a few years back on my daughter's whim, and they are just SOOO much FUN. Both how many, and how swiftly they change, it's just a delight to have them constantly growing new little bits of Halloween throughout the year. They seem to grow in pretty diverse conditions easily too.
> 
> My wife is not a Halloween nut, OR a gardener, and even she loves the mini pumpkins.


Yeah, for selling purposes, they wouldn't really earn you much money, lol, but it's just too fun to grow them for yourself!! They have so many uses, too...using as decor for Autumn, Halloween and Thanksgiving, painting and decorating them (you can even carve them), you can cut off the tops, scoop them out and make them into tiny vases for Fall flowers, you can hollow them out and use them as soup or dessert bowls for Fall foods, and many other different uses. IThey even make great little Fall/Halloween gifts to give, whether they are decorated or just plain! They are just so darn cute! Even just the vines, themselves, with the tiny dots of orange pumpkins and huge bright flowers (or white or striped) hanging all over them, are a lovely site in my yard, whether they are in the ground growing up my garage or in a planter, spilling down onto my patio.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

This needs to be closer to the top so we can find it, lol. I can't wait for it to warm up!!! It's so terribly, unseasonably, insanely cold still here, that I worry my growing season will be pushed back...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I had that problem last year-- by the time the soil warmed and dried out enough to get the tiller through, it was a little late for most pumpkins and gourds. The year before was good, though! 
Your pumpkin vines are so pretty! Mine tend to be decently productive, but nowhere near as esthetically pleasing on the vines!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> I had that problem last year-- by the time the soil warmed and dried out enough to get the tiller through, it was a little late for most pumpkins and gourds. The year before was good, though!
> Your pumpkin vines are so pretty! Mine tend to be decently productive, but nowhere near as esthetically pleasing on the vines!


My pumpkin vines? If so, thanks! It takes work to keep the vines all nice and neat...like I said, the year before, they got a little crazy, lol. Since I'm trying a different mini pumpkin this year, I have no idea if I will be able to keep the vines all pretty and neat, or if they, too, will go all over, lol. We shall see. As long as I get pumpkins, I don't mind too much!

Well, that's the other reason I like growing mini pumpkins...they have a shorter maturity/growing time, so if you get a later start, you may still be okay. Starting my seeds in late May, early June yields me JBL's waaay before Halloween...so if I have to start later, I could still make it in time for Halloween. I think I started getting pumpkins in the beginning of July...and they were ripening by late July, early August. They were all harvested by Sept. 1st. I prefer starting around that time, though, because I use my JBL's for Fall decorating, as well, starting the last weekend of August or early September. If I end up planting really late, I'd still have them for Thanksgiving, at least, which I also use them for in my decor, but I'd be bummed to not have them for the Fall.

Illinois is the number one state for growing pumpkins, though, so I would suppose they can handle our weather, just fine, even with a slightly late start...you are just above us, so I'd guess you have to start just a tiny bit after us, maybe?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

The neighbor right next to my planting area was always excited when I started planting my JBL's. She liked to see them. She moved and we have new neighbors...with party type friends and a couple kids...I am nervous for my pumpkins being so close to their yard. As it is, there is a kid in the neighborhood who was getting into them last year...worried I will have more issues this year. I haven't gotten to know these new neighbors too well, yet, because the weather keeps us all inside. Here's to hoping they are nice and all respectful of my yard and the things in it!!!!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Oh, I really hope your neighbors turn out to be good ones! 

Our last frost date is somewhere in the middle to last 1/3 of May. We have fairly heavy soil in our yard area, so it takes a little longer to dry out and warm up, too. That's a positive thing in July, but not as good when you want to plant in spring. 
I need to do inventory on my seeds. I have way too many gourds, and some hold-over pumpkin seeds from prior years. (The germination rate holds pretty well.) Some of them are arguably squash, but that's a fairly arbitrary distinction. 
I can (have been able to so far, anyway) get standard pie pumpkins and some of the tiny ones very cheaply at a local Amish produce auction, so I grow other kinds. I did get one of what my DH calls "gourdkins" in with pie pumpkins-- probably cross-pollinated little wonders that look like pumpkins but have a shell that dries. (I consider it a bonus, as long as I have a few good ones for cooking or baking.)
I fed most of the left-over pumpkins to the chickens after Thanksgiving (they love them!), but I still have 2 pie pumpkins and 3 little flatish ones that are slightly wider and smoother than Jack Be Littles. If anyone is interested in seeds, lmk. I can take a picture so you can see exactly what they look like.
Of course, there's no guarantee they were pollinated by their own type.

Isn't this a beauty? "One Too Many" It's not mine, but I might look for seeds.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Wow, this thread started early and almost died early.  I am going to start thinking about getting some pumpkin seeds for this year. My game plan this year is to keep the little guys in peat pots until after July 4th. Last year I had my first wave of vine borers around the last week of June. And the second wave in mid-August though it was not as devastating since the plants had soooo many secondary vines.

The only thing that I noticed that if a seed takes 120 days to germinate, that 90 will not do the job and the vines die out so there was no great advantage to 140 days.


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

I'm not even thinking about it right now. We just got snow again today. lol


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Not died, probably tilling this week. Starting the tomato seeds indoors too. Still months from pumpkin time though.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I have my seeds, but like Shadowbat, we just had more snow, and the temps are now in the 30's for a high again. I keep thinking about my pumpkins, but it's too soon to plant. We had an unusual warm up the week before, though, and I was able to get my mini pumpkin patch area cleaned up...I guess that's a decent start, lol.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I bought broom corn seeds and organized my pumpkin and gourd seeds. I plan on starting a few herbs next weekend. Most of them are slow-growing, so they should be ok in tiny pots for quite a while.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

I did a three year sentence (school) in Wisconsin, so I feel for you guys up that way. While we still have one day out of ten that is below freezing at night, most of the daytime temps are in the 50's and 60's here in Georgia. Rule of thumb is to plant after Easter around here.

Right now, I am contemplating planting corn around the raised pumpkin bed. I have enough water run off from the bed that it should also water the corn. Actually, I just want the corn stalks for my maze, but sweet corn is a nice plus.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Col. Fryght said:


> I did a three year sentence (school) in Wisconsin, so I feel for you guys up that way. While we still have one day out of ten that is below freezing at night, most of the daytime temps are in the 50's and 60's here in Georgia. Rule of thumb is to plant after Easter around here.
> 
> Right now, I am contemplating planting corn around the raised pumpkin bed. I have enough water run off from the bed that it should also water the corn. Actually, I just want the corn stalks for my maze, but sweet corn is a nice plus.


If the sweet corn don't work out consider silo corn for stalks. I plant both and the silo stalks are just fantastic. 

Tilled in the garden this weekend and trying to start a bunch of seeds I've never tried before. Basil, peppers, etc. they were freebies with my seed order. Usually just buy the plants at the nursery.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

So, peppers and tomatoe packages had like 10 freebies each. The Basil pack had HUNDREDS so I set some aside in a ziploc, and they're sprouting already. Debating whether to transfer those to pots or not just in case.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I usually have to wait until May to start planting...late May for pumpkins. I have a while to go yet...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I plan to start some herbs this week. Some of the tiny, slow-growing seeds can thrive quite a while in those little multi-celled flats. I want dozens of thyme and lavender plants for myself, and my bees 
Pumpkins will have to wait.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> I usually have to wait until May to start planting...late May for pumpkins. I have a while to go yet...


Oh, yeah, I can't plant outside, this is all indoor starting. We have to start tomatoes and peppers early indoors if you're doing seed. I've never had much luck at it, and usually just buy plants, but I have all sorts of equipment scrounged up from the last few years and figured it wouldn't hurt to try the freebies. 

Got some flower seeds I need to start this weekend, then a whole lot of nothing till May. Mother's day is the general rule of thumb around here for planting outside. 

Still, I don't start the pumpkin seeds till the end of may, looking to transplant them last week of may/first week of june.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I would love to start indoors...but with four kitties, it's pretty much impossible!! I could use the garage, but it's not heated, and gets pretty cold in there this time of year, so that wouldn't work either. Depending on weather and temps, I could maybe start in the garage around late April, but I never know, as Illinois weather is all over the place, lol. It was sunny and nearly 80 yesterday (very unusual)...stormy and cool today...cold, rainy and possible snow mixed in tomorrow, lol.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> I would love to start indoors...but with four kitties, it's pretty much impossible!! I could use the garage, but it's not heated, and gets pretty cold in there this time of year, so that wouldn't work either. Depending on weather and temps, I could maybe start in the garage around late April, but I never know, as Illinois weather is all over the place, lol. It was sunny and nearly 80 yesterday (very unusual)...stormy and cool today...cold, rainy and possible snow mixed in tomorrow, lol.


I started with these nanodome doodads. 

http://eastwesthydro.com/grow-light...product-feed&gclid=CO7ZuK6C2MQCFZeCaQodwAoAxw

Our garage is not heated either, and it's normal for us to be freezing still (not this year, apparantly), and had no trouble getting things started in them in the garage, the lights provide heat as well on that, and do a good job. 

My mom gave me a whole system she no longer uses last year, though, and it comes with adjustable lights, special trays, etc all on a cart. THAT has to be inside because the lights give no heat and there is no cover at all.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Ahh, you have heat lamps...if I had those and could use them I could start now...but our garage electrical is wired oddly. The only way we have power to the garage is if we turn on all the outside and garage lights from inside the house, so we wouldn't be able to leave heat lamps on out there without leaving all of the lights on all the time, which we don't want to do. The garage wiring is such a pain, lol, I have no idea what the previous owners were thinking when they did this. We can't even have a garage door opener...we all have to constantly lift our super heavy two car garage door open and closed each day.  We haven't gotten around to fixing it yet.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> ... We can't even have a garage door opener...we all have to constantly lift our super heavy two car garage door open and closed each day.  We haven't gotten around to fixing it yet.


That sounds extra inconvenient when your wrists are bothering you 
We put a geothermal system in the house a few years ago, and boy, did I have a nice fantasy about building a little greenhouse that I could keep above freezing for just the cost of running the fans. That didn't happen, but I can't really complain. I do have a sunroom with some nice windows.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> I have no idea what the previous owners were thinking.


Oh, the number of times I've said that...

I've fixed most the problems, just the total lack of exterior outlets remains a little too far outside my expertise.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> That sounds extra inconvenient when your wrists are bothering you
> We put a geothermal system in the house a few years ago, and boy, did I have a nice fantasy about building a little greenhouse that I could keep above freezing for just the cost of running the fans. That didn't happen, but I can't really complain. I do have a sunroom with some nice windows.


Omgoodness...it's SOOO hard to open and close that door! It hurts terribly and is probably one of many reasons I have these wrist issues. I certainly doesn't help! I try to use my left hand to open it, but it is a bit heavy for one hand, lol, and I just end up pulling a muscle or bothering my left wrist. I have someone else open it for me when I can, but I go to work before everyone wakes up, so I'm on my own.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Oh, the number of times I've said that...
> 
> I've fixed most the problems, just the total lack of exterior outlets remains a little too far outside my expertise.


Lol, we had to do that, too...we had no outdoor electrical outlets. We had to put one in up on the front of the house so we could plug in holiday lights and use garden tools and such up front. What a pain!


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

Wow, this thread started early this year. I tilled up my garden last week and will be doing some planting today. I will wait a little while before planting my pumpkins though. The temps this week are expected to hit mostly in the mid to upper 80's with Thursday's high being 90. The past two years have been a disaster with fungus as far as my pumpkins go. I think I am right on the limit as far as too much shade but I have to work with what I got. I'm going to be more vigilant about checking up on and applying fungicide this year. 

The garden is behind my detached garage and butts up to my alley which has woods behind it. The garden only gets late morning to early afternoon sun. There is a light fixture on my shop above the garden that hasn't worked since I've moved in. I'm thinking about replacing it with some type of grow light setup to supplement some light during the late evening hours but don't know if that is feasible in cost or effectiveness. The light fixture is on the eave of my shop and might be too high to be of any use. It's hard finding information about using grow lights outside.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

UnOrthodOx said:


> So, peppers and tomatoe packages had like 10 freebies each. The Basil pack had HUNDREDS so I set some aside in a ziploc, and they're sprouting already. Debating whether to transfer those to pots or not just in case.


Basil is definitely up and thriving. Gonna have LOTS of it this year. The tomatoes and peppers look to be sprouting as well, the only thing I'm a little unsure of is the snapdragons. 

Trying to start some for my daughter, but nothing yet. 

Time to start assorted flowers this weekend, just 4 weeks to outdoor planting here, unless the weather decides it's gonna finally get cold (hasn't been all winter).

Starting to fret just a bit, I always fertilize the garden with some turkey manure, but haven't seen it at the farm supply yet this year. 

We've decided to go full on native 3 sister mounds this year, and wanted a bag for each mound.


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

Yes, almost pumpkin time!

I kept a lot of the seeds we got from our carving pumpkins last year. I dried them and have them ready to plant sooner than later. I am going to try starting indoors this year to get a jump start. The weather here just doesn't cooperate until late May or June. I will be expanding my garden to the entire length of my deck this year which will be about 3x the size it was last year. I should have 10-12 plants going this year.

This will be my 4th attempt at pumpkins and I'll be happy if I get enough for us to carve. But ideally I'd like to have enough for decorating the front of the house as well. Super goal is 15 pumpkins!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Another MNer, eh? 
They're saying we might get more snow tonight. It might be a little nicer by Sat. but they're still putting projected lows down around freezing.


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## killerhaunts (Jan 6, 2010)

So glad to find this thread already started. I learned my lesson from previous years. Here in Northern Nevada transplanting and even starting indoors usually doesn't do well for me. I have, though it's really hard, be patient and seed everything directly into my planting containers at the beginning of May. I really hope to have tons of JBL this year. I would love to grow enough for the entire first grade this year , and not only my daughter's class. We did give the remaining JBL away outside of our haunted house during the Kid's Night. They grabbed those up faster than the candy!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Good luck with your JBLs, killerhaunts! They are easy to get lots and lots of them per plant, as long as you grow them in good soil and give them the nutrients they need. (I also help out the bees and hand germinate in the early AM each morning, so I make extra sure as many as possible make it!) I normally grow JBLs, but decided to try another mini variety this year...Wee Be Little. Same size roughly as a JBL, but a little more round and smoother rather than bumpy and flatter. I always get such a great yield from my JBLs, so I am nervous to try something different and not get as many. Here's to hoping I get a similar amount of them!

I am still having to wait to plant, but I just went outside today and re-stained/re-treated the wooden trellis that I grow them up. Next week, I will probably go out and start getting the supplies I need, like some organic soil with nutrients. I'll get my Spring flowers planted and I may finally start some Sage seeds, too. In about a month, I'll start germinating my pumpkin seeds indoors before I get ready to plant outdoors. I germinate them in a plastic baggie with moisture, heat and a dark space, so I can weed out any dud seeds before planting. My seeds will go both in ground and in large containers...then some will be put in small pots to give away as seedlings to relatives, as usual. My little seedling pots are never inside, they are always outside, or in the garage window overnight, so they never go into shock from being moved from indoors to outdoors. I have never had any issues transplanting with JBLs...but we will see how the WBLs do.

Today would have been a lovely day to start planting my flowers and herbs...but my mom is borrowing my car because hers has been in the shop for over two weeks now. (Grrrrr). I hate being trapped at home and want desperately to hit the garden centers now that our weather is finally getting nicer.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

It's getting closer to time!! Some of you in warmer areas than me may have even already started. Is anyone planting or germinating pumpkin/gourd seeds, yet?? We've been chatting about pumpkins in other threads lately, so I figured I'd get this thread back to the top so we can talk some more here!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

I'll be starting pumpkins May 17 inside, for planting outside June 1 ish. 

This weekend is soil prep, got a big load of compost to go pick up and spread around everywhere. Be starting some corn soon. Special variety, survives a frost fine.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yeah, I just bought my organic compost soil to add to the patch, as well. I'll wait a bit to add it in, yet, though. I'll probably start germinating my seeds indoors just a little after you, maybe the last week in May, depending on the weather outside. Hoping to plant my germinated seeds outside around June 1st as well. I'd love to grow corn for the stalks, but I have nowhere to put something that tall at the moment. I wanted to dig up some of my sunny yard to make a garden area, but my darned wrist pain has put that on hold.


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

If it's not raining tomorrow I will be planting. There's an 80% chance though.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I can't wait to start seeing everyone's pumpkin/gourd plants!!


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

matthewthemanparker said:


> If it's not raining tomorrow I will be planting. There's an 80% chance though.


Glad to see you going back at it. Any changes from last year's attempt? I am thinking about planting later and avoiding that first wave of vine borers that hit me last year.


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

We just had snow again yesterday, so needless to say, I'll be sticking with my usual first week of June planting. lol


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

Col. Fryght said:


> Glad to see you going back at it. Any changes from last year's attempt? I am thinking about planting later and avoiding that first wave of vine borers that hit me last year.



I think I just need to keep on top of the fungus. By the time I reacted last year it was too late. I already have the fungicide leftover from last year so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. 

I did not make it out today. There's always next Saturday.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Col. Fryght said:


> Glad to see you going back at it. Any changes from last year's attempt? I am thinking about planting later and avoiding that first wave of vine borers that hit me last year.


Check with the local nurseries. Vine borers follow VERY SPECIFIC dates depending on your area. Just spray the week or two they are in flight and you should be good.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

For those with squash bug issues...I have been reading that planting Dill and Nasturtiums can help deter them...though Dill needs to stay away from tomatoes, if you have any. Also marigolds help with bugs, but many of us already know that. The Dill and Nasturtiums are a specific squash bug deterrent. Again, I haven't tried this yet...I just read about it and thought I'd share. 

I am going to be making a small veggie/pumpkin garden here shortly...anyone have any specific knowledge of things that should not be planted near pumpkins?? I have always planted them alone...but with my new little garden getting built, I need to figure this all out. There will be a small separation between the beds (It's a "U" shaped garden, pumpkins on one side, veggies/herbs in middle and on the other side.) I know that you wouldn't want to plant other pumpkins/squash near them if you want seeds and worry about cross pollination...and I have also read to keep them away for potatoes. Any other things that you know should stay away from them?


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

I've done the nasturtiums before and didn't notice a whole lot of difference, but that might have been a lack of adequate numbers. 

As for avoiding with pumpkins? I've planted them next to a salsa garden just fine (tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, etc). I've read sage is to be avoided, but don't know why. Basil and cilantro are general pest control herbs and thus helpful. 


Got my load of compost over the weekend, but didn't have the weather to spread it very far. Got two of the flower beds and fertilized the lawn before the rain set in. 

Also trying some new beneficial bug promoter product this year, we'll see.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks. I was planning tomatoes and hot peppers for two things, so those should be okay, then. I'm growing a little Sage, but I'll keep that further away, then. I am thinking carrots and cucumbers, too...they seem to be okay with pumpkins, too...but each have to be in a certain order away from each other, lol. It will be interesting.

I see Dill pop up more for Squash Bug deterrent than the Nasturtiums, so maybe it would work better?


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

cucumbers can cross pollinate with mini pumpkins (well, any of the pepo species pumpkins, which are all minis and a few bigger ones), I believe, but if you're not saving seeds that's no worry. Never heard of problems with carrots. I seem to recall the potatoes thing was to help slow the spread of powdery mildew. I know we kept them well away on the farm growing up.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yeah, I'm not worried about saving the seeds...there are too many other people growing things near me, cross pollination is already a possibility, so I figured cucumbers would be okay for the same year crop. We have to build the area, first, then I will see what I can fit where. We are making a nice, small fenced in garden bed...if all goes as we want it to, lol.

We just dug up an old metal pipe that was held into the ground with a massive chunk of cement...guessing it was for a basketball hoop at one point. This was taking up some of my limited sunny yard space, so removing it gave me an area to play with for a garden. It won't be huge, but it will work for a small amount of some things I've been wanting to grow. I am hoping the one side of it will be enough room for a mini pumpkin plant...if not, I guess I will have pumpkin vines all over the yard this year, lol!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

In my personal experience, and from what I know of the way pests, diseases, and pollens spread-- If they're in a normal yard or garden they'll manage to cross-contaminate and or cross pollinate no matter what you do. Careful planting might help a bit with pests that can't fly, or pathogens that are only soil borne, but with most, not so much.
If you have 5-spotted hawkmoths, they tend to find your tomatoes whether you have dill nearby or not.
Bees can forage 4 miles from their hive so some amount of cross-pollination of pumpkins and gourds that are planted a mere 100 feet apart is probably still going to happen. 
Several different fungal species can cause powdery mildew, and there are alternate sexual/asexual generations. They get spread by vectors like aphids and leafhoppers, but also by wind, which means anywhere the wind blows across one affected plant and then across your plants- they're vulnerable. 
Your best bet is to work on the things you truly _can_ control in order to keep your plants as healthy as possible. They they'll be better able to resist diseases, and even some pest infestations.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh, I know all about powdery mildew, lol. My pumpkins get that every year. I have natural ways of keeping it under control, though, and my pumpkins do just fine. 
Yeah, I also know how far cross pollination can spread, which is why I said I don't bother saving seeds, as I have several people on my street and in my neighborhood that also grow pumpkins, gourds, squash and many other assorted veggies and fruits. If I tried planting my own saved seeds...who knows what I'd get when they grew, hahaha! 
(Though, if I had the room, my curiosity might have me plant some just to see how they'd turn out!  )

My main reason for asking about what plants to not grow near pumpkins wasn't so much about bugs or disease, but that some plants themselves can actually have an affect on each other. Some plants take up too much of certain nutrients that others need, some plants actually have toxins (to other plants) that release from their roots and can hurt or kill other certain plants, some plants can change the taste of the fruit of other plants, some can stunt the growth of fruit of other plants...and so on.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

> If I tried planting my own saved seeds...who knows what I'd get when they grew, hahaha!
> (Though, if I had the room, my curiosity might have me plant some just to see how they'd turn out! )


I must admit, I'm looking forward to seeing what my mystery seeds turn into this year. Always save a couple just to see. I keep that plant labeled and save seeds off it for next year. Started off with green minis, last year they were odd shaped pinkish things the size of sugar pumpkins but really flat shaped, who knows what they will be this year?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> I must admit, I'm looking forward to seeing what my mystery seeds turn into this year. Always save a couple just to see. I keep that plant labeled and save seeds off it for next year. Started off with green minis, last year they were odd shaped pinkish things the size of sugar pumpkins but really flat shaped, who knows what they will be this year?


I will live vicariously through seeing your odd mystery pumpkins, then, lol.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I posted this in the "Spring has sprung" thread, but I should post it here, too, since it's partially for my small/mini pumpkins:

We finally got the veggie garden enclosure done!! I still have to get better pavers for the inside walkway (there are just old broken ones in there for now) and make myself a garden sign, a scarecrow and a few more things to pretty it up, but you can get the idea! I have my cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, half of the carrots (I'll do the other half in a couple weeks so I get two batches) and sage started inside it. May add some solar lights, too. Oh, and my lavender is already planted along the front of it. I won't have a ton of each veggie, since I only have so much room and some of them get big, but I am hoping what I do have will fill it nicely. The pumpkins will be planted at the end of the month...they get the whole right side of the garden, lol. Plus, I'll still have some pumpkins in a planter on the patio and, possibly, trellised up my garage like usual. Here's to hoping things grow! 

(I realized it will be so much easier to add a sunshade to this garden fence if the pumpkins need it...I can just run it right across.)















Is it odd that I am excited to build a scarecrow for it, lol.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Okay...I can't make up my mind. As you guys know, I usually grow mini varieties of pumpkin due to sunny space. The last couple of years, I have grown JBL's up my garage and in large planters on the patio. This year, I bought the Wee be Little seeds, instead, which is also a mini. Now, here is what I am trying to decide:

Do I stick with all mini pumpkins (WBLs) and grow them up the garage, in the planter AND in my new garden spot...or, do I put the minis up the garage and in the planter, as usual, but put something like a pie/sugar pumpkin in the new garden space? 

I have been wanting to try something of a real pumpkin, rather than just minis. Can't fit a large pumpkin in the new garden, not enough room...but would a pie/sugar fit in there, you think? I have read that they have somewhat shorter vine lengths similar to JBLs and WBLs. I still can't find any Cheyenne Bush pumpkins, so I am trying to find a semi bush type, shorter vine type or such to try and fit in there in the small pumpkin size range. Do any of you personally, for experience, know about how big pie/sugar/early pie pumpkin vines can get compared to minis?? 

Like I said in the post with the garden pics, a single pumpkin plant will get the whole right side of the "U" shape. It's about 8 feet long and a little over 3 feet wide...plus the vines can climb up the posts and fencing all around if they must, lol.

(I ask about pie/sugar pumpkins specifically, because that's what I can buy around here in that size range...anything else and I'd have to order.)


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

I plant sugars every year as I like to have some 'little' pumpkins for wee ones to make into jacks. 

I would say they tend to get a bit longer than a JBL, but you can grow them in the same space if you just weave that vine back down.

The one thing you'll want to pay attention to in your garden area is they tend to make a secondary vine much more prolificly than JBL's do, so you'll want to trellis that as well. 

I've also found that various brands of "Sugar" variety don't all act the same, and think there is a little more crossbreeding into the species and everyone just uses Sugar/pie as a name for a smallish pumpkin rather than a specific variety registered by a breeder like other varieties we've come to know (conneticut field, ole zebs, etc)

If you want something just a shade bigger that will trellis, you might try internet surfing for "chucky" variety seeds. They tend just a bit bigger fruit size than sugar, but have a sturdy handle so can manage the trellising, and generally 3-5 fruits per vine.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Okay. Hmmm...do I want to try to fit a slightly bigger vine in there, then? Decisions, decisions. I am running out of time to decide, lol. 

I searched for the "Chucky pumpkins" and found two places that sell them. Have you, or anyone, ever grown a "Spookie" pumpkin? They are another type of pie hybrid that I wondered if would work or not...I wish sites would give a little more info on vine lengths, lol. I also keep reading about "Bushkin", "Sugar Treat" and "Spirit" that are supposed to be bush/semi bush types with shorter vines...any thoughts on those?

I was hoping to not have to order anything, as pumpkin planting season is growing close and I wasn't wanting to spend too much on just a small amount of seeds...ordering a packet of seeds would cost shipping, too. I have a feeling I will just end up having to stick with my minis, or pick up a pack of regular pies/sugars in a local store...at least this year, anyway...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Spookie says it's a cross between sugar and Jack O Lantern. Jack O Lantern is a HUGE vine meant for commercial production. I'd say pass on that one. 

I tried Spirit before, but didn't trellis them. They had smallish stems, don't know if they would hold up to that. 

No personal experience with the rest. 

Bushkins seem to be like cheyenne bush pumpkins. Everyone says how great they are but where are the seeds?

Rupp (seed developer) says Sugar treat is smaller than the classic Sugar pumpkin. Both vine and fruit. 

Rupp also says Spookie maintains the sugar pumpkin vine size, but fruit comes in smaller than classic sugars. 


Looking over Rupp's seeds, Jack of All Trades would be the variety to seek out from them, I think.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yeah, that's why I was wondering about the Spookies...being as they seem like a sturdier pie pumpkin because of the cross breed, but still maintain the small size and shorter vine length. Bushkin and Cheyenne seem like they'd both be awesome for a small area...but both are quite elusive seeds, lol. I'll go peek at the JOATs ones real quick, though.

I will just have to look around a bit. If I can't find something else quickly, for cheap, I'll just stick with what I've got or pick up a cheap pack of sugars. All of this info is good, though, for future years if I come across them.

Edit: I looked up the Jack of all Trades...they look like an awesome pumpkin, but may be a little too big for my garden area. They are a medium type. I was thinking a small type would be better...especially if they need to climb a bit on my fencing.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Rats! Went to my local greenhouse today- and they had NO pumpkin seedlings. Grrrrrr! 

They had squash, cukes and zukes, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and a zillion types of peppers... but no pumpkins or melons. How can this be?!

Too late to plant seeds, I guess.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Where do you live, boo who? It's not too late to plant seeds in many places. Many of us don't plant until end of May/beginning of June. It has to be very warm for pumpkins. I pre-germinate indoors the last week in May, then plant in ground when they have germinated about a week later. (I do the plastic baggie/damp paper towel/warm, dark place method)

I don't think I've ever seen pumpkin seedlings to buy...I always do seeds.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

I am in SW PA. I just planted all my flowers and veggies today. The local greenhouse only charges $1.89 for 6 plants- so at that price, it's easier just to buy the seedlings. But I guess I can try planting from seed. What type would you recommend? Are there hardy fast starters?


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

boo who? said:


> Rats! Went to my local greenhouse today- and they had NO pumpkin seedlings. Grrrrrr!
> 
> They had squash, cukes and zukes, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and a zillion types of peppers... but no pumpkins or melons. How can this be?!
> 
> Too late to plant seeds, I guess.


It is sooo not to late. A lot of smaller 10-20lb varieties mature in 90 days and even those larger varieties that take 120 days still would put you about early September. I am waiting until May 15.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

boo who? said:


> I am in SW PA. I just planted all my flowers and veggies today. The local greenhouse only charges $1.89 for 6 plants- so at that price, it's easier just to buy the seedlings. But I guess I can try planting from seed.


I just planted my veggies and flowers, too, but it's still too early to plant pumpkins. I am in zone 5. It depends on your zone and how long your growing season is. It says that if you are in a cooler area, to start in late May, and if you are in a warmer area you can start as late as July, depending on when you want your pumpkins (early fall or right before Halloween). If I start my pumpkins too early, then I get them ripening too early, or they don't germinate or grow because it's still too cold. You usually get about 10 to 25 pumpkin seeds in a packet, depending on variety, for about the same price or a tiny bit more than your six pack of seedlings.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

OK- Thanks guys! Looks like I'll try my hand at the seeds. Maybe some Jack-B-Littles and a larger variety.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

boo who? said:


> I am in SW PA. I just planted all my flowers and veggies today. The local greenhouse only charges $1.89 for 6 plants- so at that price, it's easier just to buy the seedlings. But I guess I can try planting from seed. What type would you recommend? Are there hardy fast starters?


I don't know what the last frost date is where you are, but pay close attention to that. 

Pumpkins HATE the cold starting out. 

I regularly plant in early June and still get pumpkins, so we got time, be patient. 

Variety you want to plant is pretty dependent on what you want. 

If you're wanting a good jack o lantern type, and you have the room, Conneticut field and Howden varieties are the tried and true pumpkin for commercial farmers. Full grown the plant can be 20+ feet long, though. Fruits vary in size and shape. 

If you want a BIG showy pumpkin, Porcelain Dolls are nice, pinkish, and Atlantic Giants are the ones most giant pumpkin contest winners use (though yours wont get THAT big unless you really try, ask if you want advice for that). 

Basketball size pumpkins can be had on smaller vines if space is a concern. Old Zebs, Neon, and Racer are varieties I've grown with good success. I like the Old Zebs and Neon best as they start out orange, so it's easy to see little pumpkins when they set and start growing. 

Mini pumpkins are always fun if you just want a bit of something for around the house. Jack be Little is a tried and true beginner variety there. 


My advice on starting pumpkins (really need to do a tutorial):

Put the seeds in a ziploc with a damp-wet paper towel. And leave them somewhere warm. (at least 60 degrees, but 70 is better) Some say it should be warm and dark, The dark is to prevent mildew from growing, I've never had a problem with the seeds sprouting before the mildew starts, and just leave them where I can see them every day. 










In a few days they will sprout.










It's important to get them into a pot quickly after they sprout. Seed starting soil or potting soil can both work, though everyone tells me the seed starter is "better". I do believe in peat pots myself, but plastic or newspaper pots work just fine. Pumpkins don't care much. 

That's the root coming out, so point it down as you plant into the pots. In a day or two, they will emerge. 










I like to wait till they get a third leaf before I transplant. With peat pots, all I have to do is poke a few holes around the pot just to make it easier for the roots to get out and put it in a hole. 

All that said, as many volunteers as I get each year, even after tilling a few times, just tossing some seeds in a hole in your garden is probably fairly likely to get you a pupmkin plant.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

One more note, if you like to have variety on display, I suggest growing white or odd shaped varieties, then buying regulars. Seeds pretty much cost the same either way, but trying to buy unusual fruits gets pricey.


I've had good luck with Lumina (white) pumpkins. 

A lot of the french varieties like cooler evenings when they are flowering (generally flat and ribbed, Cinderella, Musquee de provence) for fruits to set so if your summer nights don't regularly dip to the low 60s, you might not see many pumpkins. If you have warm nights, I had decent luck planting these intermixed with larger vined pumpkins. The bigger pumpkins shaded the french types.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks much! I don't know if my schedule permits much beyond putting seeds straight int the ground. That's why I only plant seedlings. I am often away for 2-4 days at a time with no way to monitor sprouting seeds or change standing water. But maybe I can at least get them to the sprouting stage before planting them.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I do the paper towel/baggie method, too, and get sprouts in just a couple days! I dampen a paper towel (not soggy, just damp) and fold it a bit. I set my pumpkin seeds on one side of the towel and then fold the towel over them to make a nice pumpkin seed and paper towel sandwich, lol. Pat down gently to make sure the seeds have full contact with the damp towel. I place in a plastic ziplock and leave the end partially open to keep a little airflow going. I then set my baggie on top of the tv cable box inside of my tv stand and close the door to it, which sounds odd, lol, but it's warm on top of it and dark in there, so it's perfect. I get seriously fast germination doing this. (Some people use their hot water heater to set their baggie on top of, too...or anything that gets and stays slightly warm...but not hot!)
I just used this method on my cucumber seeds and they sprouted in a day and a half!! 

It's also good to germinate this way, so you can see if any of the seeds are duds and only plant the ones that sprouted! Much easier than tossing seeds in the ground and waiting a week or two to see if they sprout or not...then having to try again if they didn't, which wastes precious time.

One other thing people have done to get them sprouting earlier, is to gently file around the edges of the seeds...just lightly, not all the way through...to help make it easier for the sprout to break the seed open. I did this one year, but didn't the next. It's fine either way. Just a thought to help you out if you are in a rush to get them to germinate indoors fast!

If you really don't have a couple days to try germinating indoors, putting them straight into the ground is fine. Just make sure your days are consistently warm enough, frost is, for sure, over and they get moisture. Warmth and moisture is key to getting them to germinate and sprout. I would put a few seeds per planting hill...that way, there is a higher chance of getting a sprout in each hill. If more than one sprouts, just pinch off the weaker ones and keep the one stronger one per area. (Don't pull the extra weaklings out, as the roots could be entangled and you'd hurt your good seedling!)


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Anyone know anything about Triple Treat?? I came across some of these seeds today, as well as Spookie and Small Sugar. The packages say the TT is bigger than a Sugar and Smaller than a Spookie...but all three are close in size. I am wondering how big the TT vines get. Some sites say it's a larger vine, while others say only 6-8 feet. I picked them up because I liked the fruit size...but now I worry maybe I should've gone with a Sugar or Spookie for vine size...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Always thought triple treats were more basketball size by the picture on the packages I've seen. 

Never bought, though. Pie pumpkins (which these were bred to be pie/jack/seed) tend to be difficult to clean, so thinking of these for cleaning 100 of them was not in the cards.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

It says Triple Treats are 6 to 8 lbs or so. I guess we will find out if I decide to get them, lol. If they end up being monster vines, I guess I could just nip the ends like I have my JBLs once they set enough fruit...or let the vines run all over the fence, lol.

...unless I change my mind again and pick something else, lol.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Oh, I trust the package if it says that, but the picture I've seen on the package is of what appears to be a normal sized jack o lantern. Lots of tricks they can do to make a smaller one look big. I just always thought they were bigger, thus didn't want to clean a ton of them. As a sugar pumpkin replacement, I'll probably look at them next year, depending on how yours do if you get them.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Good point about growing the fancy varieties and just buying the plain ones. We have been able to buy large lots of pie pumpkins for 25 to 50 cents each from an Amish produce auction. Big lumpy pumpkins can go for 20 bucks each, so I grow the unusual varieties.

There are lots of ways to be successful starting pumpkins, and since it's a hobby rather than a struggle for survival, the way you have the most fun with it is the right way. For me, the most fun way is the easy way. I'd like to plant some seeds in the ground, but the continuing cold rainy weather pushed me to put them in pots instead.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Oh, I trust the package if it says that, but the picture I've seen on the package is of what appears to be a normal sized jack o lantern. Lots of tricks they can do to make a smaller one look big. I just always thought they were bigger, thus didn't want to clean a ton of them. As a sugar pumpkin replacement, I'll probably look at them next year, depending on how yours do if you get them.


It's so hard to say, because my seed package says one thing...but other internet sites and seed places say other things about their size, lol. The picture is a pumpkin sitting next to a pumpkin pie...pumpkin pies are usually 8" in diameter...and they look pretty darn close in diameter, so I am thinking they could be about 8" or so. Some sites say about 8", others say about 9". I read one person grew them, but the pumpkin didn't get as big as her package had said...but we all know that could just be her growing conditions and such. I will try my hand at getting them to grow and will let you know, for sure, how big they get and how easily carvable/cleanable they are...if they grow, lol.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> Good point about growing the fancy varieties and just buying the plain ones. We have been able to buy large lots of pie pumpkins for 25 to 50 cents each from an Amish produce auction. Big lumpy pumpkins can go for 20 bucks each, so I grow the unusual varieties.
> 
> There are lots of ways to be successful starting pumpkins, and since it's a hobby rather than a struggle for survival, the way you have the most fun with it is the right way. For me, the most fun way is the easy way. I'd like to plant some seeds in the ground, but the continuing cold rainy weather pushed me to put them in pots instead.


You are lucky to be able to buy pie pumpkins for so cheap! We are literally surrounded by tons of pumpkins patches and farms where I live (Illinois being the #1 Pumpkin state and all)...yet they still charge $1 or even up to $2 for each pie pumpkin...they are usually $2 now!! They used to be a little cheaper, but it's crazy high, now. I can occasionally find tiny ones at Walmart for $.75, but anywhere else, for nice ones, costs closer to $2.

Yeah, pumpkins are a hobby for me, not a livelihood or anything, but I still go a bit crazy making sure I get them as healthy and plentiful as possible, lol. I'm out there every morning at sunup, hand pollinating away with the bees, lol.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Okay, alright... I've been clearing grass for the pumpkin patch. I kind of can't believe I'm doing this again, but the lure of giant pumpkins has me in its sway. Advance knowledge is power, right? I prepare for war against the bugs.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

You are more prepared, now...this should be a better year for you!!

I read something...I don't remember where...but I thought it said something about putting aluminum foil around the base of your pumpkin plants to act like a mirror and confuse adult vine borers from laying their eggs there which, in turn, means no eggs hatching and no borers crawling into your vine bases. Lol, I have NO idea if this works or not, or if it's safe, but I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if any of you had ever heard that, too. 

I am just itching to start my pumpkin seeds!! We have a slight cool front coming in early this coming week, and it won't start to warm back up until late week, so I have no choice but to keep waiting like normal.


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

I honestly don't think I will be doing a full patch this year. Last years fiasco with pests and critters really dampened my spirit, also, my time to dedicate this year isn't as it was in years past. Too many time consuming activities going on. I may just plant a couple and see what happens.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Need to get out with the camera. 

First bunch of corn starting to come up, and we're actually getting corn volunteers this year (will be disposed of, just a first). Must be leftovers from whoever was eating it last year. 

LOADS of pumpkins sprouting everywhere, cant till them in fast enough. 

Rain all weekend puts me behind schedule on getting stuff done, we're in the general safe planting zone now, after mothersday, and I have a load of flowers to plant. 

This weekend's supposed to see rain as well, but I gotta get moving and go to the nursery despite the weather. Talia will pick any remaining flowers to put in the flower beds, and I'll get the salsa garden stuff. 

Thinking I'm going to start pumpkins next week. Though I usually wait another couple weeks on those, I want them well established before we head out on vacation in early June. With the volunteers telling me the soil temp is ready for pumpkins, and the forecast lacking frost, I'm thinking I'll risk it.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yeah, same here. I will start the pumpkin seeds pregerminating in doors next week and get them in the ground once they are ready, as we are going on vacation in early June, as well. Hopefully, my mom will be able to handle watering and keeping an eye on them while we are gone a few days or so, lol. All my other veggies and herbs are doing well, and seeds are sprouting, so I am sure the pumpkins will be okay to go outside in a week or so.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

We're heading out in early June, too, and I have a load of yard work to get done before then! I've got a bunch of gourds and pumpkins germinating (or so I hope!) in coir pots. They'll go out as soon as they're up, and the soil stops being mud.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I've got my pumpkin seeds started in their ziplocs, plus a few kabocha seeds for eating. In between thunderstorms I have cleared out a 25'x5' length of all its grass (by hand, with pitchfork, hear me roar, twice as wide as what I dug up last year, etc). Went out looking for row covers today, none to be had anywhere so I'll have to order online - but I did get a pair of near-dead-looking pink blueberry plants for $5. Also added to my anti-bug arsenal, and picked up some more landscaper's fabric - I ran out with about 1/4 of the space left. Considering getting some corn, maybe a dark field corn, to grow stalks for props.


Also: my adorable outdoor pest/friend, the black cat Bats, has adopted the rolled-up garden hose for his nap spot. Sorry, bud, that's not going to be there for much longer!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

kakugori said:


> Considering getting some corn, maybe a dark field corn, to grow stalks for props.


For stalks, it's hard to beat Goliath Silo Corn. 

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=goliath silo corn


Mine's never quite got to the 15' they claim (mostly because I purposely plant it late in june to avoid cross-pollination with my sweet corn), but 10-12' easy.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I have no idea when I will be able to get my pumpkins started. The temps are finally going back up today, but will drop, yet again, next week into the 60's. The temps just keep going up and down...very little sunshine and lots of rain. If I were just planting my minis, I wouldn't worry as much, as they can be started a little later and I'd still be fine. However, I am trying those Triple Treats and worry if I end up having to start them too late, they won't ripen by the time I need them. I have a feeling this won't be a good year for pumpkins for me, if things keep going like they have with the weather...


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

I planted my seeds last Saturday and they sprouted this Friday. Let's see how long I can keep them alive this year.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Okay...started indoor germination on my pumpkin seeds. Hopefully, by the time they start to sprout roots, the constant rain will be over (or, at least, lessened) and also the small chilly snap we are supposed to have Tuesday and Wednesday will be over. I'm still nervous to be planting my first real pumpkins. I am only used to growing JBL's (minis).
I have plenty of seeds left in case this first try should go awry due to the weird weather, lol.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

which did you decide on?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I decided to stick with the Triple Treats. The size looked like a good, small size to start with. No one knows much about them, so it will be a surprise for us all as to how they turn out, lol. I just worry because I am pretty sure I only have room in my enclosed garden for one, single plant. If that single plant dies for some reason, I won't have a backup. I'd put two in, one on each side, but I worry if they end up having huge, super long vines it will be a pumpkin vine takeover!! I just don't know...risk one and possibly having none if something happens to it...or risk two and possibly have a big ol' mess of vines??? 

(Also doing the Wee Be Littles, like I said before. These are new to me, too, as you know I usually do the JBL's.)


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Our mix for the year:










Baby Wrinkles is a pie class pumpkin, only 'wrinkly'. 

Our mini mix pack I bought, I THOUGHT was JBL and baby boo, but the package says it's WBL too. 

Mystery 1 is the seeds I've been saving for several years now. First year green and yellow minis, second year cinderella shape, pie size, and pink/brown while growing to nice orange ripe. Who knows what we'll get this. 

Hijinks is one of them in between pie and basketball sized ones that's resistant to mildew. We'll see how it does. Hoping it is a bit prickly to protect the corn. 

Birdhouse gourds just for fun. 

Mystery 2...

I found this packet with the flower seeds we saved this year... 

Thing is, I didn't save any large class pumpkin seeds this year. Two YEARS AGO, I bought a wolf pumpkin at the store and saved seeds, but my boy told me he thought he threw them out while cleaning when time come for planting last year. My best guess is they are these missing seeds. It's the only thing that size I've ever saved. If they sprout up good, I might decide to use them to protect my corn and trellis the hijinks. If Wolf crossed with something should still be large field class.


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## craftygirl (Jun 4, 2012)

After last years disaster I was going to give up planting pumpkins but I take my mom to the nursery alot and couldn't resist. I found a wee be little and a hooligan both mini pumpkins I've never seen before. I also got one white pumpkin plant and some seeds, not sure where to put everything but the seeds are just barely sprouting so i have some time.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Wrong season for pumpkins in Florida :/


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Hmmmm, that Hijinks one sounds interesting. Smaller size and mildew resistant? I may have to look into those for next year...

It looks like several of us are going to have Wee Be Little plants this year!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I have some slower-to-mature gourds started in choir pots (long-handled dipper, basketball, cannonball, straight-necked wren house, Mexican water bottle, canteen and long gourd). They're starting to push the soil up, so I know they've germinated. They're planted fairly deeply, so it takes a while. If they're too shallow, sometimes they emerge with the seed coat still on, and even with it scarified it can be tough for the cotyledons to push free if the seed coat dries. 
I have a few smaller varieties, like mini bottles, that I intend to plant directly in the ground when it warms a bit. 

Pumpkins are less fussy about their seed coats-- yay! I have One Too Many and Red Warty started (also in coir pots), and will start my Batwing, Orange Cutie, and Weeeeeone (yep, 5 e's in a row) seeds soon. I haven't grown those three, but they're all smallish and early-maturing (90-95 days). They should have time to ripen if they get in before the middle of next month. Batwing is a bush type with 1/4 lb fruit, bicolor if harvested early. I'll only plant a couple of those. Orange Cutie is a semi-bush with 2-3 lb (5"-6") striped fruit that's good for both decoration and for eating. Weeeeone is supposed to be a high yielder with round 3" fruit, and with excellent mildew resistance. 

I have a Cinderella's Carraige hybrid, too (developed from "Cinderella", Rouge Vif d’Etampes) plus some old seeds from Brodé Galeux d’Eysines ("Peanut"), and a blue (can't remember, either Blue Moon or Jaradale). If I have space I'll put in a couple of each. The germination rate stays pretty good a year on.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Ooo, looking forward to hearing how the red wartys do. Specifically if you try to carve them. Some of those oddballs have VERY tough skins which wouldn't be great for our party.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Ahhh...all of you with all of your pumpkin varieties, lol. I am so jealous! Someone come cut down all of my pine trees...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I think there was at least one in the pumpkin group picture I posted before, but I don't see the picture right now. Maybe it was a different thread. 
My experience has been that I just get one or two Red Wartys (Warties?) per vine, but that's giving them sink-or-swim treatment. I plant them in good soil, and then leave them to fend for themselves. You might be able to double or triple that with watering and fertilizer.
I haven't tried carving any. I generally leave a selection of the more durable ones out until after Thanksgiving, and then feed them to the chickens. By then it has frozen hard many times over, and they soften up somewhat.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

I am attempting to grow pumpkins for the first time...reading through this thread, it seems like they are finicky~
they might not like my brown thumb combined with a high desert climate and my being clueless. According to what comes up for my
zone, 8b, now is the time to plant my seeds. Any suggestions, incantations, prayers, tips & tricks
are appreciated


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

First time, you might want to visit your local nursery and buy some seedlings. 

They are cheap, a lot of the early stress is already taken care of, and its likely a variety that is well suited to your area. While there ask if vine borers are a problem in your area, and what dates the flights are. You can get covers or use a spray on those dates to vastly diminish your problems with vine borers. 

Absent that, I can't recommend Jack Be Little's strongly enough for a first timer. They seem to be well adapted to just about anything, can be trained up a trellis and grown in a pot. I don't know of anyone that's been disappointed with them. They ARE a mini though, and you won't be doing a jack o lantern out of them, and if you really want to carve something, you'll need to think bigger and I'm back to suggesting you check with the nursery. 

Squash bugs will likely find you, but as it's your first year, chances of them being a big enough problem to warrant drastic action is slim (unless neighbors have harbored vast numbers of them)

Try not to water at night and try to water down at the base not just broadcast over the leaves to slow mildew that is all but sure to come. 

In the fall, throw out the old vines, don't leave them in the field. The just provide bugs and diseases places to overwinter.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

What do you suggest for squash bugs?


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

Well, I seem to have a "volunteer" pumpkin patch this year! After Halloween, we sat a couple of our pumpkins on the south side of the house near the spot where we dump the ashes from our fire pit. Without even trying, we have huge vines and tons of blooms right now! I have no idea if anything will come of it but I'll keep watching just in case.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

boo who? said:


> What do you suggest for squash bugs?


Tachinid flies if you have the habitat, chemicals if you don't. Neem oil has worked well for me.

Sevin dust if it gets desperate.


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## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Sevin dust if it gets desperate.




I used sevin dust last year and it didn't help me one bit. :-/ I'm at my minds end with squash bugs.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

For squash bugs, I simply go out each morning and do a scan for them when I am hand pollinating. If I see any, I just grab them in my hand and carry them far, far away, lol...making sure I'm not dropping them near someone else's garden, either, lol. (Other people will kill them, drown them, spray them, ect...I try to not kill bugs if I don't have to, but you can if you feel the need.) After I find and remove them, I scan the undersides of the leaves for their egg clusters. If I find any, I carefully scrape them off and destroy them.

As for bug control in general, it all depends on if you are going pesticide route, or organic. There are many brands of bug killers/repellants out there for both sides.

Same for powdery mildew...there are sprays, but I choose a safer route using a spray bottle full of water, a little milk and a little baking soda. I spray it on the leaves in the morning if Powdery mildew is spotted...it won't completely stop it, but will help slow the spread. 

I haven't used it, but many say Neem Oil is good for many pumpkin pest/disease issues, too. I see many people use that stuff. (Some also use water mixed with a bit of mild dish soap for a similar purpose, but I tried that once and my leaves kind of burnt a bit. It may work for some, but I didn't care for the method.)

If you don't mind pesticides, you can also use some Sevin powder as a last result for major bug outbreaks. Take note though: You must be careful of using pesticides, as you don't want to kill the beneficial insects and bugs, such as your all important bees!!!!! If you get a major infestation of "bad" bugs, try to use treatments that won't hurt your bees, don't get it near the flowers and apply it after the bees have done their early morning pollinating. We need our bees!!

I, also, suggest Jack Be Littles for beginners. They were my first pumpkins and They did FANTASTIC for me! They grew wonderfully and I had high yields. 

If you choose to start with seeds rather than seedlings, you can do like we do and do the "damp paper towel, plastic baggie, seeds and warm, dark spot" germinating method. We have talked about this in these threads if you read back...or we can tell you again if you can't find the info.

Like UnOrthodOx said, water deeply in the morning, water at the base, not the leaves.

You can use fertilizer to help the vines grow, and also to help fruit/flower set. Nitrogen rich first to help vine growth, phosphorous rich later to help flowers/fruit set. (Though, I have just used a regular all purpose and it worked fine.)

I hand pollinate. Right at sunup, I go out and find a male flower. I pick it, pull back the petals and use the center to "paint" the center of the female flower. You need to get some male pollen on each part of the female center parts for even pollination. One male has enough pollen to do one or two females. I always try to leave some males for the bees to help out, too!! You have to do this with freshly bloomed male and female flowers. They only bloom for a few hours in the morning, then as the day go on, the pollen gets less viable. The best time is between sunrise and about 9am or so. You can check the night before and easily see when the flowers will be blooming the next day or not. They will be very orange/yellow and nearly ready to open the night before.

I always add good, nutrient filled soil to the area where I will plant each pumpkin seedling. It gives them a good start and light soil to grow in. Make sure your plants have good drainage...if pumpkin roots sit in too much water, they can get root rot and die.

If you grow minis or pie/sugar sized ones, they can be trellised or planted in large containers. If you scroll back, you can see of my pictures of both ways to grow minis. I simply train the vines upward by tying them loosely with strips of light cloth and helping wrap the tendrils on the trellis.

Talking to your pumpkin plants helps...they like that. 

Here are a couple sites that give great pumpkin growing info (I have linked these before, I think, but I'll post them again for those who are just popping in to the thread: 

http://www.pumpkinnook.com/growing.htm

http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/growing.html

As for growing in the desert areas, I don't have any specifics on that as I'm in a zone 5 type area, but many of these tips will help you regardless.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Madame Leota said:


> Well, I seem to have a "volunteer" pumpkin patch this year! After Halloween, we sat a couple of our pumpkins on the south side of the house near the spot where we dump the ashes from our fire pit. Without even trying, we have huge vines and tons of blooms right now! I have no idea if anything will come of it but I'll keep watching just in case.


Hand pollinate!!! Get yourself some pumpkins growing!! (...you can find my hand pollination instructions in the "novel" I just posted a minute ago, lol.)


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

...Oh! One other tip...
When my pumpkin plants are young, I usually end up making a little "sun cover" for them for the super hot mid day sun. I have found that too hot of sun at the hottest, brightest part of the day can make your young plants go limp and weak sometimes. You can buy sun shading/filtering material, or I just take a bit of thin weed blocker material...those rolls of slightly see through black stuff you put down to block weeds... and I just attach it to wooden dowels and make a little narrow canopy over the plants. If it's just as wide as the plant, it will filter out the noon time sun, but let it get morning and afternoon sun from the sides. 
Sunshine is great for pumpkins, so you don't want block it all the time...I just do it when they are young when needed. Not everyone has to do this...it probably depends on your location, sun, temps, sturdiness of the type of pumpkin plant, ect. It's just something extra I do to make sure I can make my young plants a little stronger.

I also try to temporarily block them a bit if there is heavy winds or storms to keep them from breaking.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

You're such a good pumpkin caretaker, WitchyKitty! I should feel guilty for leaving mine to fend for themselves! 
I like what you said about keeping bees and butterflies in mind when you target pests. That's true with both chemicals and biologicals. Neither the Sevin shaker nor the Tachinid fly care whether their target is pest or a beneficial.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yes, you need to take care to not poison the bees, butterflies and other good, pollinator insects! Without them, we wouldn't have many of our fruits and veggies!
Not to forget, there are other beneficial bugs and insects that help the garden, too...such as ones that prey on the "bad" bugs!

I wake up each morning and hang out and chat with the bees. They go about their business pollinating and I assist, trying to not get in their way, lol.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I've ordered a floating row cover to hopefully do some bug prevention. I'll have to decide whether I should remove it or pollinate by hand once the flowers appear, but hopefully this helps in the beginning.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Shadowbat said:


> I used sevin dust last year and it didn't help me one bit. :-/ I'm at my minds end with squash bugs.


The actual dust? not the spray stuff. Did you have an applicator or just sprinkle it around. 

You HAVE to use an applicator to get squash bugs. Warn the neighbors you're going to dust, and take common sense precautions on your breathing and eyes. 

In 15 years of growing pumpkins (7 in my youth on a commercial farm), I've only had enough squash bugs to warrant dust once. 

I've found that honestly, the best means to control is to let nature do her thing. That said, I do provide habitat for natural predators, but that also means I have to accept a certain level of 'pest' activity too. Predators need prey after all. 


Now, if people would quit trapping the skunks that are coming over and eating my slug problem away, I could be happy. Yeah, yeah, ew skunk. Takes a while, but they get used to you. 

I would like to know why I have horror movie levels of snails/slugs every year, though. Since we moved in, really.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Well, the Hijinks and the Wolf Mystery seeds both germinated by the time I got home last night, so transferred them over to pots. 

Then it started hailing, and I rushed out to cover the tomatoes. 

Anyway, the minis and the wrinkles looked like they were germinating this morning, so have more work to do this evening. Just waiting on my mystery seeds (which traditionally have had trouble germinating) and the gourds (which I have no experience with/this might be the wrong way to go about them).


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

It's good to hear people are having progress. (But yikes to the hail!)
The pumpkins and 3 varieties of the gourds have pushed up through the soil surface in the pots, but it's not quite time to plant them out yet. 
I planted out the hot peppers and tomatoes I grew from seed. They had a couple good nights, but the last two nights have been down in the 30's. Field corn was frost-nipped just a little, but the tomatoes look OK. The pumpkins are just going to have to wait a bit. I hate to even put them outside during the day when it's just in the 40's. Normal high this time of year is around 70.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

My pumpkin seeds started germinating last night. I was hoping they would wait just one more day, lol. It's too cold and wet to plant them in the ground today, so I guess I'll have to put them in a pot until tomorrow. I would have preferred to plant them straight into the ground...I have simply had enough of this crazy weather. Grrrrr. We got sooo much rain that my poor cucumbers are struggling. Decided to germinate a couple more cucumber seeds along with my pumpkins, just in case.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Out playing in the mud, rare break between storms, getting sunflower seeds sown and basil planted, when I uncovered something...










It may be dead already, but may as well replant it and see if it's alive....


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

What is it??


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Mothish Chrysalis... any idea what species? If it had an obvious tongue, I suppose you would have photographed that. How big is it? It will be fun to see what you get.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

It's a sphinx moth (aka hummingbird moth), but which specific species, I won't know till it hatches. Most pollinate pumpkins/gourds, though.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

So, does the tongue show up as a separate loop like it does on many (but of course not all) Sphinx? We don't have too many really small ones. There's one that feeds on grape leaves that's small, but I don't remember the species offhand. You probably have some different one west of the Rockies.

Has anyone here successfully grown luffas? I don't have much luck with them and I suspect they need a little longer season than what we usually have. If anybody here has had good luck with them, have you treated them any differently than you would pumpkins and typical gourds?


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

ooojen said:


> So, does the tongue show up as a separate loop like it does on many (but of course not all) Sphinx? We don't have too many really small ones. There's one that feeds on grape leaves that's small, but I don't remember the species offhand. You probably have some different one west of the Rockies.


No, not on this one. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a Hyles Lineata, or white lined sphinx moth. As with most sphinx moths, many can eat a wide range of hosts, so your grapes could get eaten by a number of them. 

Here in Utah, there's only about a half dozen or so possibilities at this altitude. Given the host plants near the location this one was found, it could be any of them. 



So, everything has germinated save the gourd seeds...I had one gourd seed show any sign of anything.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Yeah, we have about 3 that I've seen with fair regularity around here, on grape or Virginia creeper. Hog sphinx (_Darapsa_) is the one I was trying to think of-- stubby, but shortish wingspan. I wasn't thinking that was yours; I have no clue which ones even show up out west. I was just mulling over which little ones we have. We have quite a few different moths that pupate under ground.

We had our first warm sunny day in a long time. It really helped move the sprouting seeds along.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I am starting to see some tiny peeks of seedlings coming up! I would think they will be popping out by tomorrow...if not later today...since we finally have some warm sunshine! I hope they sprout some first true leaves quickly so I know which way the vine is going to grow so I can get them in the ground soon!! I still can't decide if I should do one or two plants inside the garden fence area...well, I should be more specific...if I should KEEP more than one. Three will be planted and the weak one/or ones will be thinned. Do I plant one in the center and let it grow outwards on both sides, or plant one on each end and let them grow up and towards the middle...ug. So many decisions, lol. I wish I had definite proof of how big these Triple Treat vines get...that's what I get for choosing to be a guinea pig, lol.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I finally found a forum that someone talked about growing Triple Treats. He said that his vines got to about 7-8 feet...not too big. I think vines that size would be a perfect fit for just one plant in my enclosed garden area...so I guess one it will be. I just hope and pray the one I choose to keep there will grow nice and strong so I don't lose it. Having only one plant is risky should it get a bug or disease! I'm going to have to baby the heck out of it and guard it with my life, lol.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Think I'd do 2 in that case. You can overlap the vines as you trellis.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

You think? Won't they smother each other? The garden space for them is 8 feet long by a little over 3 feet wide...with 3 foot tall fencing on the three outer sides. Two plants would be less risky for me, but I want to make sure they have room to grow...
If I do two plants, where in that space would you actually plant them? Here is a quick pic of their spot...where should I plant the seedlings?


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Here's my sugar setup from last year, 6ft long, 3ft between rows. All 3 would weave together back and forth in the fencing.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

These pumpkins are a bit bigger than sugars, though, about 8 lbs...I wonder how trellising will go for them? If I do two plants, I guess I would be putting each one about back/center of each four foot square area and much would have to climb up the sides. If I do one plant, they'd have more room to be on the ground. Hmmmm, decisions decisions. I may try two plants...at least this year to see how it goes. Thanks for posting the pics so i could envision it a little better, lol.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Small sugars range 5-8 lbs normally. But its all water weight. I'm guessing triple treat is bigger but maybe not heavier.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Maybe it's a matter of climate, but sugars around here are lucky to make 5 pounds. It's probably the same where WitchyKitty lives, since it's not terribly far away. However, if your trellis and vines themselves can hold up 8, that's the part that counts. 

We have an event to attend today, but if I can pry my loves-to-talk husband away before it gets too late, I'll get some gourds & pumpkins planted in-ground this afternoon. The roots are pushing through the sides and bottoms of the coir pots. There's rain predicted for tonight and tomorrow, so this is a good time to get it done.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

We get all sorts of sizes of sugars around here in Illinois. Most are a little smaller/lighter though than what these TTs are supposed to be. I'll plant two and see how it goes.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Well, a bunch of my seeds didn't sprout (try try again?) but I DO have primary leaves on the big maxes!











7x big max, 2x giant orange and 1x giant white (saved from last year so who knows). None of my kabocha seeds sprouted. Just got some JBL seeds. So I've still got some more starting to do, but a little glimpse of what's to come.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

That's why I always pre-germinate in paper towels/baggies first...that way I know which ones will germinate and which ones won't before I plant them.

Love to see pics of seedlings starting to sprout!!! It's so exciting! I love pumpkin growing. 
I have some up, too. I'll get pics soon to post.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I have two Wee Be Littles and one Triple Treat up fully. I also have six more WBLs and two more TTs that are just coming up and should be fully up tomorrow. All but one TT seed germinated.

Here's a couple pics...the two WBLs are in the big planter...the strongest will stay there and grow on my patio. I hope they will grow as well there as my JBLs usually do. The single TT seedling will be transplanted into the garden tomorrow or the next day, just as soon as I see that first leaf to know which direction it needs to be planted.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

OK- Tried the paper towel/open baggie method with a Jack-o-lantern variety. 3 out of 10 sprouted- 4 got mold- 3 did nothing. Planted them all in starter packs. If I get three plants, I'll be happy.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Mold and low germination...hmmmm, well that can happen with a paper towel that is too wet, having no air flow, or both. The towel should just be nicely damp (lightly press the towel down to the seeds to make sure there is moisture contact on either side). I usually don't close the ziplock on the baggie all the way. I seal it a little, but leave it part open so some air gets in there. Some people have closed it all the way and not gotten mold, but many do get mold if it's closed completely. 

As for your three that sprouted, yay! You should have seedlings, soon! 

(Hopefully you planted them with their roots down, lol, which I'm sure you did...some people think the root sprouts go up for some reason...)


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Ummm.... roots down, you say?!  I did manage to keep the baggie propped open a half inch. The paper towel was just damp and I set it next to my warm cable box.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

boo who? said:


> Ummm.... roots down, you say?!  I did manage to keep the baggie propped open a half inch. The paper towel was just damp and I set it next to my warm cable box.


 Hahaha

Hmmm. Odd. It sounds like you did it all correctly. No idea, then. I'm not sure what else could cause it. Regardless, you got three started, so if you keep them going, you'll have three nice plants!!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Assuming they live, how big should they be before transplanting? There are a lot of groundhogs around here.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Generally the best time to plant is as soon as the soil is warm. 
I wanted to get mine in before the rain, but I got some bare-root perennials and they took priority. The roots are coming out the bottoms and sides of the pots, so it's time. 
Basketball, cannonball, and long-necked bottle gourds, very light potting mix-- plenty of air circulation. At least 23 of 24 germinated-- I dug around a little to try to find the dud seed, and I couldn't find it. I may have just missed planting a second one in that pot. In spite of my scarifying the seed coats, one plant broke its cotlyedons coming out. Some gourds have extremely hard woody seed coats, which helps them stay viable for decades. I have plenty, anyway. I intend to plant the pairs together, as our spring soil moisture is good. 








I put them under light for the evening.








Got 100% germination on the big pumpkins-- including last year's seed. Again, coir pots and a light, well-aerated potting mix. One Too Many and Red Warty








They're larger than they look in the picture. The span of the OTM cotyledons is about 3.5". They'd be at least 4" spread.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I normally sow right into the garden when the soil is warm, but on the few occasions that I have transplanted (...which I will have no choice but to do this year due to crazy weather), I usually wait for the first true leaves to come out, that way I know which way to plant the seedling so the main vine grows where I want it to. (Note: the main vine will go in the direction opposite the first true leaf...in case anyone wanted to know) 









You don't want to wait too long to transplant, because the bigger the root system, the easier it is to accidentally damage the root system.
Make sure to be very careful to not disrupt the roots if transplanting out of a small pot into the garden. Take all of the dirt out of the pot with it. I have heard people say pumpkins don't transplant well. All the seedlings I have transplanted in the past were fine, though. (If you are using biodegradable pots that you can just plant in the ground, you have less to worry about with the roots...but still be careful.) I usually transplant into tilled, good, fertilized or composted soil, too...at least in the spot right where the roots will start out where you plant them, if you can't afford to do the whole garden area. (I start my seedlings in good soil, too, if growing in a pot first.) Oh, and don't transplant right in the middle of the day when the sun is hot, either. 

I never had any issues with my fuzzy outdoor friends eating my pumpkin plants...so far, lol. We have lots of woodland creatures, lol, especially deer and bunnies.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Ahhh, talking about the seed coats, ooojen, I noticed both my Wee Be Littles and Triple Treats are having a rough time getting out of their seeds coats. I didn't have that problem with JBLs in the past. These guys must have slightly tougher seed coats. The first year I did file the ends of my seeds lightly before germinating to help them fall off easier...but didn't do it last year and the JBLs were fine. I didn't bother to file this years WBLs or TTs, but next year if I grow them again I probably should. I find myself having to give the seedlings a helping hand getting their coats off, lol.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh, and one other thing for people new to this...if you have more than one seedling starting in each spot, when you thin them, don't pull out the weaker seedling...cut it off at the ground. If you pull out the unwanted one, the roots could have been tangled with the seedling you are keeping, which would damage it's roots. 
*I usually plant at least two seeds per area where I want them and remove the weakest one later...that way it ups my chances of having a pumpkin plant make it for each growing spot.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

WitchyKitty said:


> I never had any issues with my fuzzy outdoor friends eating my pumpkin plants...so far, lol. We have lots of woodland creatures, lol, especially deer and bunnies.


That's good to hear! There is a groundhog family burrow VERY near where I would like to plant.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I didn't scarify any of my pumpkins, but I did the gourds. It speeds them up about 2 weeks on germination. 
My little pumpkins planted directly in the ground are just barely pushing some dirt upwards, but aren't up yet. I plant them fairly deep because it helps keep the seed coats damp and soft until the cotyledons can break free.
Lots of good information here on this thread! I'll add one more thing. If you use peat or paper pots, it's a good idea to either tear away (or fold back) the top of the pot (if the soil level is down a way from the top edge), or plant them completely buried (if the top of the pot is near the soil level). Some biodegradable pots, peat especially, can wick moisture away from the plants' roots if the exposed upper part dries out.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

boo who? said:


> That's good to hear! There is a groundhog family burrow VERY near where I would like to plant.


There are no guarantees, but putting hot pepper around your plants is said to offer some protection from groundhogs (and other mammals). You have to re-apply it every time it rains.
Good luck!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks! I use grass clippings as weed/border mulch. Most critters don't like to walk across it. I think they can also smell the mildew that builds up under a thick layer of clippings and it puts them off.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yeah, I have never used peat pots or any other biodegradable pots, but I did read that you can break away the bottoms (carefully) to help the roots spread easier. I also read, and agree, about making sure to bury the pots completely so they can't dry out and take the moisture.

Also, yes, just because I haven't had my fuzzy outdoor critters eat my pumpkins...doesn't mean they won't. You never can be 100% sure with animals...they do what they feel like, lol. If you have a burrow that extremely close to your patch, then I'd say to keep an eye on them for a little bit...just in case.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Okay, every single seedling is fully up today! Now I just need to wait to see those first true leaves so I can get them in the ground!! Lol, I am getting impatient to get them planted in their spots, lol. I wish they were ready today!!


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I did have a groundhog nibble some of my pumpkins last year. Just enough to damage, a little taste, didn't even bother to make a meal of them. :/



I'm re-starting some more giant orange and whites, some kabocha, and a few of the JBL seeds. Since I had mold issues with the first go-round, I gave these a bath with some Dawn before I put them in their bags. Maybe this will help.


I don't put them out until they get their first true leaves, which is probably pretty soon for the ones I have up right now.


Thanks for the tip about growing direction, WitchKitty!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I didn't think to mention before about other people I know...but, while I haven't had any animals munching on my pumpkins, so far, my mother in law had squirrels eating her minis last year, and my mom always had issues with raccoons eating her pumpkins that she would buy for decorations. It all just depends on how curious and hungry your critters are, lol.
My bigger pumpkins...if I can get them to grow, will be in my fenced garden area, so they will be fairly safe...my minis are always out in the open, though, and up for grabs.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Very few seedlings have popped up after transferring to the pots, never had such a problem with the ziploc method before. Baffled.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

They germinated in the ziplock, but didn't continue to grow when put in dirt?? Odd...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Yeah, never seen it before, pulled a couple, looks like they are rotting in the pots.


I have some old seeds left over we'll try, then guess I need to see whats left at the nursery if they dont work. Or just run with the volunteers.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I got 5 pots planted out today, during the brief break in the rain. I have lots more to do, but at least it's a start.
If you start your seeds in ground and your vines take off some way you don't want, it's pretty easy to guide them around and train them in a different direction.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I have limited room, so the vines need to go the right direction immediately, especially when some are being trellised. I am debating on going out today and getting them in the ground between the rain. Sigh. I'm glad I didn't do it yesterday, as this morning we had torrential downpours and everything was drowned and wind blown.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I just got my Triple Treat seedlings planted in the garden. The dirt in the pots was rather wet, still, so it was difficult to get them out. I hope I didn't hurt the roots too much!! We will find out.

I was tilling up the small area to plant the Wee Be Little seedlings, and hit something...I wonder how brave my husband is?? I partially dug up a small, flat plastic wrapped box about 8 inches down. It's either someone's tiny, flat deceased pet ...or a bunch of money or treasure  !! I am not brave enough to find out...and I need to plant my pumpkins, but I don't know what to do about the box!  My guess is, is that it's a pet...in which I seriously don't want to see it...no no no...but what if it's not and it's something cool?!?! If my husband doesn't want to open it, either, do we just rebury it? Lol...Why on earth would someone bury a pet so shallow in the ground? It's such an odd box to bury an animal in, though...which makes me curious. Ug...but curiosity killed the kitty, so...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Hmm, that *is* a dilemma! If it is a pet, it might have been buried shallowly if the ground was dry and hard at the time, or if the ground was deeply frozen and only thawed a little below the surface from a bit of sunshine. 
I hope you find someone to give it a look! I'm curious now.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, he dug it up...it was....NOTHING! Lol, what a let down! It was a small. rectangular, flat tupperware type container wrapped in plastic. There was nothing inside!?!? Lol, how odd. Either whatever was in it degraded down into the soil and disappeared, or they buried absolutely nothing. Sigh...my dreams of millions has gone out the window...back to being poor.  

Well, at least I got my last pumpkin seedlings in the ground, lol. Sigh...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Well, it was exciting while it lasted, eh? And it's better than a dead pet. Your pumpkins will have to be your treasure for now, I guess.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

My luck, there was something poisonous in that container and my pumpkins will die now, hahaha...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Baby Wrinkles is a pie class pumpkin, only 'wrinkly'.


Germinated pack of 25 seeds, potted a dozen, 7 come up, thus far easily the best of the lot this bizarre year. 



> Our mini mix pack I bought, I THOUGHT was JBL and baby boo, but the package says it's WBL too.


Germinated pack of 25 seeds, potted 12, only 1 has sprouted. 



> Mystery 1 is the seeds I've been saving for several years now. First year green and yellow minis, second year cinderella shape, pie size, and pink/brown while growing to nice orange ripe. Who knows what we'll get this.


Germinated approximately 25 seeds, only potted 4 as these are intended as a curiousity, not a major contributor. 2 sprouted. I have hundreds of seeds left I was planning to use on props, but maybe...



> Hijinks is one of them in between pie and basketball sized ones that's resistant to mildew. We'll see how it does. Hoping it is a bit prickly to protect the corn.


Germinated 25, potted 24, 1 sprout. WTF? 



> Birdhouse gourds just for fun.


No sign of anything from the 10 seeds I attempted to germinate. 



> Mystery 2...Wolf?


Germinated 25ish, potted 24, 3 have sprouted. 



What I got left seed wise:

Pack of unused neons, in ziplocs now. They didn't protect corn for crap last year, but we did get pumpkins out of them, that's more important at present (and the corn is not coming up yet anyway, wtf is up this year?) 

Unlabeled sugar class pumpkin, 3 years old seed in a 3 sisters combo pack a neighbor gave me when they heard I was trying a 3 sisters garden. Lord knows how long THEY had had it sitting around. Got em in a ziploc, why the hell not? 

Still debating what to do. Looking like a poor pumpkin crop for us this year. Still have loads of who knows what volunteers that keep coming up, probably just going to let a bunch of them go and hope for the best.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Wow...I simply cannot understand why so many of your germinated seeds didn't sprout! That's just so strange. Here's to hoping the sprouts that DID come up are healthy and give you good vines and good pumpkin yields, and that the next batch you are currently germinating does better. It couldn't hurt to leave a few volunteers go...you might get some nice pumpkins out of them, ya' never know!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

On DID just pop up yesterday, so maybe everything's just REALLY slow for some unknown reason.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

It's possible. I had some of mine go slower than others this year, in both germination and in sprouting. 

Out of my three Triple Treat seedlings, one is doing very well and is getting true leaves already, but the other two are pretty beat up on and don't look so pretty, lol. They didn't come out of their seed coats correctly. Since I planned on keeping two plants, I am hoping one of those two sad looking ones ends up doing good once it gets it's first true leaves. The Wee Be Little seedlings I planted in the large container and in ground by the garage trellis are looking good. I still have two extras in a pot though, and those, also, didn't come out of their seed coats correctly and look pretty sad. They are just back ups, though, so I'm not overly concerned. I also have two other WBL seedlings in small pots for my mother in law...and they had a late, slow start and are very small still. They sprouted days after all the rest. 

Such an odd year for starting seeds for everyone. This is supposed to be the easy part, lol.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

Reading through this thread and still wondering what the hell I'm doing...I had already purchased 3 different varieties of seeds; Triple Treat, JOL's, and Big Moon. Didn't realize the Big Moon's were 'up to 200' pounders oops. Just started the paper towel/ziploc kick start, and I used ALL of the seeds. Hopefully, there will be a few sprout from each variety.
Questions: how far apart do the seedlings need to be planted? It's already warm/getting hot here(50's/60's nighttime temps)-can I plant the seedlings directly from the paper towel into the ground? Everyone seems to be planting 2 seedlings together, yes? We have two areas available for planting this year~ a 10x10 raised garden space (with lots of available overflow area), that I wanted to have a pumpkin patch in, for the haunt walkthrough. I also have a large garden area in the backyard, complete with aged pig manure and mulched yard clippings. 
The tips on the internet say well drained, but rich soil. They like heat. The internet _also_ says pumpkins are easy to grow. I'm skeptical. Better honest info on here, so I'm creeping along with you all


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Lol, I like to plant two seedlings in each spot, then I snip off (thin) the weakest of the two. (Do Not pull out the weaker one, as the roots may be entangled and you could hurt the one you are keeping. Juts snip it off at the ground level.) Yes, you can plant directly into the ground if your temps and soil are warm enough. As for how far apart to place them, it depends on the type. Every type has different vine lengths. It also depends on if you are planting in the ground, in a container, trellising, ect.

I have the Triple Treats for the first time this year. I have never grown them before, but I have read their vines get about 8 feet, give or take. I have mine only 4 feet apart, but that is because I will have them partially growing up my fencing/trellised, which adds some feet in each direction for me. If I had them on the ground, I'd probably put them a bit further apart, maybe 6 feet give or take. 

I don't have any experience with medium or larger pumpkins, so I can't tell you for sure. I am sure the others in this thread can answer that for you, though.

I normally grow minis, and those vines can get about 10 feet or so, give or take...though I had one vine get about 15 feet. Again, I grow them trellised and in containers, though, so it's hard to say on the ground. I'd probably go about at least 6 feet apart again. 

Your seed packet should tell you about how far to space each one...or, you can do what I do and look up each type you have individually on the internet and see what each one says from site to site. Basically, you just don't want them to overcrowd each other, because if you do that, you restrict airflow, which can cause mold/mildew, disease and bug issues...plus, they'd have to fight for nutrients if too close together. Pumpkins need good airflow.

I don't have any personal experience with medium or larger pumpkins, so I can't tell you for sure on spacing. I am sure the others in this thread can answer that for you, though. I do know that some varieties can get vine lengths from 15 to 20 feet...some even up to 30 feet. For your giant pumpkin, I also know that if you decide to go for a big giant one, you would decide which pumpkin you want to give a chance on each vine and snip the tips of the vines a certain distance after that particular pumpkin so all plant energy goes to growing the pumpkin larger, rather than vine growth. You'd have to do some research or ask here if you plan on trying that with your Big Moons.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

As stated above, a lot does depend on your growing conditions. There's also the matter of how much time you want to spend on your plants.
I don't coddle mine (too many other things going on in summer) but I do have good conditions for them-- rich (but not overly N-saturated) soil, generally sufficient moisture (certainly ample this spring!), and good air circulation (we live on top of hill where it's frequently windy.)
I plant one (for large pumpkins) or two (for gourds and small pumpkins) seeds per pot. (This year I planted my small pumpkin seeds directly in the ground.) I used to start some in paper towels, but no longer bother with that step. If you get busy and don't get right to them at the critical time, the roots can penetrate the toweling and it can be dificult to remove them. At that stage they only have the one point of root meristem, and breaking it off is a very bad thing! If pumpkin growing is priority for you, and you're sure to get to them as soon as they germinate, no problem with the paper towels. I just keep it warm and moist in the pots. I'm not talking down anyone else's method; I'm just sharing the methods I've fallen into over years of growing and why they work best for me. Also, there are quite a few commercial pumpkin growers in the area, so I can observe how they maximize yield while minimizing labor input. (WitchyKitty's plants are clearly an aesthetic feature of her yard so she tends them more carefully. Mine are more utilitarian plants out back.)
When I have two plants per pot I leave them both together. Since I'm not using pesticides on my plants,I figure I'm better off having more individual plants. More plants = more backup. On a dry year, or a very wet year, it might result in a slightly reduced yield per plant, but the total yield is still apt to be better. It's not unusual for the pro growers to leave 3-4 plants per hill. When you have some space for them, you don't need to worry too much about their shading each other out. Plants are phototropic, and they'll send their vines out toward the sunny spots. (If you need to keep the vines confined, that's different.) 
If you trellis them, you'll be apt to get more nearly perfect fruits, without the ground scars (but you'll have to add support to very large ones so they don't break off their own stems). I just display mine sitting on their ground scars-- there, but hidden. Untrellised vines get to run across the ground, they'll throw down roots at the nodes. That will give them more opportunity to take up moisture and nutrients. That can also be beneficial if you have borers. If borers kill a section of the plant near the base, a plant with rooted vines can live on. 
One thing if you want jumbo pumpkins, though-- don't let them root too firmly right on either side of the developing fruit. Pumpkin fruits can grow very quickly in the right conditions. If the vine is firmly rooted down right next to the fruit, it can be broken off as the fruit expands (particularly if the ground is on the hard and dry side.)

There you go-- different advice from different growers, which sort of demonstrates that pumpkins _are_ fairly adaptable after all. The biggest concern here is whether we'll have a long enough growing season for them to ripen. If they aren't mature enough, they'll rot before Halloween. 
Good luck and enjoy!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Unfortunately summer is not pumpkin growing season here. There are a few growing out in the woods where I chucked some pumpkin seeds in March. We'll see how they fair.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yeah, I do baby my pumpkin vines, lol...but it's not so much because I want them to look good, but because I only have room for a few plants, so I need to do everything possible to keep them happy, alive and high yielding. (Though, having them look nice is a definite plus for me!!  ) I also, use quality, loose, composted soil. The more nutrients and good drainage, the better! I try to keep my growing organic, too, so keeping each one of my very few plants as healthy and safe as possible is key for me. It's true, though, that I am not a commercial type farmer with my tiny little garden areas, lol. Commercial types would for sure, want to maximize yield with as little work as possible. If they lose a plant, it's not as big a deal..if I lose one, well, that's a third of my pumpkins, lol.

I forgot to add, that when I trellis, only half of my plant vines go upwards. The other half I do let grow across the ground to get extra rooting. I prop up each mini pumpkin that is growing on the ground vines, though, to keep them off the ground. My Triple Treats will be half down, half up, as well, if all goes well. They are a bigger pumpkin than the minis, so any that grow off the ground may have to get a little hammock support when they are bigger, as the vines may not hold them if they grow too big...nor do I want to trash my fencing, lol. 

A tip for the paper towel/baggie germinating method: If you want to germinate this way, but don't get to the seeds as soon as they germinate, you can always trim around the roots on the paper towel if the roots started to grab it and just plant the little piece of towel with the seed, rather that trying to tear the root off the paper towel. 

As many of us have stated, a great first time pumpkin to grow is the Jack Be Little (JBL). Soooo super easy, it's hard to not get pumpkins from them.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

IshWitch said:


> Unfortunately summer is not pumpkin growing season here. There are a few growing out in the woods where I chucked some pumpkin seeds in March. We'll see how they fair.


Maybe you will get some from them!  You never know...keep us updated! I have seen people with volunteers that they just left alone and did nothing to and they got some nice little pumpkins out of it.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

My FIL cleared the land we bought next door with his bulldozer and spread the seeds all over! LoL! There are a bunch growing, but 3 look really good and healthy.  It is still very wooded so may protect them enough from the sun and heat.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> Yeah, I do baby my pumpkin vines, lol...but it's not so much because I want them to look good, but because I only have room for a few plants, so I need to do everything possible to keep them happy, alive and high yielding.


Whatever your goal is with them, the pictures you've posted of your vines look adorable!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks!!!  I like my trellised ones on the garage and ones in the planter on the patio to be fairly neat and tidy if possible...but I'll probably have a huge mess of vines in my new garden this year, since I'm growing in it for the first time and am not sure about how much should be grown in there...I'm sure I planted too much! Lol...I will probably get eaten by my plants and vines when I walk in the little gate. If I disappear at some point this summer, send in help!!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh, and I'm a tad bit OCD about things...which carries over into my gardening, as well, lol.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Well, 30/31 neon seeds germinated, here's hoping they come up. 

There was stuff on the news about the funky weather this year (I think it's rained every day of May) causing all sorts of farming havoc, I'm guessing attempting to start indoors doesn't escape that curse.

I will say, the little shoot doodads on the Neon's are a lot more robust than all the other varieties I tried this year.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I fully agree on the funky weather this year. Our temps have been out of control...going from 80's to 60's then back to 80's...it's going to be in the 60's AGAIN this weekend...not to mention the insane amounts of rain we just keep getting! It never freakin' ends. Today should be nice, but then it's back to the rain and chill. My poor garden is struggling. My cucumber plants are taking it the worst. I keep hoping they will make it, though. They look awful...too much water. 

I am going to have to slightly cover my WBLs by the garage the next two days, more than likely, or they will drown. I always have problems in that growing spot with heavy rain.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Here's some pics of my seedlings...they are getting their true leaves, now.

This is a Triple Treat, planted in the fenced in garden area. It will grow both on the ground around it and up the back fence behind it:








These are the other two Triple Treats, also in the enclosed garden. As you can see, their cotyledon leaves look horrible from getting stuck in their seed coats. They are just getting their first leaves, though, so hopefully those will come up nice and full. I haven't thinned these to one plant, yet, because of how small and sad looking they both are, lol. Once the leaves come fully up, I'll pick the strongest:








Next is my Wee Be Little growing in the large planter on the patio. This one is doing fantastic!!








Then, my Wee Be Little that's with the garage trellis...it's doing quite well and, also, has it's first leaf starting, but the angle of this pic makes it hard to see:








Finally, my extra Wee Be Littles. The larger pots are my own extras for just in case, and the two middle red pots are for my mother in law:


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

How do you attach toes to the lattice?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

IshWitch said:


> How do you attach toes to the lattice?


Toes? Lol...I am guessing you mean the pumpkin vines. Once the vines start growing, I take strips of soft, breathable cloth (I use that black weed block fabric) and gently, loosely tie the vines up to the trellis. Then, I take the curly tendrils and help wrap them around the wood or fence. The tendrils will tighten themselves as they grow. As the vine gets taller, I just keep tying parts with the strips of cloth higher and higher, continuing to help the tendrils wrap. Once the vine is holding on, I usually take off the lower fabric ties. Don't tie them too tightly, as the vine gets thicker and you could damage your vine if the cloth cuts into it. Once they get to the top of my trellis, I have ropes that go from the top of it to the roof. I help the vines wrap around the ropes and they eventually hang on and grow up. Here are some pics of mine last year so you can see what I mean about the cloth ties: 


































You can kind of see the black ties in the first pic, second pic and third pic...the fourth and fifth pics show them close up, and if you look closely, you can see the tendrils wrapped, too. I wish I had better pics...I will have to take some this year for informative purposes. 

If you have wire fencing, they may not need to be tied...just helping the tendrils wrap around would probably be sufficient. I only tie on my wooden trellis because the bars are thicker and further apart, so it's harder for the vine to grab by itself.

This is what they look like when they are all the way up (I think I have posted these pics earlier in this thread):


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

LoL! Dang auto correct! Was those not toes! Heheheh


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Lol, yeah, I figured you meant "those". If you had actually meant "toes"...well, I suppose you could attach them the same way, just tie the toes on with soft cloth. I guess it would also depend on if the toes were severed or still attached to the foot...you might have to use something a little stronger if still attached, or they could get away...


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> Toes? Lol...I am guessing you mean the pumpkin vines. Once the vines start growing, I take strips of soft, breathable cloth (I use that black weed block fabric) and gently, loosely tie the vines up to the trellis. Then, I take the curly tendrils and help wrap them around the wood or fence. The tendrils will tighten themselves as they grow. As the vine gets taller, I just keep tying parts with the strips of cloth higher and higher, continuing to help the tendrils wrap. Once the vine is holding on, I usually take off the lower fabric ties. Don't tie them too tightly, as the vine gets thicker and you could damage your vine if the cloth cuts into it. Once they get to the top of my trellis, I have ropes that go from the top of it to the roof. I help the vines wrap around the ropes and they eventually hang on and grow up. Here are some pics of mine last year so you can see what I mean about the cloth ties:
> 
> View attachment 242455
> View attachment 242458
> ...


*sigh* beautiful, happy pumpkins


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I am putting a different type of mini pumpkin (WBL) on the trellis this year, so we will see how it does. I hope it climbs as nicely and yields as much as my usual JBLs.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Welcome to hell: humidity level is currently over 9000. I was watching steam rise off the roof of the carport this afternoon as I was out digging.


Today I: planted my 7 big maxes, and staked their row cover on top. Put out my clear plastic sheet that will hopefully obliviate the grass I didn't feel like digging up. (Did it cover everywhere I needed? No, of course not, but it got the full length most of the way across.) Dug up another small section of grass, part of the row I'm planting herbs and corn in at the opposite end from the pumpkins. Discovered that it was too wet to move the full, heavy wheelbarrow, and so made a second dirt and weeds pile. Accidentally stepped in the newly dug area, and sank down about 8 inches.

Hey, at least I'm not having to water. We've gotten something like 10" in the last two weeks. Nutty weather indeed. Hopefully the summer won't be completely dry after this all stops.


Maybe I'll get some pictures, once I've got a bit more work done. This is the same area I planted in last year (pumpkins on the opposite end!), but I'm using much more space. It's close to a 24 foot square.


Still not much of interest germinating in the bags. One of the JBLs sprouted, and was put in dirt today, but nothing else seems alive. I even cracked open a couple to see if something looked off, and nope, just not responding.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Another person not having any luck germinating in baggies? Odd. Some of mine were a little slower to germinate than usual, but most of them did and sprouted when put in dirt, too. 

Yeah, it's nice to not have to water too much since we have had soooooo much rain, but at this point, we are getting TOO much. Also, just like you stated, when this ends, the summer will probably be rain free (besides my miserable humidity, anyway...).


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Half the neons are already up, more appear on the way. Makes the troubles with the others all the more curious.

The wolf (i think) seeds I got to germinate are very vigorous! Roots exploded out of the pots and across most the tray.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Good to hear you are finally having some luck!! I can't wait to start seeing everyone pics!!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

We have another odd, chilly rainy snap the next two days. Sigh. Seriously? 60's for highs and 40's for lows at the end of May...and all this constant rain?? Mother Nature is determined to destroy my little, new garden, I guess. I hope the soil stays warm enough to keep everything alive.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Yeah, we're just getting the first sunny weather this week. My tomatoes made it through the crazy weather fine, but the peppers and Basil are struggling. Gonna be sad to not have many minis this year, but all things considered its a decent year to have to cut back on those.


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

Picture from yesterday. Don't mind the weeds/carrots next row over.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Your plants look good! Mine are holding their own, but they haven't grown much since I put them out. 
Today is ridiculously cold!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Your plants look great, mathewthemanparker! 

Mine are small still, too, ooojen, but trying to hold on, lol. The weather is cold and rainy, here, also. I just got back from a family b-day party, and my Wee Be Little seedling by the garage was almost out of the ground from heavy rain moving the dirt! I had to do a quick, careful rebury before I went inside. I hope it will be okay. I had meant to cover it before we left, but totally forgot. It's covered now. The rain picked up again, so I haven't had a chance to check the others out back, yet. I am hoping the rain will stop soon... 

It's amazing how it can go from sunny and hot one day...to cold and pouring the next...in these parts.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Definitely something in the air this year, the other half of the neons that looked like they would pop up rotted, while the others are doing fine. 


6 varieties in 3 different seed starting soils, its not seed or soil problems, something'd just off this year.

Talia and I have a date at the nursery to replace some of her flowers that died in one of the hail storms we've had, guess I'm getting a few pumpkins as well.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Mine seem to have made it through all the storms...but now we will see if they can make it through two more chilly days/nights. Oddly, my tomato plants are doing excellent, though, lol.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

No green in any of my starter packs. It's been about a week. Thinking this is gonna be the Year without Pumpkins.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

boo who? said:


> No green in any of my starter packs. It's been about a week. Thinking this is gonna be the Year without Pumpkins.


Awww.  Are they warm enough? Enough moisture, but not too much? How long does the packet your seeds came in say for their germination time? Maybe the kinds you planted have a bit longer to go, yet? It could also be how deep you planted the seed? Lol, oh, it's hard to say, it could be many reasons. Or...it could just be this year's strange pumpkin curse that everyone is mysteriously dealing with...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh, and I was scrolling back, rereading things and saw that you had done the paper towel/baggie germination thing with low germination results...I missed it, but you said you put your baggie next to your cable box...I usually put mine on top of the cable box, so the seeds get full warmth from underneath. Maybe your seeds weren't warm enough? Just trying to come up with thoughts or solutions as to why you are having such seed starting troubles...

I hope you get a spout, soon!!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

I'll keep hoping for another week. They are nice and warm and it's been plenty humid. I've got good Miracle-Gro potting soil that my flower seeds are loving. Will keep my fingers crossed a little longer.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

boo who? said:


> I'll keep hoping for another week. They are nice and warm and it's been plenty humid. I've got good Miracle-Gro potting soil that my flower seeds are loving. Will keep my fingers crossed a little longer.


Good luck!!!!!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Caught this guy out in the garden. 

Talia being very brave holding this dart moth for the camera. 

Dont know why moths are instinctively "ew scary/gross" and butterflies are "oo pretty let me hold it".

Had pretty orange and black underwings, but wouldn't show them off for the camera.


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## lynno (Apr 6, 2015)

I just planted my seedlings and they are taking off like rockets. I do know that for the white fungus that grows, dissolve two noncoated aspirins in a quart of water and spray the leaves early in the morning. Also when watering try to avoid wetting the leaves and water at the base. I do not have problems with critters but I do have problems with theives


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## lynno (Apr 6, 2015)

yes I know isn't this weather crazy. I live in Northern Indiana right on the Illinois boarder. We will see if my seedlings make it or not


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

And now slugs are eating the seedlings I've planted...


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Put pennies around them!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

lynno, yeah, I a get thief problems, too. I am really extra worried this year because of new neighbors.

UnOrthodOx...ug. Now slugs??


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Copper. Slugs can't touch it. That's why put pennies around


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks for the aspirin tip, Lynno! I've had that white fungus wipe out my cukes before. I wonder if a copper wire ring(s) would do the trick... or if that wouldn't provide enough surface area to stop slugs from crossing. I know they make copper foil, too.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I was thinking copper wire, as well...hmmm...no idea if that would work, though, either.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

My second batch of seeds did pretty well, though still >50%. Got 3 more lg. orange and 2 more lg. white. The ones I've put out are doing pretty well, and despite sinking into the mud again, I got my corn out. I somehow managed to break the pitchfork, though.


For slugs, diatomaceous earth? It should take care of slugs and anything else that crawls.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Well, the nursery was picked over pretty bad, but picked up a couple JBLs for Talia to have fun watching. 

She found plenty of flowers too. 

The slugs seem focused on my hijinks for whatever reason, but I see skunk tracks out there, so the slugs are getting eaten as well. As long as that skunk doesn't get trapped by a neighbor, he should put a good dent in the problem. Only years slugs have been kept in check is when we had a regular skunk visitor. Hopefully if I run into it, it will get used to my presence like the last one.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

I see green! I see green!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Fighting the powdery mildew here. Ugh! Hubby sprayed the pumpkins and tomatoes down with a mixture of Murphys oil soap and baking soda. Hope it works, he got the recipe online. FL is already having its wettest year ever, and DH forgot to put an aspirin in the roots when he planted. I told him to crush one and sprinkle it around the stems but he thinks it is too late. I figure they're cheap, not out much if it doesn't work.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Well, what I have is in the ground, now up to the great pumpkin to help them produce. 

Think we ended up with 4 wolf mystery, 3 regular mystery, 5 hijinks (down to 4, slugs), 12 neon, 2 nursery jbl, 1 mini from the combo pack (jbl,wbl or baby boo), and leaving about a dozen volunteers. Had to reseed a lot of corn too, so only about 3/4 the planned corn. 

But split the raven grass, so 2 additional clumps of that doing well.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yay boo who?!!! I am so happy to hear you have sprouts! 

Ishwitch, I use a spray bottle of water with a little baking soda and a little milk mixed in for my Powdery Mildew. It helps to slow the spreading. I tried soap before, but it seems to make the leaves burn sometimes. The milk/bs is safer for me.

UnOrthodOx, it seems like you may have a decent little crop going now. I can't wait to see what you get! I hope the slugs are a bit more under control, now.

I just got back form vacation late last night...I'm just about to go outside and check out my seedlings and see how they held up while I was gone. My mom was babysitting them and watering for me, so I am hoping they will be bigger by now, lol.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Hubby used just milk last year. But after awhile it didn't help. He usually uses Neem oil but is trying to get away from it because of expense. You have to spray in the evening when using any oils because the oil beads focus the sun like a magnifying glass. That's why the leaves can burn. I think it just gets too rainy into the summer for anything to work here in Florida. Winter and early spring is our main growing season. I'm holding my breath for these pumpkins. They are all rogues, I planted nothing! LoL


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Good luck, Ishwitch!!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Okay, ran out and snapped a few pics. They definitely grew while I was gone. They are still small, but not tiny seedlings anymore.

First, here are the Wee Be Littles:
















Next, are the Triple Treats:
















Tomato plants are huge and flowering now, the cucumbers are just a little bigger than the pumpkins and doing so much better, jalapeno peppers are getting big and the Garden and White Sages are both small but filling out, finally, as well. So far, so good. It's going to get really hot here in a few days or so...we will see how everything does.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

They look very very happy, Witchykitty. You definitely have the magic touch!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks! Lol, they aren't so happy today, though...severe storms, wind and torrential downpours...plus a chance of hail. So far, they are still okay, so far...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Do you have anymore green popping up, boo who??


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Nope. Just the one... so far.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, keep watching...as for the one, treat it like a newborn baby and love it so it grows big, lol.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

If I could get a pic to post I would share the rogue woods pumpkins! This is the parent pumpkin.  I carved it the first weekend of March. It was a pumpkin bought at Sam's the first week of Oct last year that never got carved! Made it to my March, M&T and I carved it the Friday night and had it lit the whole weekend, with a candle.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

This one posted fine but the plant pics stop halfway. Will try again tomorrow.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Lol, it lived until March?! Awesome. How cool you got to have a real JoL for your M&T!! I wonder what type of pumpkins your rogues will turn out to be...they will be a mix of this parent pumpkin and anything they could have cross pollinated with when it grew...unless the farmer who grew that pumpkin kept them pure and no cross pollination, then they will be exactly that pumpkin. It will be a surprise to see what you get!!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

If they make it WK! Keeping my fingers crossed! LoL


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Gorgeous jack there! We still have a couple mini pumpkins kickin from last year. 


Well, official water restrictions come down last week. The pumpkins aren't where I would have liked them prior to that getting handed down, and we're leaving for Yellowstone tomorrow, so I can't get creative using grey water to suppliment them either. Have a neighbor coming to water what we're allowed for the week, whatever survives will be strong, that's all I can really say.


The tomatoes and corn will be fine, the peppers should survive. The basil and pumpkins are a crap shoot. 


Chance of rain thurs/fri would really help things out.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I hope you get that rain, UnOrthodOx! I wish I could send you some of mine. The rain and wind all day yesterday was seriously, seriously heavy...I was so worried about my garden!! We had to keep going outside and covering my WBLs by the garage...the rest of the plants were on their own. Somehow, they all made it. The carrots are all flattened down, but are slowly fluffing back up as the day goes on. Only lost a couple smaller ones. My tomatoes are flowering...and soaked. I hope they had a chance to get some pollination going on before all that insane rain washed it all away. The Sage is all flattened, too. I am hoping the get some strength back and don't break off...some unknown insect is nibbling them all, too. Pumpkins and Cucumbers seemed to enjoy it, lol.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

< Doing my best Sesame Street Count >

Three! THREE pumpkin seedlings! Ha ha ha ha!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

boo who? said:


> < Doing my best Sesame Street Count >
> 
> Three! THREE pumpkin seedlings! Ha ha ha ha!


Yays!!!! Awesome sauce!!


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## frostytots (Jul 3, 2014)

Anyone have a "go-to" brand of seeds they like to use? This is my first year gardening. I've had the best success with the "organic" Ferry-Morris seeds thus far. I would like to see what you all prefer


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

We've always liked burpee's


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I prefer Burpee, too. Organic for anything I plan on eating. Pumpkins, regular or organic are great.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Some of the rogues in the woods


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I think we've hit the point where the rain is done for the summer, and will only come sporadically now. Watering time, in other words.


As far as seeds go, I've not had great luck with Burpee or Ferry Morse. My best plants, like the big maxes and this year's corn, have come from a local-ish seed company (River City Seed Co, no web presence) and were purchased locally too. Mostly just convenience, but they've done very well. I actually ordered JBL seeds on Amazon.


Unfortunately, when last I put out plants, 3/4 have shriveled up and died. I think I didn't wait long enough to set them out, and they weren't strong enough to handle it. These were the seeds I'd saved from last year. I've got 5 more coming up, and that'll about fill the row, so no major loss but it's irritating. But same with a lot of the things I've tried to plant: blueberries, rhubarb, tarragon, lavender, garlic chives - all DOA.


Everybody else is doing pretty good, nice slow but noticeable growth. Two rows of corn coming up, and I bought a pair of tomato plants too.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

When you are moving seedlings from indoors to outdoors, you need to give them time to adjust to being outside in the pots before transplanting into the ground by hardening off. Take them outdoors slowly a little at a time, during the day only, at first. Slowly keep them outdoors a little longer, then overnight. Once they are used to the weather, you can transplant. Also, you need to make sure the roots aren't disturbed when planting. If they are, that can kill the seedling, too.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Nasty storms...again, the past couple of days...many more to come the next two weeks. I had to run out yesterday and start staking things, moving extra dirt around the base of the plants, ect as the wind was ripping them all from the ground again. Sigh. Everybody looks pretty happy, though, today. Pumpkins are getting bigger...should be starting to vine out any day now.






























Here's a quick pic of the whole new garden...the two tomatoes in the center are insanely, crazy huge and full...and they just keep growing!! How on earth will the tomatoes have room to grow and develop in that mess of leaves and branches, lol. There are flowers all over. They are certainly happy, healthy plants! If I had known they'd get so full I would have placed them a little further apart! Jalapeno peppers on the bottom left are doing great, peppers are forming. Carrots are fluffing up nicely right behind them...hard to see in this pic. Sage starting to fill out to the left of the peppers...but still getting nibbled by something. Cucumbers in the back, left, starting to vine and climb. The size of the tomatoes may force me to remove the smaller cucumber plant (hiding behind the fence post, right to the left of the tomatoes), though, and concentrate on the larger one...we will see. Triple Treat pumpkins are both on the right with lots of room to fill out and up. Lavender filling out nicely in the front...there were more blooms, but I have been harvesting like crazy, lol. Lots of dried lavender hanging in my kitchen! 









You can see three pumpkin seedlings in pots in the center walkway...there were more, but I was able to find a home for two of them yesterday with my aunt and uncle. I hope they grow for them!! My husband is finding out if his friend/coworker would like the remaining three seedlings. they really need to get planted, lol. I cannot bring myself to just toss them!!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Pine needles...pine needles everywhere! My yard, my driveway, my sidewalks, my gutters, my gardens, my garage...in my house!!! Ug. If you look at the bottom corners of the picture of the pumpkin in the big green pot, you can see the thick layer of needles on the patio. Sigh, lol. Every time it rains, snows, the wind blows, we get a snowfall of needles. Good mulch for the plants as they break down, I suppose, at least, lol.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Four! Ha ha ha ha!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Witchy Kitty, are triple treat pumpkins less viney and more bushy? Because the last time we grew any kind of squash they took up miles of room. One plant covered 12'x16' easy.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Well, I am off to a decent start. I have 24 plants growing in their peat pots. Thank goodness that I use that ziplock trick that I learned from this forum last year. I had one packet of seeds where none of the seeds germinated in the ziplock. I would have been mad if I had spent the time putting them in pots.

I did get lazy this year and did not order my seeds from Burpee. I figured seeds were seeds and just bought them from local stores. My Burpee germination rate was almost 100% last year where this year I had 75% from two packs and 0% from another. Plus, the Burpee pack had more seeds in it. Next year, I will not skimp on seed quality.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

IshWitch said:


> Witchy Kitty, are triple treat pumpkins less viney and more bushy? Because the last time we grew any kind of squash they took up miles of room. One plant covered 12'x16' easy.


This is my first year trying Triple Treats. I have tried to find info online about vine size, but there isn't much out there. On the very few places I have read about them, there were varying vine lengths...some said large vine, others said around 8 feet. I do know they are a normal vine, not bush or semi bush. Bush and semi bush are what I was truly needing, really, for my garden. 

I finally found a garden forum somewhere where a guy who actually grew them stated that the vines got to about 7 to 8 feet long, give or take. However, he grew them in very large containers, which in my experience, can make the vines a little shorter than they would normally get. Sooooo, basically, since I cannot find much vine info, I am basically a guinea pig for these pumpkins, lol. I am hoping that they are, in fact, a shorter vining pumpkin. 

This is why I normally grow Jack Be Littles and other mini varieties...their vines get about 6-10 feet...unlike larger varieties which can get from 15-20 feet...some even up to 30 feet! I am taking a gamble on these TTs because I really wanted to grow a true pumpkin but don't have much room...hoping the vines are truly shorter!!

A note: one thing I have done in the past, is if my pumpkin vines start to get too long for where I have them...and I have a safe, healthy good amount of growing pumpkins on the vines already...I will nip the ends of the vines to halt growing. Just take off the tiny tip of new leaves on the very end. People who are growing giant pumpkins usually do this, too, once they have their big ones they want to grow picked out, that way each vine gives it's growing energy to the pumpkin growth and size rather than vine length or pumpkin quantity. Just make sure that if you do this, there are plenty of vine and leaves present, because the plants need the leaves to collect the sun and nutrients. You wouldn't want to nip the ends of the vines when they are only a couple feet long and a few big leaves, lol. 

If you don't want to nip, and your pumpkin fruit type isn't too big (mini to small/medium sized) you can always grow UP like I do, rather than out, by trellising.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Col. Fryght said:


> Well, I am off to a decent start. I have 24 plants growing in their peat pots. Thank goodness that I use that ziplock trick that I learned from this forum last year. I had one packet of seeds where none of the seeds germinated in the ziplock. I would have been mad if I had spent the time putting them in pots.
> 
> I did get lazy this year and did not order my seeds from Burpee. I figured seeds were seeds and just bought them from local stores. My Burpee germination rate was almost 100% last year where this year I had 75% from two packs and 0% from another. Plus, the Burpee pack had more seeds in it. Next year, I will not skimp on seed quality.


The ziplock definitely saves time and energy on germination. I always do this. Sooo much easier to weed out the duds, only planting the ones that did germinate! Just a quick thought, though, on your whole packet that didn't germinate...how long did you leave them to try to germinate? I am noticing that here on the forum, and even people I have been talking to here where I live, are having issues with long germination times this season for some odd reason. Some of mine took longer than others, too. People have had a lot of duds, too, though, so it could be either issue. Very strange year for seeds...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Looks like most the pumpkins survived. Had 2-3 die while we were out, would have liked to have seen whether it was watering or slugs. 


Also of note, something is depositing a lot of half eaten cherries. If it was people, I might expect 1-2, but we got TONS in the garden. No idea where THAT is coming from. (or what yard, to be honest, SOUR this time of year...)

Not looking like a good corn year. Early may plantings were too wet, late may plantings are struggling with the heat now. Maybe no corn tunnel this year.

Tomatoes are doing great, however. 


So:

Corn: doing fine once established, seedlings struggling.
Pumpkins: Doing fine once established, seedlings struggling.
Tomatoes: Thriving
Potatoes: Cant get rid of! Where the hell did they come from?
Peppers: So-so. Hail hit them hard. 
Basil: Struggling
Thyme: Thriving
Rosemary: Thriving
Sunflowers: so-so
Raven Grass: Split our main bunch, so going to be a down harvest year.
Milkweed: EXPLODING EVERYWHERE!

Most the flowers/bushes Talia picked out are doing great as well. One lavender struggling, I should probably do a soil test in that area, everything seems to struggle there. 2 feet to either side seem fine, but right there...


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Looks like most the pumpkins survived. Had 2-3 die while we were out, would have liked to have seen whether it was watering or slugs.
> 
> 
> Also of note, something is depositing a lot of half eaten cherries. If it was people, I might expect 1-2, but we got TONS in the garden. No idea where THAT is coming from. (or what yard, to be honest, SOUR this time of year...)
> ...


I need to find out what raven grass is, sounds cool! A corn tunnel would be hysterical in our yard, have never gotten corn to be taller than waists high here!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Or trellised pumpkin is hanging in there LoL!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

IshWitch said:


> I need to find out what raven grass is, sounds cool! A corn tunnel would be hysterical in our yard, have never gotten corn to be taller than waists high here!


Before we dug out the garden, I started planting the raven grass as a substitute for corn. 

It's a cane grass that gets 12' tall. IIRC, it's native to michigan or somewhere similarly north, so hardy to cold and handles our 100 degree summers fine here. 

Here's a pic of just the raven grass in the corn tunel last year, Each stalk just poked into the ground, it's almost as tough as bamboo. 












http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Perennials/Grasses/Grass images/saccharum_ravennae.htm


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I am going to head out today and pick up some annual flowers to plant in/near my new garden. I normally have soooooo many bees, but so far this year they are few and far between. I am sure they will be around when my pumpkins finally start to flower, but my cucumbers are already flowering and I need the bees. I can always hand pollinate, like I do for the pumpkins, but help from the bees is always easier. 

All of the rain could, also, be deterring my bees. It just will not stop raining and storming. Weeks of this...seriously, every single day. It is insane. Still weeks more to go, too. I am very worried about fruit set this year for anything that needs pollination. Doing my best to help that along, but with all the moisture, there's never much pollen left. Sigh.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

I'm soooo excited~growing pumpkins for the first time EVER Probably have too many plants...
better safe than sorry. Corn got planted this morning too. Fingers crossed XX


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yay, punkineater!!! I can't wait to see how everyone's crops do this year. It looked like a dismal start, but things seem to be slowly perking up for everyone this year.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I've got a baby pumpkin!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yay, Madame Leota!!! The first baby pumpkin!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I just got my marigolds planted in the garden and in my planters. They will hopefully help repel problematic insects (...and hopefully won't draw slugs, lol.). I wanted to add in some appealing flowers for the bees, but there wasn't too many choices at the garden center I went to. It was too hot and humid to day to look further. I'll have to look another day for flowers to attract bees.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Thanks UnOrth!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Congrats on the new baby, Madame L!


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## frostytots (Jul 3, 2014)

Going to try and take some photos tonight, I planted Heirloom pie pumpkins, casper, minis, big max and jack o'lanterns. Fingers crossed that everything makes it through this 115 degree weather and monsoon season!


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

frostytots said:


> Going to try and take some photos tonight, I planted Heirloom pie pumpkins, casper, minis, big max and jack o'lanterns. Fingers crossed that everything makes it through this 115 degree weather and monsoon season!


...you & I will have the same obstacles to overcome~sounds like you've done this before~that gives me hope

Woot woot on the baby, Madame Leota~it's bootiful!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

It's good to see so many people's plants doing so well!
We just got home from a week-and-a-half vacation. DH had a guy come and look after things-- check on the cattle, feed the dog, keep my chickens fed and watered, etc. He's very good, and takes initiative when he sees something that needs doing. He took it on himself to mow our lawn, which was really going the extra mile. The sad part--- he saw some weeds coming out back, next to the field, and he mowed them off, too. What he didn't see-- it was my pumpkin patch.  It was warm and rainy while we were gone, so the weeds got a jump-start. I had the pumpkin plants mulched up close around the bases, but I can't blame him for not seeing them in the quick-growing weeds. 
It's so disappointing; they were doing so well (looks like 7 to 10 big leaves cut off per plant). There are a couple plants that might be able to come back, and I do still have a few minis in the garden. At this point I really have no idea what I still have a chance of getting from the big ones-- Cinderella's carriage, One Too Many, or Red Warty. I label the germinating seeds, because if I get poor results from one type, I can start a few more of that variety. I didn't bother to make waterproof labels when I transplanted out. It would be rather late to start new seeds if I find I lost some by the last half of June. I'll find out when the start to ripen. 

The gourds escaped unscathed, since I had them planted somewhere else.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Awww...I'm sorry to hear about your plants!! I hope some of them pull through! I would maybe start just a few more seeds germinating, just in case...if you plant now, they might still get pumpkins before or close to Halloween if they aren't TOO big of a pumpkin type...
Let us know how things go!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

It is the larger ones that got taken out, but you're right-- I don't have much to lose by trying to start a couple more left-over seeds. They've lost 6 weeks compared to the others, but I could get lucky and conditions could be right for them to still ripen. It's worth a try!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

So sorry to hear that ooojen.  Could stick a seed right down in next to the damaged one and let it go to work.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

Awww, sorry about your pumpkins ooojen! Your guy was probably tickled over the 'good deed'. We had a critter sitter decide to trim my rose bushes. Same unfortunate results. Hopefully, you can get some seedlings going~if nothing else, they'll be good to go for Turkey Day!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Bummer about the loss, ooojen Hope you can find a fast growing type.

Put my four in the ground today. Three look happy.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Thanks for the commiseration, folks! Sadly, our growing season is rather short. We usually have a killing frost before September is over, but it's still worth a try. ...and I guess it's better to have the pumpkins mowed off than roses hacked to bits. I only had 6 weeks or so invested in them.

If I get some that don't quite make it to ripening, but look like they'd keep a while, I could always paint them.


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## frostytots (Jul 3, 2014)

What a bummer, sorry to hear about your plants ooojen


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## frostytots (Jul 3, 2014)

Finally got a couple decent photos. This isn't all the plants, but you get the jist. This is my first real year gardening, so it's been a real learning experience. I did some direct seeding and container seeding, and those plants seem to have done the best. The ones I pre-sprouted (not pictured) just don't seem as hearty.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Updated pics of mine: 

Wee Be Littles:
















Triple Treats:


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## Spookywolf (Aug 4, 2012)

Hello everyone! I've been lurking about on your thread for a week or so and got inspired to try pumpkins for myself. I've grown tomatoes & peppers, etc. in my smallish city garden, but never pumpkins. So, I bought two packs of Burpee seeds, couldn't find the ones everyone had mentioned here, so settled for what I could find at Lowe's. Since I was already so late getting started, I just dug a couple of holes and dumped the packs in, not really expecting much to happen, or maybe to get 1 or 2 plants, if lucky. Well, I now officially have a lot of sprouts coming up and suddenly I realize that I'm not going to have room for as many plants as I actually got. I'm excited and panicked at the same time!  What am I going to do with them all? So, should I attempt to dig up a few of them and relocate to a better spot in the yard? Will sprouts that small survive transplanting? Need some help from the experts. And btw, thanks for all the inspiration to even attempt these. I figure that I'm only out the cost of some seeds if it goes badly, but it's at least fun to try. Guess we'll see how it goes!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

If they were all together in a hole, trying to dig some up will just upset the entire lot. Afraid my recomendation is to just pinch off sprouts to 1 per hole. (pinch, not pull)


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> Updated pics of mine:
> 
> Wee Be Littles:
> 
> ...


Oo, look at em climb!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

I gotta get pics soon. 

3rd year mystery seeds are doing FANTASTIC! 

The Wolf Mysteries are set and ready to explode.
A couple volunteers are REALLY shooting off. 

Everything else is just getting it's legs. Milk it all along through this 100 degree weekend, and we should be good.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yes, Spookywolf, your best bet is to just pinch off all but the one strongest pumpkin seedling in each hole. If you do anything to pull or dig any out, you will hurt all of the roots, as they will all be entangled together from being planted all together. Each pumpkin plant needs a lot of space. It depends on what pumpkins you got as to how much space, it should say on the packet...but it will more than likely be several feet or more between each plant. The varieties I have gotten usually say about 6-8 feet spacing...but I get smaller varieties. Larger ones could need more, you'd have to check your packet. Those vines can get from 6 to 30 feet long, depending on the type! I don't have much sunny room for pumpkins, which is why most of mine are set to climb. The one I have planted in the pot is a mini pumpkin...it will spill out over the pot to the ground and crawl across my patio, lol. I don't get as many pumpkins from the potted one as I do in the ground ones, but it sure looks awesome! Good luck with your first pumpkins!!

UnOrthodOx, yeah, my Triple Treats are starting to climb FAST now, lol. They just suddenly took off. I am excited and hope I will get my first actual pumpkins this year, besides the minis that I usually grow. I can't wait to see your pics!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

For the record, planting closer than the required space generall means smaller fruit than the package says, but severe crowding will mean 0 fruit.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

How close you can plant them depends on the resources available-- to a point. If they're in full sun with good air circulation, quality soil, and ample moisture, they can succeed closer together than they would if the above elements were lacking. Even with excellent conditions, I wouldn't leave more than three to a hill. It being your first year growing pumpkins, I would agree that your best bet would be to pinch off the extras and just leave one or two.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I guess I should amend my above post, lol...I would give the most space possible per plant for the best results, but like UnOrthodOx and ooojen said, it is completely possible to grow them in closer spaces, depending on various things. They know what they are talking about! They are pumpkin pros!! 

My two Triple Treats are closer together than I would like in my little new garden area (four feet apart), but like you said, ooojen, they get tons of sun there, lots of good air flow, and the soil is packed with nutrients...plus occasional fertilizing. All of that, with the added fact that they will be free to climb all over that fencing and grow out in the bottom, I am hoping they will do alright. If I had more sunny space, I would have preferred they were further apart. 

A huge part of me just wanted to toss a plant or two out back in the mostly shaded areas...just to see what they'd do. However, I decided that it would be pointless, because it's close to the back alley where the neighborhood kids run around, and if I happened to get any pumpkins, they would more than likely just get stolen, anyway. I have a hard time keeping the kids out of the ones right by my house...there's no way I'd keep them out of ones out that far back where I can't see them...I can't even plant flowers back there without someone picking them.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

..progress on my two pumpkin patches so far...I think some plants are too close, but hoping the good soil and full, hot sun will supersede overcrowding issues. Can't bear to kill off any of them, now that I'm finally growing some! The big garden is Triple Treats and JOL's, the smaller front yard plot are the Big Moons. And I see tiny, green sprouts of corn coming up too! First time for that crop as well.
We have a resident little cottontail who seems to like eating my sunflowers, but not the pumpkins. Fingers crossed it doesn't like corn either. How far along, in the growth process, before the pumpkins vine out?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Look at all of your pumpkin plants!!!! I love it! I'm so jealous of how much room you have for growing.

For vining, I think it just depends on type, soil/nutrients, water/weather, ect. as to when they will begin to vine. As you can see in my pics, my Wee Be Littles are still bushy, but my Triple Treats are now vining. I planted them all...eh, a little over a month ago?


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> However, I decided that it would be pointless, because it's close to the back alley where the neighborhood kids run around, and if I happened to get any pumpkins, they would more than likely just get stolen, anyway.


We had a volunteer one year...

There's this dirt patch on the side of the garage. There are 2 bushes of indeterminate type in there, and there were some irises as well (I moved the irises last year).

anyway, it's a square of dirt that as far as I can tell the only real function is to act as a receptical for the water on the down spout right there. It gets some sun in the spring, but none in the summer. NO water is hooked up save whatever the downspout provides. WEEDS DIE THERE. The bushes must be some kind of desert something, and the irises would rise in the wet spring and die swiftly. 

Anyway, a pumpkin sprouted up in the corner of this thing. It's sandy, crappy dirt. It'll never last, I thought. Produced 2 pumpkins there, full shade all summer, only watering was the occasional lefover ice from a cooler if we had gone somewhere, at most once a week, mostly less. 

I say give it a shot Been tempted to move the bridge of death and try a pure french pumpkin patch in the shade between the trees where it sits. They don't like my heat anyway, see if they work in the shade. That would mean finding somewhere else for the bridge...


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> Look at all of your pumpkin plants!!!! I love it! I'm so jealous of how much room you have for growing.
> 
> For vining, I think it just depends on type, soil/nutrients, water/weather, ect. as to when they will begin to vine. As you can see in my pics, my Wee Be Littles are still bushy, but my Triple Treats are now vining. I planted them all...eh, a little over a month ago?


Thanks, Witchy We lucked out & the home we bought has an acre of land, total. This was one of our old pot bellied pig pens..figured the soil would be 'nutritious' for planting without much fuss. The rest of it is sand, which needs heavy amending.

Gottcha. I think my babies are only about 2&1/2 weeks old now. All of your plants look soooo healthy & well taken care of~hope mine do half as well. Do I need to do anything to the plants before they flower?
I'm thinking self-pollination, just to be sure...used to do that when we had a huge tomato garden (27 plants) and it made all the difference in getting tons of 'maters, which is about all I've ever tried to grow garden-wise.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

punkineater said:


> Thanks, Witchy We lucked out & the home we bought has an acre of land, total. This was one of our old pot bellied pig pens..figured the soil would be 'nutritious' for planting without much fuss. The rest of it is sand, which needs heavy amending.
> 
> Gottcha. I think my babies are only about 2&1/2 weeks old now. All of your plants look soooo healthy & well taken care of~hope mine do half as well. Do I need to do anything to the plants before they flower?
> I'm thinking self-pollination, just to be sure...used to do that when we had a huge tomato garden (27 plants) and it made all the difference in getting tons of 'maters, which is about all I've ever tried to grow garden-wise.


I hand pollinate my pumpkins and my cucumbers...even if I have plenty of bees, just to make sure. Though, I only have a few plants or so to deal with...not sure I'd want to hand pollinate every flower on like, twenty plants, hahaha! Maybe a few on each...depends on how ambitious I was feeling. 

My tomatoes are driving me crazy. I have nearly five foot tall beautiful, healthy plants...tons of flowers...but not a single tomato. It has been raining and raining since they began to flower, so its hard to get them to pollinate with so much moisture and humidity. We have had a couple days just yesterday and today where the sun finally came out for a little while, so these past two days (and any day where the rain stopped for five seconds!!) I have been doing everything I can think of to help them pollinate...vibrating the cages, touching/lightly shaking each flower bunch to help spread pollen, going center to center of each flower, adding some fertilizer in case they were low on fruiting nutrients, ect. Tomatoes are one thing I have never grown, so I am at a loss. Everything else is doing wonderfully...cucumbers and peppers are already fruiting.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

You folks have some fantastic-looking plans coming! 
It looks like a couple of my mowed-off plants have growth points left below where they were cut off, so there's a little chance of getting something from them yet. Several are a loss, but there's hope for a couple.
WitchyKitty-- Are you using a low N fertilizer for your tomatoes? If so, there's not much more you can do but hope for some sunshine and bee action. Good luck.
BTW, I do agree with you about giving pumpkins a lot of space if you have the space to give. I always get a tiny bit greedy and crowd them just a little so I can have more different varieties (especially with gourds). Having lived here for a lot of years, I know what I can _generally_ get away with (though a very wet year or a very dry year can mess things up). If I were to try growing pumpkins somewhere else, even just a few miles away, I'd give them the recommended space at first, and adapt later if it looked like they had everything they needed.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I'm glad some of your plants may pull through!! Keep us updated! I am definitely curious. I am sure several people would like to know if a pumpkin plant can successfully survive and grow back if mowed down.

As for the tomatoes, yeah, I know the nitrogen can affect tomato growth. Bees don't actually do much for tomato pollination. They are self pollinating (male and female on each flower). Wind does more work for pollination than bees...though bees can help a little by moving the flowers around when they land on them. I have been continuing to vibrate the plants and touch all the flower centers (which it how it says to hand pollinate tomatoes) whenever there was a dry patch of mid day...and I FINALLY see some babies! WOOT! I am glad some started, because the constant rain is coming back. Blah. 

Speaking of bees, though. It would be nice if I had some this year!!! The weather must be keeping them away. I am worried. I always have so many happy little bees in my gardens...where are they this year??


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Most of them are either completely dead, or nearly so-- pretty sad, like this:








But this and one other are making a valiant effort to survive:








Fortunately, they have some low-to-the-ground meristem. If it rains any time soon, I'll make holes in the bottoms of the hacked-off petioles so they don't fill with water and start rot. As long as it's sunny, I'll leave them intact, because they can still do some photosynthesizing to help out until the new little leaves can support the plant.

I started my tomatoes from seed, and they're just starting to bloom. It's true that honeybees have virtually no interest in them, but if you can get the *right* bees (bumblebees for one) they have a nifty trick called sonication (sonic or "buzz" pollination) that can help you get more, and larger tomatoes. They hold the flower and buzz at just the right frequency to stimulate maximum pollen release. Nature is so amazingly cool!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh yeah, I did read about that sonication thing, too. I forgot. I usually have lots of bumblebees. I wish I had some bees of any form right now...  I have never had a year with no bees. All I have are a few wasps right now. 

Happy to see tiny leaves on your cut down plants. Hopefully they will take off!

One of my Triple Treats just hit the top of the fence today...now I am trying to figure out where I want to lead it to, lol. My Wee Be Littles are staying bushy, for some reason. I have never grown this variety, so i have no clue if this is normal...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Wow, it sounds like your Triple Treats are really taking off! I read that they're a naked seed variety (very thin seed coat). Was that noticeable when you planted your seeds? I like toasted pumpkin seeds, but not so much hulling them, so that aspect interests me. I could go for easy pepitas!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> Wow, it sounds like your Triple Treats are really taking off! I read that they're a naked seed variety (very thin seed coat). Was that noticeable when you planted your seeds? I like toasted pumpkin seeds, but not so much hulling them, so that aspect interests me. I could go for easy pepitas!


Yes, they are a naked seed variety...hence the "triple" treat name: Great for Seed Roasting, Carving and Pies. Normal pumpkins seeds are mostly cream colored...but the Triple Treat seed coats are thin enough that you can sort of see a little of the interior color through them...a brownish green.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, besides the constant rain and storms we have been getting, today we are under watches/warnings for some very nasty storms. Very, extremely high winds, damaging hail, more heavy rain and tornadoes. Sigh. I just moved my potted pumpkins off of the plant stand on the patio and put them on the ground up against the garage (...and that thing is majorly heavy, lol). I added extra ties to support the rest of my pumpkins and my cucumbers. We will see how much damage I end up with...hopefully none...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Trade ya storms for the 104 degrees under water restrictions coming next weekend. The only good news is that by the weekend, most of what's left should be fairly set and able to tolerate in temps. Need to start training the tomatoes, and get something for some of the mysteries to climb. 

The high temps are GOOD for green growth, but BAD for making baby pumpkins. 
I think the tomatoes are in heaven.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

It's like we are having extreme opposite weather. I don't want dry, drought ridden 104 temps, either! I'd like to find a nice, happy medium where my area SHOULD be right now. 
I'm not so sure you want our storms, though...damage to vehicles, houses and outdoor anything is pretty crummy. I'd rather lose a pumpkin plant than my roof...It can get pretty scary sometimes.

(Although losing a pumpkin plant would still be pretty devastating to me, lol. I really love my pumpkins! )


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Grrrr! Now THIS is why I only buy well established nursery plants! My job takes me away from home 2-4 days at a time. When I left Thursday night, all four plants looked pretty happy. I just got home and see that some sort of bug has made lace out of 90% of the leaves. Expecting heavy rain tonight- so no sense in spraying now. Will spray whatever is left in the morning.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh no! I hope they perk back up!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

I decided to spray and "rainhat" them with waxed paper held down with rocks - allowing airflow. Screening material works best, but I didn't have any. Will see what happens in the morning. Fingers crossed.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Good luck!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, I knew we had terrible storms coming yesterday, so I ran out and made sure everything was as safe and secure as I could make it. (veggies, plants, patio furniture, ect.) I assumed my tomato plants would be okay, since they were held up by sturdy, large tomato cages and next to the fence wall of the garden...so i left them be. Well, I woke up this morning and though my pumpkins and such were, thankfully, fine...my tomatoes were not. The high winds and rain had flattened my five foot tall plants nearly to the ground, actually bending the cages! After I got off work today, I just spent some time trying to save them...bending the cages as best as I could to stand back up, cutting off all the broken, dead branches and having to tie the cages in several spots to the fence wall, plus adding rebar inside the cages. Grrrrrrrr. Here's to hoping they live...I am pretty sure this prop job won't hold through another storm...and we have more coming.

I guess I shouldn't complain, though...as the close, surrounding towns got hit even worse by tornado touchdowns. Lots of damage and some injuries.  We had warnings going off on the tv for hours last night, continuously for all our counties in the area. I hate tornado season...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Aw, that's a shame to have your tomatoes flattened after putting weeks of effort into them. I hope they rebound. 
We just got moderate rain this time, though areas near us got some flooding (4" of rain in short duration). 

I counted yesterday, and I have 35 gourds or small pumpkins in the garden (mostly the former). I also have 2 luffas, still only about an inch and a half tall and just getting their third true leaf. They're so slow, I don't know why I keep trying to grow them! If it doesn't freeze until Halloween, maybe I'll get something from them. Gourds on the other hand, have tendrils and male flower buds.
As to the mini pumpkins, they didn't appear to suffer much transplant shock. I rained right after I transplanted them, which didn't hurt. BUT, the mini seeds I planted in-ground caught right up with the weeks-older established plants. There wasn't any advantage this year in starting them early inside. That can vary, of course.

Later edit-- I have two hills of Luffas, so actually 4 plants.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I still find it odd that my Wee Be Littles aren't vining, just getting very bushy, so far. On the opposite spectrum, the Triple Treats are each just one, big long vine, with no branching or bushiness. It's strange to me, since my normal Jack Be LIttles I would grow would get both bushy and viney, all over like crazy in every direction, lol. At this point, I feel I should have switched the TT and WBL planting locations! Flower buds are forming all over all four plants, so that's excellent. My WBLs in the pot on the patio actually even have two babies already!!!! I am hoping a male flower will bloom at the same time as those so I can pollinate them. It's so early for babies, lol. 

Here is a pic of the tiny, new forming baby!! The second one was too small and hidden to get a clear picture of yet.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

That's what happened to my tomatoes as well, WK. The winds bent all the cages over. Luckily, nothing snapped and I was able to right them all with long pieces of rebar. Glad your pumpkins were OK. Will give my bug-munched pumpkins another spray tonight. At least there was no further damage this morning.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Aww, baby pumpkins! How exciting!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

My Triple Treat vines just keep getting longer and longer. One is at about 4 1/2 feet and the other is already at 6 feet! Still not bushy at all, just one, big long vine. It's starting to get little arms off of the main vine...but it's further down the vine, not at the base. This pumpkin is going to be very hard to trellis, lol. I think it would do better as a ground pumpkin, for those of you wondering about trying them next year. Next year I will plant them away from the base of the fence so they can be on the ground a bit before trailing up the fencing, if I grow them again. As for this year, it's interesting trying to get them trained and finding somewhere for them to go.

The Wee Be Littles both have babies on them now...both are still super bushy. I was confused about this, then I looked them up again: Semi-Bush plants. Duh!! Lol, how did I miss that in all my research?? My brain must have just forgotten. The one in the big pot should be okay, but I'm not sure what to do about the one against the garage with the trellis. It's looking like they won't climb, so the poor plant doesn't have much room to fill out in the back against the trellis. I am hoping it will be okay and not be too squished on the back side. The WBLs would have done soooo much better in my closed in garden. I think that would have been the perfect amount of space for them. Oh well, live and learn!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Part of the fun is learning by doing. I hope they turn out well for you! With babies already, they should be a sweeping success 
I replanted a couple each of the Cinderella's Carriage, Jaradale, and One Too Many, and while I was at it I threw in a couple Peanut and Hooligan (though the latter is usually available from the Amish.) If we have warm days and a late frost, there's a chance I'll get something. (Thanks for the replant encouragement, WitchyKitty!)


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## Spookywolf (Aug 4, 2012)

Witchykitty, I think I could have used one of your triple treats in the spot along my driveway. Not much room side to side but a Loonnngggg stretch for a vine to travel down. I'm learning a lot just by seeing what you guys are experimenting with. My baby plants are just sitting there. They've grown taller and have started developing true leaves, but haven't really started to vine yet. I'm becoming doubtful that I'll see any pumpkins by Halloween time. I planted a pack of Burpee seeds I got at Lowe's called "Halloween Blend." Not very descriptive as far as the kind they are. But the package says they are supposed to be a mix of both white and orange pumpkins. I also planted some gourds at the same time. Those seedlings are also just looking at me right now, like they don't know what they're supposed to do. Guess time will tell!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Sometimes pumpkins can take quite a while to get established, and then they'll suddenly take off and grow like crazy. You still have a very good chance of getting fruit.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yes, mine were small for awhile, then all of the sudden, BOOM! They took off overnight, and have been growing, like, a half a foot or more each day, lol. I seriously cannot get over how fast the TT vines are growing...just give yours a little more time to get their start and they should take off, too. I actually think my WBLs are starting too early...I'd hate to get pumpkins in the middle of the hottest part of the summer, as they could go bad before Halloween with all that heat and humidity.


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

WooHoo, I decided to log in and found this thread. FUN STUFF!! Ooojen, I am SOOO SORRY to hear about your garden. I'd have been SO upset! WK, your little walk-in garden is so adorable!! I've been debating something like this (thanks to a dog that loves to dig everywhere and eat everything, but still haven't convinced myself to actually do it. 

Hey, desert-folk (Greater Phoenix)! How are yours faring? I got a late start this year, and only got my seeds started 1.5 weeks ago. Was hoping for some monsoons to get them planted, but it's been d.r.y. Decided that this was the year to try to grow sunflowers (mammoth?) and sweet corn, but I think it may be too hot for all the little sprouts to survive. 

Sunflowers seem to be thriving (doing much better after I realized I didn't have to keep the ground constantly moist - whoops) but are only 5-6". Pumpkins have two mature leaves (but growing quickly!!) and haven't heard from the corn, yet. knock, knock!

Feeling like a slacker, though... I only started four Big Max pumpkin seeds (and only 3 are likin' me so far). Have a 10 x 15 area by the front door where I plan to plant them, but I have a few rows of corn planted there and a big bench taking up lots of room, so it's more like 10'x8', when it's all said and done... so probably good that only three have sprouted!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks, LadyGoats! I love my walk in garden...boy, is it filling in, though, lol. Next year I need to plant differently! 

Speaking of planting differently, every day I look at my Triple Treat vines growing taller and taller, I wish even more that I had planted them at the front of the garden bed to go back towards the fence, lol. Omgoodness, here is a pic of them, so far. If you can see, they start at the base of the wall, then go straight up...then, I started them each along the top, away from each other, and now, for lack of a better solution, I am trying to train them around to each side and then back down to the ground to come around to the front, lol. I have no idea what else to do. Anyone know if training them back down the fence will be okay and work??   









Oh, and my Wee Be Littles both have their first male flowers blooming! One of the females will be blooming tomorrow or the next day, already!! I hope there is a male open for me to pollinate it when it does!!!









My garden, today:









Oh, and I finally saw a bee today on my cucumbers!!! Woot! Lol, yeah, it was only one, but one is better than none!! Hopefully, he will tell his friends and I'll have more, soon! There is hope for this season, yet!!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Your fenced garden is beautiful! The plants are certainly thriving.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Still not having good luck with the giant orange and white plants. In the second planting, I put out 5, and 3 are dead and completely gone. I thought with the first bunch that I'd just put them out too early, but I dunno what's going on. I'll blame it on the frog I found out there.

The big maxes are starting to run though! They're doing quite well. I think the bug net is helping, not seeing any insect damage yet. *fingers crossed*

My first JBL also died when I put it out, so I've got 3 more started. Decided I'll put at least one in a pot, instead of out in the garden (of doom).

And my corn is up, between mid-thigh and waist tall.



I'll be happy if I get one good pumpkin this year, after zero last year. But I dug up about twice as much length as I needed if all these plants are just going to wither away. *sigh*


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Keep trying! Sometimes it takes a few seasons to get in the groove. At least you can grow them, summer is too hot for us. All the melons are peak season right now for us.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

... And then there were two...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I am keeping my hopes up for you guys having seedling troubles!!! {{Good pumpkin energy...good pumpkin energy...}}


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

The climbers are the mystery pumpkins, the rest are volunteers. Also some sunflowers in there. 










3 sisters garden.










Salsa garden.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

I just found out what 110 degrees with 40mph winds do to pumpkin plants. Hoping the extra watering, just now will
help, otherwise, it looks like half of the patch is a goner

Any suggestions besides mouth to mouth?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Not really sure for your area. If you just watered them, I hope you made sure to water the roots and not the leaves. Watering in the afternoon when the sun is hot can burn/kill your plants, too. 

Have you considered building a shade for them to block midday heat/sun? Also, using some kind of support to help protect against the high winds? I have done both of these in past years during really super hot or windy/stormy weather.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> Not really sure for your area. If you just watered them, I hope you made sure to water the roots and not the leaves. Watering in the afternoon when the sun is hot can burn/kill your plants, too.
> 
> Have you considered building a shade for them to block midday heat/sun? Also, using some kind of support to help protect against the high winds? I have done both of these in past years during really super hot or windy/stormy weather.


I only water in the morning, at the roots. Up until today, no problems. Hubby noticed they were wilting and some shriveled up about 3 hours ago and forgot to mention that to me, so I gave them another drink to try to revive them.

We just might have to do something for afternoon shade, I think it's too hot here. Apparently, pumpkins don't like crematory furnace temps.
Supposed to have thundershowers tonight-that might finish off the poor things. Dang.

Thanks for the afternoon shade tip! Will look into support ideas as well.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

punkineater said:


> I only water in the morning, at the roots. Up until today, no problems. Hubby noticed they were wilting and some shriveled up about 3 hours ago and forgot to mention that to me, so I gave them another drink to try to revive them.
> 
> We just might have to do something for afternoon shade, I think it's too hot here. Apparently, pumpkins don't like crematory furnace temps.
> Supposed to have thundershowers tonight-that might finish off the poor things. Dang.
> ...


Yeah, I use thin material that lets a tiny bit of light through, there is stuff you can buy specifically for shading plants, but I just use some of my weed block material I already have. I make a little tent out of it with dowels and put it up over the middle center of the plants...that way, they get morning and late afternoon sun from the sides, but that awful noon sun is mostly blocked or diffused. 

As for support, my plants are loosely tied up to trellis, fencing or stakes (depending on where the plant is) with soft, thin strips of that weed block material (that stuff has many garden uses, lol. You can use any soft material strips, though...just anything that won't strangle the vines) This helps them stay sturdy during our crazy windy days and storms.

Just a note: Every year, my Jack Be Little plant leaves would seem to droop and "wilt" from the super hot midday sun days...they would look nearly dead...but would always perk back up in the evening when the sun went down. You may just be experiencing that. A sun shade will help with that if it worries you or is very bad. If they stay wilted when the sun goes down...well, then they aren't happy. Also, maybe give them a little more water in the mornings?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Out of idle curiosity, I looked up where the most pumpkins are grown. "According to the University of Illinois, 90 percent of the pumpkins grown in the United States are raised within a 90-mile radius of Peoria, Illinois."
So WitchyKitty, you're not far out of the national pumpkin hot spot!


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## sikntwizted (Oct 26, 2007)

Got mine going. Planted them early June. Last time I tried, they all died at once. But that rice in the field on the side of me was looking great. Stupid over-spray. We'll see what happens this year.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> Out of idle curiosity, I looked up where the most pumpkins are grown. "According to the University of Illinois, 90 percent of the pumpkins grown in the United States are raised within a 90-mile radius of Peoria, Illinois."
> So WitchyKitty, you're not far out of the national pumpkin hot spot!


Yep! This is true! I am proud to be in the number one pumpkin state!!  It's about the only thing that makes living in this area any bit of interesting for me, lol. I am right in the middle of the biggest growing area. I'm surrounded by pumpkin patches. Most of the US's pumpkins are grown here. Libby's-Nestle (big supplier of canned pumpkin and other veggies) has it's pumpkin canning station near here, too, in Morton Illinois (next to Peoria). They produce about 80% of the worlds canned pumpkin and pumpkin products. Morton is claimed to be the pumpkin capital of the world. 
http://libbyspumpkinpie.com/ 
http://www.morton-il.gov/nestle-libbys-pumpkin-pie

I am very close to all of these places. We go to Peoria, about an hour away, to Tanner's Orchard to get our fresh apple cider and other things...super yummy!! They have lots of pumpkins and assorted Fall things in the Fall. Really good pumpkin squares, too, in their bakery! We also have Boggio's Orchard and Produce right next to us in Granville, just about 10 minutes or so away from our house, that we go to often for our Pumpkin Spice doughnuts and Apple Cider doughnuts (so awesome!!) and other things...they have a Fall Festival each year to start off the pumpkin picking season, and another local farm right next to us on the other direction in Peru, about 5 to 10 minutes or so away from our house, to get our big pumpkins each year for carving. Those are the larger, main ones we visit the most, but there are people selling pumpkins EVERYWHERE here in the Fall, lol. 

I really love pumpkins, lol. Fake ones, real one, food that tastes like pumpkin, things that smell like pumpkin...anything pumpkin! 

...did I mention that I really love pumpkins?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

sikntwizted said:


> Got mine going. Planted them early June. Last time I tried, they all died at once. But that rice in the field on the side of me was looking great. Stupid over-spray. We'll see what happens this year.


Good luck, sikntwizted!!!! Hopefully they don't spray your poor pumpkins this year!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

punkineater said:


> I only water in the morning, at the roots. Up until today, no problems. Hubby noticed they were wilting and some shriveled up about 3 hours ago and forgot to mention that to me, so I gave them another drink to try to revive them.
> 
> We just might have to do something for afternoon shade, I think it's too hot here. Apparently, pumpkins don't like crematory furnace temps.
> Supposed to have thundershowers tonight-that might finish off the poor things. Dang.
> ...


Yeah, we've been topping 100 as well, and I'm having to water morning, then go check in the evening for any wilters. I don't know if shade will help or not, but I've never seen pumpkins set when overnight temps are over 70.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

That sounds like fun, WitchyKitty! What a great way to get in the fall spirit (not that most of us need the encouragement!)
sikntwizted-- Do you know who owns the rice-growing land? If you're on decent terms, you could call them and ask nicely if they'd let you know a day ahead when they plan to spray. Then you could cover your plants with some cheap drop-cloth. That's what I do.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Yeah, we've been topping 100 as well, and I'm having to water morning, then go check in the evening for any wilters. I don't know if shade will help or not, but I've never seen pumpkins set when overnight temps are over 70.


What does that mean 'pumpkins set'? No flowers or baby pumpkins? Most of the time, the overnight temps are in the low to mid 60's here. If August is normal, then that month we might be low 70's overnight. Do _you_ give an extra shot of water in the evening if you have wilters? 
For the big pumpkin patch, if I'm not going to get pumpkins, it's not worth the water, as CA is in severe drought conditions.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

punkineater said:


> What does that mean 'pumpkins set'? No flowers or baby pumpkins? Most of the time, the overnight temps are in the low to mid 60's here. If August is normal, then that month we might be low 70's overnight. Do _you_ give an extra shot of water in the evening if you have wilters?
> For the big pumpkin patch, if I'm not going to get pumpkins, it's not worth the water, as CA is in severe drought conditions.


Female flowers have little tiny pumpkins at their base. I've never seen them actually "take" and start growing when overnight temps are over 70 even if I hand pollinate.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Female flowers have little tiny pumpkins at their base. I've never seen them actually "take" and start growing when overnight temps are over 70 even if I hand pollinate.


Ah, okay. Thanks for the info!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I hope your pumpkins make it through this heat, punkineater! I wish I could help you better, but I don't have the same climate as you, so I am not sure.


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Female flowers have little tiny pumpkins at their base. I've never seen them actually "take" and start growing when overnight temps are over 70 even if I hand pollinate.


Don't say that!!!!! Our lowest forecasted temp in the foreseeable future is 80.. There are times where the lows get to be nice, refreshing 90s.. Does this mean I'll never be able to grow fall pumpkins?! I'll have to plant them March for those temps..


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

LadyGoats-- In some climates 70 is not so bad, but if it's very dry (yeah, I know, that's your climate) or consistently in the* high* 70's at night, it can be a problem. One issue you can get in your climate is the flower's stigma can get dry. (No double entendre intended) The pollen has to stick, and the pollen grains have to germinate to reach the ovary where the seeds are to develop. That takes moisture, so extremely warm and dry air is an obstacle, especially if bees aren't so plentiful that they find the flowers soon after they open. 
Also, if it's very hot, the fruit can abort when the plant puts all its resources into survival. (Plants without so much fruit-to-seed ratio often do the opposite and set seed at the expense of their own survival.)
If possible, plant in a wind-sheltered spot, and of course water them well, and you may have some luck. If you do try planting very early, be sure to find varieties that are excellent keepers, or the fruits might rot long before Halloween.
Good luck! I hope you get good results for your efforts.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I am wishing I had stuck with my normal JBL's instead of the WBL's this year...I am unsure of how well they are going to do in comparison. They are so short and bushy for where I planted them...and I noticed two of the babies on them have aborted before even getting a chance to bloom.  The plants are young yet, though, so I am hoping this won't continue to happen as they get bigger and stronger. Our very cool, wet weather isn't helping. (Oh, and my resident chipmunk decided to put another hole right under my WBL plant, too...so I'm sure that's not helping anything!)

I do have one female that opened, already...but, unfortunately, there were no new males open that day. I decided to pluck some of the males that had been open the day before, open them back up and at least attempt to use them...even though I know much of their pollen is not viable anymore. I also plucked a male that was close to opening and used that, too...even though I knew the pollen wouldn't be quite ready yet. Sigh...who knows, maybe I will get lucky and it will take. Hoping maybe a bee with some pollen from somewhere else stopped by, too, but the weather is still keeping most of the bees away.

My TT's are still just vining away like crazy, lol. No idea what to do with them anymore. I have only just yesterday found a baby pumpkin on those...we will see if it will live and bloom. I hope so!!!


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

Pumpkin patch update: after the problem the other day, our weather has been cooler(80) and overcast; I think that helped with recovery. Today, temps are back on the rise. I've staked the vines, as suggested. Haven't gotten around to the afternoon shade yet. Will be watching the patch, late afternoon, for wilters. Check, check. 

Thank you, everybody, for your expertise and suggestions!

Before deciding to attempt pumpkin growing, I read through this thread. My first impression was, 'who knew pumpkins were so temperamental?!' So, bought the seeds, did the ziploc germination( which worked _too _well), planted all the little guys, and they took off great guns! Second impression, 'why all the fuss? That didn't seem so bad'. 
Oh, haha on you punkineater! Add in extreme daytime heat & high winds, sketchy nighttime temps, considerations that you don't always get male and female flowers at the same time, not enough humidity for pollination, bees...good grief! 

What are the odds of a pumpkin growing where I live, if WitchyKitty is experiencing difficulties right next to the pumpkin growing capital of the universe!!???

Totally calling it a MIRACLE if I get _A_ pumpkin

....now where did I put my Funkins....


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

punkineater said:


> Pumpkin patch update: after the problem the other day, our weather has been cooler(80) and overcast; I think that helped with recovery. I've staked the vines, as suggested. Haven't gotten around to the afternoon shade yet.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Lol, pumpkin growing capital of the universe...that made me LOL. 
There are plenty of people who have successfully grown pumpkins in warmer, drier climates...it might just take a little more work. Keep hanging in there and trying to keep the ones you have alive until they get stronger. All you can do is try and see what happens!

I never had problems the past years before...but this year, the weather is just all wonky, it's a little more difficult...plus growing two varieties that I've never grown before...one of which no one knows much about doesn't help, lol. 

Yeah, there are a lot of things to worry about...temps, weather, bugs, disease, soil, ect...and some of us really need to work against those things...on the other hand, I know many people who just let pumpkins do their own thing and forget about them for the most part, and they get pumpkins to grow, lol. You just never know from year to year!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ARG! I just accidentally snapped two secondary vines off of the main vines of my TT's...so depressed. Thankfully, they were just little, young branching vines, and there are plenty more, but I checked after they broke off and saw they each had a baby on them. Whaaaaaaa!!! These vines are quite fragile, compared to my JBLs! 

Since I saw that those two branches had babies forming, I went ahead and started to CAREFULLY peek at the others...and sure enough, super tiny babies are hiding in them! I was beginning to worry since the vines were so long and there were no pumpkins to be seen...I feel better about that but, now, I am worried about more breakage. I am now scared to touch them to continue to support/trellis them...but if I don't, they will get heavy with pumpkins and just break. This is going to be interesting, lol. I will get pumpkins off these vines...I am determined!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

I'm just letting nature take its course with our volunteer pumpkins out in the woods. Think I'll go out tomorrow and check on their status.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

IshWitch said:


> I'm just letting nature take its course with our volunteer pumpkins out in the woods. Think I'll go out tomorrow and check on their status.


How cool that you have forest pumpkins! The rest of us are gnawing our fingers off worrying about our little buggers Alba gu bràth!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

What do you guys like as far as chemicals? Uhhhh... I mean for the pumpkins.  I water with a Miracle Gro mix every 4-5 days until they fruit and spray with Sevin, Bonide Eight, or Concern if I see any sign of insect damage.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

The great thing about the second year of growing pumpkins is that small things don't worry you last year. Last year when my baby leaves were dying off, I was panicked that my plants were dying. Much less worrying this year that I am going to screw things up. Still got 28 plants going well.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

boo who?, this year I am trying to stay organic this year, if possible. I bought organic plant food I am trying. I usually use miracle grow, though, and it has always worked well for me. I also use organic soil with nutrients already in it.

As for bug issues, I only use it if I desperately need it. I have sevin dust and slug pellet things for major insect invasion emergency use, but I barely used them in the past...don't want to risk hurting the bees and good bugs. I'm going to try to not use them this year at all...hopefully. For mildew, I stay safe with water mixed with a bit of milk and a bit of baking soda and spray. I haven't resorted to chemicals for that, yet.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

boo who? said:


> What do you guys like as far as chemicals? Uhhhh... I mean for the pumpkins.  I water with a Miracle Gro mix every 4-5 days until they fruit and spray with Sevin, Bonide Eight, or Concern if I see any sign of insect damage.


Haha~that made me laugh! If these dang pumpkin plants keep giving us fits, my chemical of choice will be Prozac.



Col. Fryght said:


> The great thing about the second year of growing pumpkins is that small thing don't worry last year. Last year when my baby leaves were dying off, I was panicked that my plants were dying. Much less worrying this year that I am going to screw things up. Still got 28 plants going well.



Hail to the Great Pumpkin, I hope so! Feels like the Seven Plagues of Egypt-on a rotating schedule- just trying to keep a few plants going
How many plants did you have last year, and how many pumpkins did you harvest? 

WitchyKitty~hope that your climbers are okay! We put up some afternoon shade today, as per your suggestion, using a giant parachute. I think that will reconcile the 3-4pm droopies & wilters. Fingers crossed.

Vines are starting to go everywhere. Am I supposed to be looking for pumpkin babies, or doing something besides fretting?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I'm with WitchyKitty on the chems. I use rich soil, plant where there's good air circulation, and rotate crops so I don't plant them in the same place year after year. That minimizes what I need to apply. If I see vine borer, I'll trim the affected vine and deal with them mechanically. (I've only had one case in all the years I've grown pumpkins, gourds, and squash, but as the climate warms, new things move in, so I'm not going to get cocky!) If I get too many rootworm beetles I'll break out the Sevin, but that would be a desperation measure. I'd have to cover them, then to keep the bees off.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

Hello pumpkin planters! I have a question. I don't have a garden (apartments, I know...), but I'd like to try growing just one pumpkin plant in a pot on my terrace. How should I go about doing this? I also don't have a very green thumb, so lead me in the beginner's direction. Thanks in advance!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

We had a tornado yesterday! Going out now to fire up the chainsaw. Hope everything is okay in the garden.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Oh dear, IshWitch! Apparently your house is safe-- I hope the same is true of your gardens. Sorry about the trees/branches though.

HalloGeekHalfrican-- WitchyKitty should have some tips for you as she has successfully container-grown pumpkins before. I can only give generic container-plant advice, like making sure your container has very good drainage, and watering often. Feeding/fertilizing your plants is a good idea when their roots are restricted too (or you could use a potting mix that contains a gradual-release fertilizer.).
I'm not sure how much pumpkins are influenced by day-length------ ok, I looked it up  The answer is, "not very", so you're good in that respect if you want to plant minis now and your first frost date is at least 90-95 good growing days off. 

One more -- minis would be your best bet for a container, and they would probably be more fun for you, too. Standard-sized varieties generally only produce 1 to 2 fruits per plant (in containers), but 15 or 20 isn't unusual for the tiny ones.

Edit in-- I guess I should have said it isn't unusual for* some of *the tiny ones. The minis I planted seemed to do well enough, but they weren't nearly that prolific.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

IshWitch said:


> We had a tornado yesterday! Going out now to fire up the chainsaw. Hope everything is okay in the garden.


I hope everything is okay at your house!!


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

IshWitch - glad you're okay! Fingers crossed for the garden...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

HalloGeekHalfrican said:


> Hello pumpkin planters! I have a question. I don't have a garden (apartments, I know...), but I'd like to try growing just one pumpkin plant in a pot on my terrace. How should I go about doing this? I also don't have a very green thumb, so lead me in the beginner's direction. Thanks in advance!





ooojen said:


> Oh dear, IshWitch! Apparently your house is safe-- I hope the same is true of your gardens. Sorry about the trees/branches though.
> 
> HalloGeekHalfrican-- WitchyKitty should have some tips for you as she has successfully container-grown pumpkins before. I can only give generic container-plant advice, like making sure your container has very good drainage, and watering often. Feeding/fertilizing your plants is a better idea when their roots are restricted too (or you could use a potting mix that contains a gradual-release fertilizer.).
> I'm not sure how much pumpkins are influenced by day-length------ ok, I looked it up  The answer is, "not very", so you're good in that respect if you want to plant minis now and your first frost date is at least 90-95 good growing days off.
> ...



I grow Jack Be Littles in a container every year! (Trying Wee Be Littles this year, but I think JBLs work better). You have to have a good size container, first of all. The more room the roots have, and the more soil you have, the better size and amount of fruit you will have. Place the container where there is ample sunlight. Like ooojen said, you need good drainage, good soil and fertilizer. Since there is limited soil for the plant to grow in, that means there will be limited nutrients, too. I start with an organic composted soil that has added fertilizer in it already. Then, once the plant starts to take off, and the fertilizer in the soil starts to wear off, I begin watering with added fertilizer. 

I have grown in both a container on the ground, and one on a plant stand. If you have your plant on a table or stand, and you have lots of wind in your area, I would suggest doing what I did and lightly, loosely wrap a soft strip of cloth around the pot and around the main vine, as it starts to trail over the edge, to hold it steady as it grows towards the ground. High winds can blow the vines around that are just hanging out of the pot and cause breakage or disrupt the whole plant, moving the roots. I just let the vines trail down to the ground and do their thing...training them if needed to stay in one spot. The pots I had on the ground didn't need to be tied down because the vines hit the ground to steady themselves faster. 

From past experience, plants grown in a container will have slightly shorter vines and less amounts of fruit than ones grown with lots of space in the ground...but you will get fruit if you care for the plant right, and the plant itself sure looks pretty on the patio!!

As for my Wee Be Littles in the container this year, I have found they don't really vine out, but stay rather bushy...so if you choose to use one of those in a container, I would use a slightly wider container, and maybe build a quick tee pee like trellis over it for support. I have seen others grow pie pumpkins and larger pumpkins in containers, too...they just need bigger containers. I have seen people use 5-10 gallon buckets, rubbermaid storage containers...even baby pools!! My JBL mini pumpkins do fine in a regular big ol' pot, though. Here are a couple pics of my container pumpkins from last year:


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

...I would also agree, that this late in the season, if you are just starting, you should plant minis...they mature faster and you will have a better chance of having pumpkins for Halloween. Jack Be Littles are one of the easiest to grow...and they really put out the fruit! I would suggest these for you, especially since you want to container plant them and I know how well the do grown that way! (Also, if they are going to be on your terrace or patio, mini vines will take up a little less space.)

If you choose a bush vine type, like the Wee Be Littles I am trying this year, this is what I meant by a tee pee trellis...this is a pic I found online of someone growing WBLs:


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

IshWitch said:


> We had a tornado yesterday! Going out now to fire up the chainsaw. Hope everything is okay in the garden.


Hope all is well!


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

Got my very first pumpkin flower, ever, today! Thought the bigger pumpkin variety(Big Moon) would do it's 'thing' later than the other
two varieties, according to the seed package info..guess not. The BM's are in a small front yard patch, that gets afternoon shade from
our pine trees. The bigger patch, in the back yard(the troublesome patch), seems to be coming along. We will find out today if the afternoon shade is going to 
be the trick-temps 100+ again, and we will be gone in the later afternoon(wilt check time).

In the bigger patch, the vines are starting to intermingle. Am I supposed to cut off the ones growing in an undesirable direction, or just let them do their thing? I've tried to redirect some of the vines with stakes.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Your plants look great, punkineater!!


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Well, the garden seems okay, just a little tomato damage but they don't seem to die if bent over so not going to mess with it too much. Our wood fence got a crack, but that unfortunately happened during tree removal and not during the storm 
The tree we lost we were going to have removed, sooo that is at least a good thing. Debris everywhere. What a mess. But house is okay. Screen porch roof is bent but intact. Not going to call insurance I don't think, they raised our rate last time we had storm damage.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

That was yesterday, this is today


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

It's not letting me post the other pic, let me try a different one.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

A lizard keeps watch


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, I'm glad there wasn't too much damage, IshWitch, and that your garden is mostly okay (my tomatoes got bent over recently, too, from storms. I just propped them back up and they are doing fine...yours hopefully will, too!). I know how very, very not-fun major tree damage is to clean up...we have dealt with that twice now in the past few years...once from straight line winds/tornados a few years or so back, and once this past winter from a major snow storm. (besides many smaller branch/limb clean ups after smaller storms over the years.) I hope you can get it all cleaned up fairly easily. Sorry about your fence and porch roof ...thankfully, again, they aren't too bad, though.

...the guardian lizard is adorable!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Glad everyone is OK. Scary stuff! My storm bent-over tomatoes are also doing fine. Lost only an apple tree limb in the last F-0.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Some new pics of my vines today...first, the Triple Treats:






















Second, the Wee Be Littles:


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Babieeeeeees! Nice work WK!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Hahaha! I am hoping that bigger one on the Wee Be Littles pollinated well...that was the one that the female opened and there were no new male flowers open at the same time, so I did what I could. So far, it looks okay...we will see if it starts to grow! If not, there are more close behind and I can try again!


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## moonwitchkitty (Jul 22, 2012)

Beautiful gardens


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Go, little pumpkin vines, go!

So far, no bug damage. I say this tentatively.


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

My pumpkin plants (6 of them) are all starting to get tiny flowers on them! And I can tell a few of them are going to be male plants. I'm very excited to see this already. I'm a good month ahead of where I was last year and should have some good pumpkins come September/October.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I went away for a week and came home to find these beauties! The larger of the two is about the size of a cantaloupe and the smaller is maybe softball size.













[


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Those are looking great, Madame Leota! I'm anxious to see my own get far enough along that I know they've set fruit!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Wow, Mme Leota, those look spectacular!


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## McBernes (Mar 10, 2015)

We probably got started just a little late, but my wife and I took a trip to Home Depot and got a starter pumpkin vine and seed for more plants that have a planting range of May-July. Even if we don't get pumpkins this year maybe we will at least have some nice foliage to arrange around the inflatable 3' jack-o-lantern that we scooped up from Goodwill today for $5. We were told by an unusually helpful Home Depot associate that we need to attract pollinators in order to produce fruit. That might be a little of an issue, since there a few flowering plants around. But we'll give it a shot anyway.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yay! Someone has pumpkins already!! They look awesome, ML!

McBernes, you can always hand pollinate the pumpkin flowers, yourself!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Well, we're getting pumpkins set, and some mystery wolf seeds are a bush variety, some are not. 

Haven't seen any squash bees this year, but we have a big bumblebee hive under the shed now.


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## frostytots (Jul 3, 2014)

Kinda bummed. Went out to water and one of my guys turned up overnight. Noticing the largest of my plants in the above ground garden have started to get these granuals... doesn't look like the powder mildew I've seen online. Anyone know what it is/what the heck should I do? This is my first year, any advice is greatly appreciated!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

No, that's not powdery Mildew...I have no idea what that granule like stuff is...hmmm...it looks like sand. Odd...I'd have to do some research on that, unless one of our other pumpkin growers on here has seen this before.

I have been busy with family drama and issues the past few days, so my pumpkin plants haven't been tended to. I lost the first WBL pumpkin I had...I knew I would, though, since it wasn't pollinated correctly. There was a new one bloomed, today, though, and there were open males this time, so I hand pollinated it, here's to hoping that one takes. My TTs in the closed garden just went crazy with me not training them for a few days. I tried last night to retrain them, but couldn't do much as I didn't want to break them. So, I guess we will just see what happens. It's a jungle in there. I actually had to crawl on the ground under the pumpkin vines and the 6 foot tomato plants to get to them to work with them, lol. I should have my first TT female blooming tomorrow or the next day.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

Oh no, frosty! These folks are expert pumpkin growers, I'm sure somebody will have advice. I'm in the same boat
as you; first year noob.

Happy to report that, this morning, I found two baby pumpkin bumps! And bees! Vines everywhere. Kinda scary poking around
under all those leaves..we have 3 kinds of poisonous snakes here. Yesterday, while nosing around, a big alligator lizard scurried
out-not only did I almost shart my pants, but I did a horizontal leap that American Ninja Warrior would be proud of.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

frostytots said:


> View attachment 244976
> View attachment 244977
> View attachment 244978
> 
> ...


Ok, that's a new one. MOST LIKELY, that's Insect caused. 

It COULD be frass (insect poop) from any number of general pests, or flea beetles can be that small if you're not sure they aren't alive...or some bizaar kind of fungus I'm unaware of. 

I don't often advocate chemical solutions, but this is a case to try one. Get a combo spray, Immunox or similar. Fungus and bug all in one death spray. 

http://www.spectracide.com/Products-and-Solutions/Disease-Fungus-Control.aspx


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Okay, at least I'm not the only one stumped on the sand like stuff on those leaves. I agree, bomb those babies with the stuff UnOrthodOx said, lol.

Awesome you have babies and bees, punkineater!!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I don't know either. If the bumps are raised up, and not attached, I'd guess insect or mite issues (mites often start out under the leaves. How do the under-sides of your plants leaves look?) ; if they're attached, I'd guess some sort of fungal fruiting body, but again, just a guess.
I don't know whether this will help, but you could give it a look:
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/DiagnosticKeys/CucurLeaf/CucLeafKey.html#Anthracnose
Cucurbits' fungal diseases are often difficult to completely cure, so I hope it's something less pervasive!
Wow, Punkineater, you are elevated from noob to newb! You're doing great! 
I had my first 3 female flowers open today. The fruits behind them seemed firm, but uncharacteristically yellow. With pumpkins I've grown before, yellow immature fruit is a bad sign, but these are new to me and I won't assume the worst. They're not soft, so that's a good sign.
Of the 4 mower-survivors, 3 are starting to run. It put them behind, but if we don't get an early frost they should produce something. Only two of my replants sprouted. Something kept digging up the seeds and presumably eating them. There were small but deep-ish holes left behind where I planted. There has been a '**** hanging around, and it was probably he (or she). It probably found a worm or two in the soft, disturbed dirt, too. Anyway, I don't know whether the survivors will produce, but it didn't cost me anything to try.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I hope your survivors make it, ooojen!

I just built a bamboo teepee trellis for my potted WBLs. (I cut my thumb on the darned saw when doing so...hurts like all heck.) They are not as healthy as all the ones in the ground this year...we just keep getting too much rain and cool days. It's making the leaves slightly yellow. That plant is the one that has the females, though, and I just pollinated one on there, so hopefully it will hang in there and make me some pumpkins, lol. 









The other WBLs and TTs are doing good...both have babies. One of the TTs just had a female bloom today, so here's to hoping I will soon have my first non-mini pumpkin growing soon!!! (...as you can see in the last pic, I now have a gargoyle guarding my pumpkins, lol.)


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## frostytots (Jul 3, 2014)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Ok, that's a new one. MOST LIKELY, that's Insect caused.
> 
> It COULD be frass (insect poop) from any number of general pests, or flea beetles can be that small if you're not sure they aren't alive...or some bizaar kind of fungus I'm unaware of.
> 
> ...



Thanks everyone and thank you Unorthodox for the suggestion. Contacted some local gardeners, and it is a serious infestation of aphids  2 of my big max's are done for, and they're setting in on another and my watermelons. Trying to control those two. My others not inside the planter seem fine so far. Fingers crossed!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I now have 4 little pumpkins that appear to be set-- so far so good, though anything can happen. There are several more female buds close to opening too. The gourds are vining all over, spreading in every direction, but no female flowers have opened yet. It's pretty typical for them to be behind the pumpkins. Luffas-- scoff! They're really cute-- attractive little vines with pretty, bi-colored leaves, but they're waay behind everything else.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

My potted WBL plant is just not doing good at all. I have no idea what's wrong with it...water or nutrient issue, I think. Stupid weather. I am pretty sure I'm going to lose it.  Hopefully the one in the ground will put out some pumpkins...it looks fantastic and green, but is behind the other plants. I'm kinda bummed, I should have stuck with my JBL's. It probably didn't help that these seeds were a different name brand than the ones I normally buy. Next year I will go back to JBLs again, and probably these Triple Treats I'm currently trying, too.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Aphids, huh, frostytots? I have never seen them make such a mess before. crazy. Well, hopefully you can get them under control and the rest will be in good shape.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Spent two hours weeding the raised pumpkin bed from last year. I have some more to do, but I really need to get my peat pots in the ground. Some of my plants are already producing flowers. I stopped by HD today and picked up four 50lb bags of cow manure. I figure I would work it into my pumpkin mounds.

I have been so lazy this year. But I still have 28 plants going.......


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## Mike and Tiff (Aug 21, 2013)

We thought it would nice to have some real pumpkins in our pumpkin patch this year. I planted pumpkins on Monday, by Saturday they looked like this (that was fast). I thought I planted them to late, but we are so far south I guess I got them in just in time. 
~ Tiff


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I now have three good sized pumpkins and a few more babies coming along! The largest of the three is almost basketball sized! Here are today's photos:


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Mike and Tiff said:


> We thought it would nice to have some real pumpkins in our pumpkin patch this year. I planted pumpkins on Monday, by Saturday they looked like this (that was fast). I thought I planted them to late, but we are so far south I guess I got them in just in time.
> ~ Tiff
> View attachment 245320



You will be fine. Most varieties just need about 100 days before frost sets in. Do not panic if your first baby oval leaves die off as the standard ones come in. I know my first year I was in panic mode when my baby leaves died off.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Somebody remind me next year not to leave weeding to one weekend.  I have all twenty eight in the ground and to say welcome aboard I greeted them with a one hour drenching from the soaker hose. Talk about being real lazy, I left the soaker hose out from last year. But it still works fine. I was figuring that the foam rubber could survive the winter.

It is funny the difference from year 1 and year 2. Last year I dug little water rings around the plants and this year they just kind of got tossed in.


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

I'm a first year pumpkin grower  My first 2 female flowers bloomed a few days ago and look like the above pics now... they look to me like they're beginning to rot b/c they were not properly pollinated... For those of you who have grown pumpkins, what are your thoughts? Are these okay, or are they beginning to rot?

Right now, I can see 4 other females on my plants that should be blooming within the next week or so, so I still have some hope for pumpkins this fall, if I can manage to pollinate those by hand...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

CCP, I'm pretty positive those weren't pollinated. If you have new females that are going to open, you should try hand pollinating them with fresh males. (See link below for instructions if you need them.) You have to pollinate the morning they open, the earlier the better.

How to hand pollinate and about pumpkin fruit set: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/pollen.htm


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

Thanks WitchyKitty! I will check on the other females each morning to make sure they get hand pollinated  I'm really hoping to get at least a few pumpkins this year


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Good luck! I hope you have males and females open on the same day! I lost my first female and baby due to no males being bloomed when it opened. 
I have bees, but always hand pollinate when I can to get the max amount of chances for pumpkins. (Oh, I forgot to mention...I always like to use one male per one female when hand pollinating...but if you have more females than males open at once, it's okay to use one male for two or three females if needed. Just make sure you get the pollen on all parts of the female insides, or pollination may fail, still.)


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

Col. Fryght said:


> Somebody remind me next year not to leave weeding to one weekend.  I have all twenty eight in the ground and to say welcome aboard I greeted them with a one hour drenching from the soaker hose. Talk about being real lazy, I left the soaker hose out from last year. But it still works fine. I was figuring that the foam rubber could survive the winter.
> 
> It is funny the difference from year 1 and year 2. Last year I dug little water rings around the plants and this year they just kind of got tossed in.


I have a few big lessons learned already; first, don't try to plant 50+ pumpkins! Second, get the soaker hose, or some kind of irrigation, in BEFORE everything goes hog wild. I did the water rings(not thinking about how much they would overtake the ground) and 2 weeks ago marked where each one was with a long bamboo stake, 'cuz those 
beaut's were crawling everywhere & I can't see where to water anymore. Dumb, da dumb dumb. 
Now, I'm afraid to take any trips and leave watering up to our son or DIL.

Next year should be much less stressful. Puhleeeeze.

Madame Leota!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your pumpkins are bootiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow~they really take off, don't they! 
*sigh*seeing them makes me smile


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

It's fun to see others' successes! Beauties, Madame Leota-- do you know what varieties they are? Looks like a couple different ones.
Good luck with your upcoming flowers, CandyCornPrincess!
After our wet and cool slooow start, we've recently had pretty good pumpkin weather. The rain has been regular, but not constant. Yesterday was our first day hotter than the mid 80's. There was still some soil moisture down below the surface, but the plants wilted a tiny bit in the mid afternoon. I was just about to the point where I thought I might have to water today, but then it rained overnight. That was wonderful, because the pumpkins are not conveniently located near a water spigot.
Things are growing like crazy now. I'm starting to see a few little female flowers on my gourds, which always makes me childishly excited  I'm using the lettuce as fast as I can, because the cucurbits are poised to take over the space. I keep turning the vines back from the tomatoes' area. If I were to leave for a few days, they'd probably take over the entire garden.
A few cucumber beetles are starting to move in, but I've been going out in the morning and killing them mechanically. So far I've only seen one rootworm beetle. They can be brutal here when the numbers skyrocket, but so far so good.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Just masses of Japanese beetles here (SW PA). But so far, they prefer the garden flowers


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

CandyCornPrincess said:


> [/ATTACH]
> 
> I'm a first year pumpkin grower  My first 2 female flowers bloomed a few days ago and look like the above pics now... they look to me like they're beginning to rot b/c they were not properly pollinated... For those of you who have grown pumpkins, what are your thoughts? Are these okay, or are they beginning to rot?
> 
> Right now, I can see 4 other females on my plants that should be blooming within the next week or so, so I still have some hope for pumpkins this fall, if I can manage to pollinate those by hand...



You will be fine CCP. You are going to have flowers for the next six weeks. A lot of pumpkin growers snip the first week or two of flowers because a set pumpkin would be to close to the base of the vine and pull on it. The males will show up, they are just waiting for a crowd of women to gather.  I would add some miracle grow to your plants just to make sure that they are getting enough nutrients to support flowers.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

Ooojen, I have no idea what variety they are. If I could name them I'd call them "Pure Luck" because that's what they are. Seriously, I didn't even plant them. They just came from last year's rotting jack o'lanterns. Never had this happen before. If I'd tried to grow them it never would have happened.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

matthewthemanparker said:


> Picture from yesterday. Don't mind the weeds/carrots next row over.




Matthew what's the latest? Are you still with us?


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Greetings! I've been lurking on this website, and specifically the pumpkin patch threads, since last summer. I figured that now is as good a time as any to stop lurking and sign up for an account. 

Each year my kids and I love Halloween and carving pumpkins. Three years ago I converted some unused space that was tucked away in a back corner of our yard, behind our shed, into an area to grow pumpkins. With what limited space we have, we've been able to produce some pretty good results. 

I love coming on here and reading what others have planted, getting some tips, and seeing everyone's progress. I'll offer any tips or suggestions as well based on my past results. 

I tried to post some pictures of this year's patch, but didn't realize I needed to have three posts before attaching any links.


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

Then keep on posting, Mayor (I may need to call you MoH or your whole screen name.. This just "Mayor" thing makes me think of Powerpuff Girls). Welcome, btw!

I came in because I knew I could whine here with [minimal] judgement. We had a microburst yesterday and my exposed pumpkins were doomed. Still have three plants in the peat pots that hadn't made it into the ground, but fear that it'll be the same story when those get planted. Darned monsoons..!
/end whining


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

Welcome to the forum Mayor!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

LadyGoats said:


> We had a microburst yesterday and my exposed pumpkins were doomed.


I hadn't even thought of that possibility! Nature has so many ways to foil our plans!
It has warmed up a little the last few days, and my plants are running like mad! There's no way I can keep up with weeding them, as they're covering the space between plants, spreading into the lawn and, moving into an adjacent alfalfa field. Bumblebees have found the nearby tomatoes, but I haven't seen any bees on the pumpkins or gourds.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Welcome, Mayor!!

I have a decent sized Triple Treat going, now. I had to make a little hammock for it, since it's hanging off the fence wall, lol. Another will be opening tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have another going, soon. Growing larger pumpkins trellised is giving me anxiety! I am nervous they will break off the vines if I don't support them correctly. I have never done this before...

Wee Be Littles are still being fussy...two females opened, one didn't pollinate right and died, the second was pollinated, but is just sitting there doing nothing...very odd. I think that plant is just too weak to support any babies. We will see how they go further into the season, since there are more babies forming. Hopefully the other plant will do better. Really still wishing I hadn't bought a diff brand of seeds for those...I knew that would come back to bite me at some point...


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

WitchyKitty said:


> Welcome, Mayor!!
> 
> Really still wishing I hadn't bought a diff brand of seeds for those...I knew that would come back to bite me at some point...


I am in the same boat. I wish I had placed a Burpee seed order. I just seem to have had a harder time with germination. It might all be in my head, but I can afford a dollar more to buy what I perceive to be a better seed.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Col. Fryght said:


> I am in the same boat. I wish I had placed a Burpee seed order. I just seem to have had a harder time with germination. It might all be in my head, but I can afford a dollar more to buy what I perceive to be a better seed.


Yeah, my TTs are Burpee and are doing fantastic...the WBLs were some other brand and I'm not impressed. My JBLs the past few years before were also Burpee and always did fantastic, too. I could only find the WBLs in an off brand, and really wanted to try them, so I went with the off brand. Oh well...live and learn. I'll go back to my JBL's for my mini variety next year.

I am hanging on to some remaining WBL seeds, though, and I may try one plant again next year...just to see for sure if it was the brand or the crummy weather...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Power was out last night, which was probably a good thing, as it gave me the chance to go look at the garden, but not a chance to upload pics. 

The main patch is a veritable jungle of tangled vines this year. For all the corn struggled, the pumpkins have LOVED the weather. The Foliage on the pumpkins is near waist high, I've never seen it do that before. 

The Neon pumpkins are doing light years better than they did last year (go figure), the Wolf Mysteries started out like a bush, putting one pumpkin on right at the base with no vine, but then EXPLODED! shooting 8ft (and growing) vines everywhere and have 2 pumpkins set each already. The Hijinks are getting lost in the mix somewhere, and I haven't seen any yet, but it's going to be hard to tell them from the others now. 

Mystery pumpkins produced their first oddly colored pumpkin, and I'm worried I shouldn't have trellised them (started as a mini, were pie sized last year), but the various volunteers around them are not fairing so well. 

All the mini pumpkins are struggling and doing a whole lot of nothin this year, though. Baffling. 

Tomatoes are 6ft high and climbing, still. Never had them do that before either. Bell Peppers are just doing ok, Jalepenos are going crazy.


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## Cloe (Mar 18, 2013)

It's a Girl!! Hee hee. I woke my daughter up to tell her she opened and there's a handsome male not too far from her. She gave me a hard time and said I sounded like a new parent. I'm going to try forcing the male on her and hope she gives in. I've been hand pollinating my zucchini and cucumbers too as I've maybe seen 1 bee all summer. Tried growing pumpkins last year but the local cardinals ate everything to the stems. When we planted a few other things my daughter threw some orange and white seeds in. Even if it only gets gourd size I'll be thrilled!


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

I've got 3 flowers already between my 6 plants. And they're all males! I really hope the bees in my neighborhood are doing their job since I can't hand pollinate without a nice lady in the mix yet. Total sausage fest right now.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Cloe, your cardinals ate your plants?? We have tons of cardinals here...they are our state bird...and I have never in all my life seen them eat our plants. Odd.

UnOrthodOx, My tomatoes got to about 6 feet tall, too. And grew super wide and bushy everywhere out of their cages. Just insane. We had another storm the night before and I went out yesterday morning to see they were all broken and damaged. I had to cut off more than half of each one. Oh well, at least I can get into the garden easier, now, and the green tomatoes on the remaining vines can get some sunlight, lol. They are still huge, even all mangled. I have had so many jalapenos that I've been having to give them away!

So, I woke up early since I knew I had a second female opening on my TTs...went outside to pollinate and couldn't find it. I looked down, and the whole flower, not opened yet, and the baby pumpkin were cleanly broken off the vine and laying on the ground. ????? How on earth did that happen? It was perfectly healthy. It's in my enclosed garden. Nothing would have bumped it overnight. I'm so sad.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

fanboy said:


> I've got 3 flowers already between my 6 plants. And they're all males! I really hope the bees in my neighborhood are doing their job since I can't hand pollinate without a nice lady in the mix yet. Total sausage fest right now.


The males usually show up a week before the females to start attracting bees to the area...that way, when the females and their baby pumpkins start to show up and bloom, the bees will already, hopefully, be in the area to pollinate.


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## Cloe (Mar 18, 2013)

WitchyKitty said:


> Cloe, your cardinals ate your plants?? We have tons of cardinals here...they are our state bird...and I have never in all my life seen them eat our plants. Odd.
> Yeah! I caught my dog once chomping on one of the leaves last year too and saw a cardinal flutter out of my plant numerous times when I was in the yard. Hence, never even saw a female last year. Wasn't holding out much hope this year so I was excited to see the few females on it. I've had to scare both in my local cardinal family (which I know is a new one because he's not as stark red) out of my zucchini plant numerous times this year too. I have those in one of those large barrel planters so I stuck a pinwheel in there and it seems to have helped. I'm guessing the blooms and leaves must be tasty?


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

CandyCornPrincess said:


> Welcome to the forum Mayor!


Thanks! It's been nice being able to compare where my pumpkins are in comparison to others. Some good ideas as well.


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Right now I have 2 gourds that have been pollinated and are growing, I've had about 5 Turk's Turban females that have opened, but two of them have already rotted and fallen off and I'm not sure about the other 3, and maybe 6 or so other females of different varieties that have opened, but I'm not sure what they will be. 

Some of the different varieties I've planted are Dill's Atlantic Giant, Turk's Turban, various gourds, Big Moon, Connecticut Field pumpkin, Cinderella pumpkins, and some Casper pumpkins. This year I've also tried planting some of them in containers for the first time, and have put the pots in various flower beds. I figure the worst case scenario is I'm out some seeds. 

Last year we got around 15 pumpkins and another 15 gourds, so I'm hoping for similar results this year.


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Here's a couple pictures of what I've got going on this year. I've tried planting Indian Corn for the first time. Right now it's about 10 feet high, but there's no sign of any corn. 

The last two years the best pumpkin I've grown is from a vine that has made it's way up the pine tree and has had a flower open on the bottom branch, which allowed the pumpkin to grow out of the bottom of the tree. Somehow the vine didn't break on either one and I had two perfectly formed pumpkins.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Cloe said:


> Yeah! I caught my dog once chomping on one of the leaves last year too and saw a cardinal flutter out of my plant numerous times when I was in the yard. Hence, never even saw a female last year. Wasn't holding out much hope this year so I was excited to see the few females on it. I've had to scare both in my local cardinal family (which I know is a new one because he's not as stark red) out of my zucchini plant numerous times this year too. I have those in one of those large barrel planters so I stuck a pinwheel in there and it seems to have helped. I'm guessing the blooms and leaves must be tasty?


Female cardinals are lighter in color than the males, more of a light brownish red, with some darker red areas...maybe you are seeing those? I know cardinals eat seeds and berries...and do like squash seeds if you throw them out after carving/cutting...but haven't heard of them eating flowers or pumpkin babies. Lol, who knows. Well, regardless, I hope you have better luck this year!!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Unfortunately, Cardinals do eat some flowers and buds. They're not usually a big part of their diet, but it does happen. There's also the possibility that they could be gathering critters out of your garden to feed to nestlings. (It's the least they could do!  ) They sometimes chow down on buds or flowers on my fruit trees, but I'm not aware of them ever having bothered my garden.
I've had Starlings hop down my row of bean seedlings and snap them off, one at a time. They didn't eat them or take them-- just broke them off and left them there. A large rubber snake, moved frequently, discouraged them long enough for the beans to get a little larger, and then the Starlings weren't interested anymore. Maybe a few rubber snakes down in among pumpkin vines would help.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

One of the mystery pumpkins. It's not ripening yet, they are born this odd coloring. 



















The insanipatch:










Tomatoes the size of sunflowers


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

oops double.


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## hhh (Mar 1, 2012)

I've had limited success growing pumpkins here in the pacific northwest, so I haven't done it in a couple years. But you guys inspired me to try again with some shorter season varieties, so I picked up some weebee littles and orange smoothies. Some plants are doing poorly, some are doing OK, so we'll see what happens.

When do you start spraying for powdery mildew? is it too late to spray once you see it?

The first flower to open was a female, but the next day there was a male so I opened up the female and stuck some pollen in there. I didn't expect it to work, but so far it's still getting bigger, so maybe it'll survive.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

hhh said:


> When do you start spraying for powdery mildew? is it too late to spray once you see it?


you can spray preventative, but I'd use horticultural oil or neem oil or something for that. Most sprays are meant for at first sight. And, they mostly just delay it in my experience, not stop it.


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## Tsalagi_Writer (Jul 26, 2014)

This is my first year growing pumpkins. I only have one plant, but will probably plant more next year.


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

I hand pollinated a female flower last week... it has grown super fast & is now a bit larger than the size of my fist! I was out of town a few days and came back to see that a couple other female plants opened while I was away, hopefully the bees got those...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

My first growing, non-mini pumpkin! I am so proud of it, lol. I am not quite sure how big it will get. It's supposed to get about 8 inches tall, give or take, but some who have grown the Triple Treats have written online that the size can vary a bit depending on how they were grown. We will see...as long as I can keep it from breaking off the vine, that is. I had it just hanging there for awhile, but then put a weed cloth sling under it. It started to outgrow that, since it's not too stretchy, so I just switched it to a nylon sling because that's what people online said to use. The nylon is quite slippery, though, and it's hard to keep it under the pumpkin...so hopefully, if the sling moves, it will still be strong enough to hang on, lol. I need a different idea for slings, buying bunches of nylons...even cheap ones...will kinda defeat the purpose of saving money by growing my own pumpkins...










Here's some pics of the recently pollinated females that just set...or will hopefully set:
















My Wee Be Little in the pot seems to have perked up a bit and is getting new, green leaves. I decided to give it regular Miracle Grow fertilizer, instead of the organic stuff, and it seemed to like that. I figured, I'm not eating these and they aren't in the veggie garden, so using non organic fertilizer would be fine to try to save them, lol. I guess they prefer the MG over my organic stuff. I have one that set already, and another that I just pollinated this morning...plus more babies that will open, soon. (The other WBL in the ground is big and green, but still no females blooming. No idea why it's so behind...)


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

They look great! I'm glad your potted WBL perked up, too! They make such adorably cute fruit; I'm really looking forward to seeing the mature pumpkins from yours!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> They look great! I'm glad your potted WBL perked up, too! They make such adorably cute fruit; I'm really looking forward to seeing the mature pumpkins from yours!


Here's to hoping I get some, lol.


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## hhh (Mar 1, 2012)

Well, I saw what looked like a spot of powdery mildew already, so I sprayed.. we'll see what happens.
Even if the pumpkins don't work out, at least I get to eat the squash blossoms.

One of the orange smoothie plants isn't really vining any, its bushy and has lots of flowers... and the other one is making a nice long vine, but has no flowers yet.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

hhh said:


> Well, I saw what looked like a spot of powdery mildew already, so I sprayed.. we'll see what happens.
> .


Good luck on the powdery mildew. I get killed with vine borers but I have yet to fight a long battle with mildew. The only suggestion I would have in addition to the sprays, would be to make sure to water your plants from the bottom so that water does not get on the leaves. I bought a couple of $10 drip hoses last year to water my plants.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Is it normal for healthy female flowers and babies to just drop off the vine right before they bloom? I have had about four of them do this, now, on my Triple Treat vines. The vines are healthy, they just keep dropping the females. For every one that blooms and sets, one seems to fall off. I never had this happen at all with my JBLs in the past...

With the very, very few that the WBLs look like they will put out, and half of the TTs females dropping, it's looking like I will have a very small yield of pumpkins this year. 

Arg! I am still kicking myself for not planting a JBL plant this year!! I would usually get about 40 pumpkins per plant!


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Right now all of my plants look pretty healthy, with nice long vines and good looking leaves, but I just don't seem to be getting a lot of females, and when I do they don't seem to be taking off. We have been getting a lot of rain around here, and the weather hasn't been as hot as I would like until this week. I don't know if that has something to do with it or what. I haven't even really had a lot of Powdery Mildew, but I have seen a few squash Vine borers that I've sprayed for. 

Has anyone ever tried to grow Turks Turbans? This is my first year trying to grow them. The plant looks great, the vine has absolutely taken off, and there's been a lot of females. So far I've had 5 females open, have witnessed bees pollinating them, and yet all 5 of them have done nothing but rot and fall off the vine. Anyone have any ideas what could be going on there?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Mayor-- You mentioned having a lot of rain. If your female flowers don't get closed up right away after they're pollinated, it could be that the rain is washing away the pollen. I've had a few flowers that have been flooded with water deeper than the stigmas.
I tried Turks' Turbans when I was a kid, but they were a long season squash, and none ripened for me (in northern MN) before the first frost. 

Witchy Kitty-- how has your weather been? Aborting flowers and fruit early like that sometimes happens if the plant is stressed and decides (I know that's anthropomorphic, but I don't know how else to express it) it better wait and try to produce fruit when conditions are more favorable. If it hasn't been too wet, dry, hot, or cold, and you've not been using much Nitrogen, then I don't know. 
Triple Treats aren't huge, are they? With the really large varieties, developing fruit generally sends hormonal signals for the plant to quit making more and to put its energy into the already-developing fruit (because the plants can't handle the demands of more than a couple pumpkins.) One or two pumpkins per plant is average production. They'll keep producing female buds (in case something happens to the already-developing fruit) but as long as the existing pumpkin/s is/are developing well, most buds will abort. I haven't grown TT's, so I can't say that's what yours are doing, but it's a possibility. Maybe you could try a search to see how many fruits per plant that variety averages.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I just checked around, and one review of TT said it keeps producing fruit all summer long, so that's apparently not it for yours. I figured it might not since they're not really large, but still thought it might be worth mentioning-- might apply to someone else's plants.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> Witchy Kitty-- how has your weather been? Aborting flowers and fruit early like that sometimes happens if the plant is stressed and decides (I know that's anthropomorphic, but I don't know how else to express it) it better wait and try to produce fruit when conditions are more favorable. If it hasn't been too wet, dry, hot, or cold, and you've not been using much Nitrogen, then I don't know.
> Triple Treats aren't huge, are they? With the really large varieties, developing fruit generally sends hormonal signals for the plant to quit making more and to put its energy into the already-developing fruit (because the plants can't handle the demands of more than a couple pumpkins.) One or two pumpkins per plant is average production. They'll keep producing female buds (in case something happens to the already-developing fruit) but as long as the existing pumpkin/s is/are developing well, most buds will abort. I haven't grown TT's, so I can't say that's what yours are doing, but it's a possibility. Maybe you could try a search to see how many fruits per plant that variety averages.


We have had crazy weather, and it's quite possible that this is the issue. Tons and tons of rain for a long time, storms, strangely cool days and nights, then it got super hot for a few days...seriously up and down weather.

Triple Treats are a larger Pie type of pumpkin, so, no, they don't get too big. The biggest is about 8-9 inches wide, maybe...though the few growers I have read about said there's were usually a bit smaller. They are used for Pies, carving and seeds, hence the name. I only have the one pumpkin fully set right now...a few that just took on the same vine, which were the pics I posted yesterday. The other vine has zero fruit and just keeps dropping right before the bloom. (I might have one open tomorrow on it, finally...I hope...) I have done research on these and there is very, very little info on them...


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

I feel like a kid on Christmas!!! Half of my pumpkin patch has been infected with powdery mildew and as I was checking out the damage, I noticed the big guy down below, it's hard to tell in this pic but he's about the size of a basketball! I literally had no idea it was growing there until now, it was hiding under lots of large leaves and kinda blended into the grass.  I'm happy to learn that the pumpkin was not affected by the mildew so far, but I will continue to try to treat it...


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

ooojen said:


> Mayor-- You mentioned having a lot of rain. If your female flowers don't get closed up right away after they're pollinated, it could be that the rain is washing away the pollen. I've had a few flowers that have been flooded with water deeper than the stigmas.
> I tried Turks' Turbans when I was a kid, but they were a long season squash, and none ripened for me (in northern MN) before the first frost.
> 
> Witchy Kitty-- how has your weather been? Aborting flowers and fruit early like that sometimes happens if the plant is stressed and decides (I know that's anthropomorphic, but I don't know how else to express it) it better wait and try to produce fruit when conditions are more favorable. If it hasn't been too wet, dry, hot, or cold, and you've not been using much Nitrogen, then I don't know.
> Triple Treats aren't huge, are they? With the really large varieties, developing fruit generally sends hormonal signals for the plant to quit making more and to put its energy into the already-developing fruit (because the plants can't handle the demands of more than a couple pumpkins.) One or two pumpkins per plant is average production. They'll keep producing female buds (in case something happens to the already-developing fruit) but as long as the existing pumpkin/s is/are developing well, most buds will abort. I haven't grown TT's, so I can't say that's what yours are doing, but it's a possibility. Maybe you could try a search to see how many fruits per plant that variety averages.


Most of the rain we've been receiving has been overnight and ending by morning. I've only had to water twice since I've put them into the ground, and that was in the beginning of June. I'm hoping that I'm just being pessimistic and things will be picking up this week. We're expecting temperatures in the mid-80's and higher this week. 

I'm wondering if all the rain has affected the soil, and I need to possibly fertilize them. I had been using Miracle Grow the first 4 weeks they were in the ground, but as the vines took off, I decided last week not to fertilize again since I was worried about trampling a vine or taking out some plants. I'm thinking I may need to carefully make my way back and give them some fertilizer.


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

CandyCornPrincess said:


> I feel like a kid on Christmas!!! Half of my pumpkin patch has been infected with powdery mildew and as I was checking out the damage, I noticed the big guy down below, it's hard to tell in this pic but he's about the size of a basketball! I literally had no idea it was growing there until now, it was hiding under lots of large leaves and kinda blended into the grass.  I'm happy to learn that the pumpkin was not affected by the mildew so far, but I will continue to try to treat it...
> 
> View attachment 246031


Wow, that is wonderful!!! I love when I have one that is growing that I didn't know about. That's a great feeling and a great looking pumpkin!


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

Thanks! I was religiously checking my patch everyday I was home so I was happily surprised by it.  The only other pumpkins I have growing now are ones that I hand pollinated... it's been raining pretty heavily here in Ohio the last month, but I've been going outside every morning around 7 and checking for any females that have opened... I've been pollinating those with males that look like they're about to open but haven't yet, that way I know their pollen is still there... Afterwards I close it with string or garden ties to make sure bees or other bugs don't carry the pollen away. Seems to work well.


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

I finally have lots of female flowers in my patch! I hand pollinated 2 males over the weekend and 3 more this morning. I couldn't help but sing some Marvin Gaye while I was doing it. lol

The original 3 males I had ended up dying and I had to toss them into the woods.

Here's hoping for more popping up in the next week or so.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

fanboy said:


> I finally have lots of female flowers in my patch! I hand pollinated 2 males over the weekend and 3 more this morning. I couldn't help but sing some Marvin Gaye while I was doing it. lol
> 
> The original 3 males I had ended up dying and I had to toss them into the woods.
> 
> Here's hoping for more popping up in the next week or so.


Okay, just so I'm sure you are doing it correctly, because you said you were pollinating the males, which isn't right...you should be using the males to pollinate the Females. The females are the ones with the baby pumpkins. Take the male flower (flower on long, straight stem that has a single center stamen with pollen on it.) and pick it. Remove the petals so you just have the pollen filled stamen. Find a female (flower on shorter stem with a bulge/baby pumpkin right under flower and has a segmented stigma in the center.). Use the male stamen to "paint" all the parts of the female stigma. You have to make sure to get pollen on every part, or pollination could still fail. Here is a link to instructions that has pictures: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/pollen.htm

If you are doing it this way, and just accidentally mistyped male, but meant female, then just ignore all this and happy pollinating, lol. 

...and a little mood music couldn't hurt, lol!!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yep...the next female that was going to bloom tomorrow fell off, like the others. I give. This is ridiculous. I am going to cry. It's like someone is playing a prank on me and breaking them all off. I hope the few that did set will, at least, make it and ripen.


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

Hope you get some more WitchyKitty!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Yeah, good luck with them! 
My largest, most successful vine is putting out fruit shaped like Hubbard squash. I didn't plant anything that was supposed to look like that!


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## Horrorween (Jul 21, 2015)

I'm excited to see the photos of everyone's pumpkins. I've been following this thread since it started.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Orange Cutie, a semi-bush. The vines are running, but not aggressively. Mature fruits average 6" across. I think this one is just over 4".








This might possibly be a One too Many, but I'm not sure. I didn't (intentionally) plant any white pumpkins this year, but OtM has a white background with deep orange netting. Maybe the pattern will show up as the fruit matures. 








I have no idea what this one is, but it's about 9" long. There are a few more fruits on this vine and on its former pot-mate, and they're all shaped like this. None of the varieties I planted are _*supposed to *_look like this. It will be interesting to see how they develop. 








I've got some little pumpkins coming on Weeeeeone. Thus far that plant is entirely bush form. The plants themselves are supposed to be larger, but the pumpkins should be about the same size as WBL. They should have more prominent ribs than WBL, though.
The other mini I planted was Batwing, a green and orange bicolor. If any vines made it, they're not showing off fruit yet. I have 4 or 5 mini plants that have yet to produce female flowers-- soon, I hope! 
Other varieties I'm still hoping to see fruit are Red Warty, Cinderella's Carriage, Peanut, and Jarrahdale (pick your favorite spelling...or call it Queensland Blue!) All those should lean more toward being short and squat rather than long, so the noid remains a mystery.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> Yep...the next female that was going to bloom tomorrow fell off, like the others. I give. This is ridiculous. I am going to cry. It's like someone is playing a prank on me and breaking them all off. I hope the few that did set will, at least, make it and ripen.


Not uncommon for a plant to abort a bunch after one (or more) set. It's putting energy into making the set ones grow. Later in the season, it may set more.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

ooojen said:


> Orange Cutie, a semi-bush. The vines are running, but not aggressively. Mature fruits average 6" across. I think this one is just over 4".
> View attachment 246127


Love that orange cutie. Going to have to remember that...


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> Okay, just so I'm sure you are doing it correctly, because you said you were pollinating the males, which isn't right...you should be using the males to pollinate the Females. The females are the ones with the baby pumpkins. Take the male flower (flower on long, straight stem that has a single center stamen with pollen on it.) and pick it. Remove the petals so you just have the pollen filled stamen. Find a female (flower on shorter stem with a bulge/baby pumpkin right under flower and has a segmented stigma in the center.). Use the male stamen to "paint" all the parts of the female stigma. You have to make sure to get pollen on every part, or pollination could still fail. Here is a link to instructions that has pictures: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/pollen.htm
> 
> If you are doing it this way, and just accidentally mistyped male, but meant female, then just ignore all this and happy pollinating, lol.
> 
> ...and a little mood music couldn't hurt, lol!!


Ugh, I feel silly for having that backwards.  Thank you for the correction WitchyKitty.

I am doing the method you detailed above.

I pollinated the females. And did another one this morning. This time to a little Barry White.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

It's crazy early, but I've got ORANGE!







These two are also coming along nicely.














I was hoping to get a few more going but all I see now are male flowers. I just hope I can keep these fresh until October. I'm going to leave them on the vine as long as possible.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

WOW! Those are gorgeous. Nuthin' but two blossoms here.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Wow, that's impressive, Madame Leota! They look wonderful! Yeah, you might have to make room in the refrigerator...but maybe not. They might last.
I have one small pumpkin left from last year that just now developed a small soft spot (off to the chickens tonight!) There were 3 of them at the beginning of the month, and they haven't been in cold storage-- just in the house. I had a couple of another smaller variety that lasted through late spring.
I didn't grow this one, so I don't know the variety. It's about 6" across-- similar to a Jack Be Little, but larger and closer to round. I got a box of them at a produce auction last Sept. So, you never know; yours might be a good keeper!


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

Those look awesome Madame Leota!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Awesome pumpkins Madame Leota!!!!


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Well, I posted elsewhere about how broke we are but that didn't stop us from picking up a packet of pumpkin seeds. Apparently I did the less than ideal thing and bought the kid friendly packet that only said it would produce basketball sized fruit suitable for carving instead of listing an actual variety, but they've taken off regardless. I am used to veggies but have never grown pumpkins before. We planted 5 seeds in a mound at the end of may and all 5 seeds sprouted to my surprise and my 7 year old ' delight. The plants are quickly taking over the bed and have produced lots of pretty star shaped orange flowers. I think all the flowers I have seen so far are male, there were a tonne of flowers open this morning and plenty of bee activity around them, which delighted me and scared my girls which led to a teaching moment. Is it normal for the flowers to close after a few hours? They are almost all closed now.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

LadyMage, yes that's perfectly normal. They will open in the morning and close in the afternoon heat so early morning is prime pollinating time.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

LadyMage said:


> Well, I posted elsewhere about how broke we are but that didn't stop us from picking up a packet of pumpkin seeds. Apparently I did the less than ideal thing and bought the kid friendly packet that only said it would produce basketball sized fruit suitable for carving instead of listing an actual variety, but they've taken off regardless. I am used to veggies but have never grown pumpkins before. We planted 5 seeds in a mound at the end of may and all 5 seeds sprouted to my surprise and my 7 year old ' delight. The plants are quickly taking over the bed and have produced lots of pretty star shaped orange flowers. I think all the flowers I have seen so far are male, there were a tonne of flowers open this morning and plenty of bee activity around them, which delighted me and scared my girls which led to a teaching moment. Is it normal for the flowers to close after a few hours? They are almost all closed now.


Yes, pumpkin flowers are only open a few hours or so in the morning and just for the one day. Bees (or you) need to pollinate during that time.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

So, for those who have trellised larger pumpkins, like pie/sugars and other small/medium varieties...about how much weight can a vine/stem hold? My Triple Treat pumpkin won't stay in it's little sling, so it just keeps wanting to hang there. Do you think it will be okay? I am nervous to let it hang, as it's my only pumpkin that has lived, so far, but I just cannot figure out how to get it to stay in it's sling, lol.


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> So, for those who have trellised larger pumpkins, like pie/sugars and other small/medium varieties...about how much weight can a vine/stem hold? My Triple Treat pumpkin won't stay in it's little sling, so it just keeps wanting to hang there. Do you think it will be okay? I am nervous to let it hang, as it's my only pumpkin that has lived, so far, but I just cannot figure out how to get it to stay in it's sling, lol.


I have a neighbor who used a burlap material to make a hammock for his pumpkin, this video kinda shows what that looks like... 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwbdH_894rw


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

CandyCornPrincess said:


> I have a neighbor who used a burlap material to make a hammock for his pumpkin, this video kinda shows what that looks like...
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwbdH_894rw


Thanks for the video...I have tried several different materials, but they all slid off. After watching this video, I realize I was just tying it wrong. I'll run outside and tie the material up like he did this time and see if it works better.


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## hhh (Mar 1, 2012)




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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, females on the TTs are still aborting, most still before the bloom, even though the weather has been a little more pumpkin friendly. I got one to open today, and I pollinated it like crazy, lol, so hopefully it will set. The bees were super busy on it, too. I do have that one pumpkin that is doing fantastic, though, and another that set and is growing, now, too. It has a little blemish right on the front, center...I am hoping it will fade as it gets bigger, or that the other side of the pumpkin will look good and I can just leave the mark on the back, lol. Another may open tomorrow or so...here's to hoping it stays on the vine!















WBLs are hanging in there. I have one, tiny ball of orange pumpkin on the one in the pot...it's so darned cute, lol. Another didn't make it, and two more were just pollinated and we will see if they set. More babies to come, soon, on it, too. I seriously thought that plant was a goner...it's giving a good fight, though.
The in ground WBL plant is finally showing babies. It will be a bit before they bloom, but I'm just happy to see it doing something finally! It's so fluffy and green, lol. Perfect little bush...hopefully with pumpkins, soon. Anyone with limited garden space...seriously, find yourself some WBL seeds for next year!










Now, I just have to hope the few pumpkins I am getting already won't rot before I need them in Sept/Oct...I never know how to store them correctly, as some sites say one thing, and others say another.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> So, for those who have trellised larger pumpkins, like pie/sugars and other small/medium varieties...about how much weight can a vine/stem hold? My Triple Treat pumpkin won't stay in it's little sling, so it just keeps wanting to hang there. Do you think it will be okay? I am nervous to let it hang, as it's my only pumpkin that has lived, so far, but I just cannot figure out how to get it to stay in it's sling, lol.


I've yet to have a pie classed pumpkin break off. I think it'll be fine.


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

The pumpkins look great!! It must be so frustrating that the TTs are all aborting... We had the same problem with a lemon tree that we bought last year but left in the pot (it's a Meyer, which I'd read make for fine potted citrus, but I guess the root system outgrew the pot). It was under a lot of stress, so it just didn't hold it's fruit. At least, I hope that was the problem! Lol! 

My pumpkins (the ones that weren't destroyed in a recent storm) seem to have stopped growing. The vines are still only about 5-6" long and not growing... Not holding much hope for them, but we'll see what happens!


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

*Still not much*

I'm not sure why, but I'm still not seeing many females, and I'm starting to get slightly discouraged. My plants look fantastic health wise. In fact, they probably look better at this point in the year then they did the two previous years. They all have great vines, healthy looking leaves and plenty of males. I'm just not seeing many females on the vines for some reason. Most years I start seeing a good amount of powdery mildew, but I only have a little bit of that on two segregated plants that are away from my main patch. 

I know males usually pop up a lot earlier than the females, but the males have been out for quite some time. I'm not even seeing many females. Hopefully I'm just being pessimistic and I have more females that opened and were pollinated in areas that I can't see.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Mayor of Haddonfield said:


> I'm not sure why, but I'm still not seeing many females, and I'm starting to get slightly discouraged. My plants look fantastic health wise. In fact, they probably look better at this point in the year then they did the two previous years. They all have great vines, healthy looking leaves and plenty of males. I'm just not seeing many females on the vines for some reason. Most years I start seeing a good amount of powdery mildew, but I only have a little bit of that on two segregated plants that are away from my main patch.
> 
> I know males usually pop up a lot earlier than the females, but the males have been out for quite some time. I'm not even seeing many females. Hopefully I'm just being pessimistic and I have more females that opened and were pollinated in areas that I can't see.


That's basically what's happening with my Wee Be Little by the garage. Big, beautiful plant, lots of males...but just happens to be far behind in getting females. Like I said above, I just now am starting to see tiny females forming on it, finally, so hang in there, there is hope for ya'.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> Anyone with limited garden space...seriously, find yourself some WBL seeds for next year!


I have a fair amount of space, but I'm sold anyway! I think they're just darling-looking! At this point I would recommend my Orange Cuties, too, though I'll know better when the season is over. Thus far they look like they're going to be very productive yet compact plants.
I have the same concern about storing OC, though. I fully expect some to be ripe in less than a month.

As to the predominance of male blooms-- Sometimes there's an answer for it. My mowing survivors are in soil that's a little too N rich, and they're only just beginning to show a few tiny female buds. They've had male flowers for weeks. 
Sometimes there's just no easy answer to lack of female flowers, or aborted fruits. I think it's can be just a quirk of the plant-- possibly genetic. I have a dozen or so pumpkins in the garden, all in the same general area, so they all have the same growing conditions. There's one plant that I don't think has made any female flowers yet, and there's another that keeps aborting tiny, tiny fruits. The rest all have *some* fruit set. There must be something about those individual plants that makes them less successful.


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

I've seen 2 squach vine borers laying on my pumpkin patch so far (is that average for your patch or high/low?), they may have been the same one, but I'm not sure... When I saw the one this morning chilling on a leaf, I sprayed it with some Ortho Defense Max that I sprayed around the perimeter of my house a couple days ago and it looks like the Ortho killed it... (I know that's definitely not something you should use on plants but it's all I had at the time, luckily the leaf it was on was close to the end of the vine and I'm not growing pie pumpkins this year). I also purchased some powder that works to kill the larvae... I'm really hoping that works b/c I'm sure the borers laid some eggs, I just haven't found them.. I have a fear of squirmy things & I'd really hate to have to cut open a vine to get a larvae out... Eww...


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## QueenBee (Jun 27, 2013)

It's been awhile since I've been on, and I am beyond thrilled to see how amazing all your pumpkins look!  You are all doing such an amazing job and it's getting me so excited for Halloween. I planted 4 rows of 5 in June. I'm barely starting to see blossoms developing. Pics to come soon!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Here is WeeeeeOne. The fruits are supposed to be about 3" so this should be close to full size. It should darken to a medium orange as it ripens. They're said to have excellent powdery mildew resistance. We'll see-- powdery mildew is usually not a problem here until mid to late August.
This adds variety to my minis' shapes-- taller and ribbed.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

^^^Love the Wee One!!!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I planted most of the Curcurbits out just before we left on vacation, and I didn't take the time to make a key to what was where. I'm not sure it would have made much difference if I had. I've got a few mystery plants that don't look like any of them should.
This one was planted with the minis, but is already larger than any of the varieties I purchased should be. It could be an accidental hybrid with an Orange Cutie parent, but that's just a guess. I like it, whatever it is.







I'm less enthusiastic about my giant Hubbard Squashkin. I have no idea what it's supposed to be, but it's the most productive plant of the bunch. It might be time to start trimming that one back. 
I might only have one Batwing plant. It has loads of female flowers, but only a few of them have set. It's a very dense fully bush type, which isn't the best for my conditions. The thick canopy of leaves makes a haven for voracious rootworm beetles. 








I have my fingers crossed for Red Warty, Peanut, Cinderella's Carriage, and Jarrahdale, but so far I don't see any I could ID out of the bunch. Any of them might have been mowing victims, but I still have a couple plants yet to prove themselves. 

The gourds are going wild  I hope they get the time they need to mature.


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

Lookin good Ooojen!


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Still getting nothing but males for mine. The zucchini plant is going gangbusters though.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I got another Triple Treat to set, so that's four, for sure, with another or so that I'm waiting to see if will set. Only one WBL set, for sure, so far...waiting to see of any others set. If they do, I'll have four...two of them aren't looking hopeful, though.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

My patch is running amok with pumpkins~proof that God favors fools. The good news is, at last count, there are 18 pumpkins we can see, with the largest being basketball size, most cantaloupe size. Vines are producing second pumpkins, which are baseball size. We've been lucky and had a break in the heat for a few weeks now-we'll see how it goes when the scorching temps return. Corn is waist high. These pumpkins are either triple treats or JOL's. I do have one Big Moon pumpkin, cantaloupe size, in front yard patch.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Wow, Punkineater, that's impressive! You're going to have to open a stand and sell the extras-- lol!


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

ooojen said:


> Wow, Punkineater, that's impressive! You're going to have to open a stand and sell the extras-- lol!


Thanks, ooojen. I'm not tooting my horn just yet, as the patch has to survive the rest of the summer, August average temps are 110-117. My babies won't like that very much. And, we will be away for 12 days, with no irrigation in place. Needless to say, with extremely sandy soil(amended some, but still) watering is a daily must. Our only source of pumpkinsitting is the neighbor, who overhead waters her entire garden in the midday heat We will have to risk the mildew situation vs everything dies and hope for the best.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I just now have my first female flower ready to open up tomorrow or day after. It's on one of my shorter vines, only about 5 ft., where the 15 foot vine is still creeping ever outward with only a few tiny females at the end. How long will it go??? Nobody knows! I've had to direct these two off at an angle so they don't grow into the corn. I could almost have a pumpkin vine maze.

Still not having bug problems, so I'm hoping that continues to be the case. I freaked out one day when I thought I saw some frass, before I realized it was just a soggy rotten flower that had landed on the vine. Same orangey color. *smh*


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

I had a lot of flowers opened up this morning. Which was nice to see after being gone for a couple days. I hope I didn't miss too many females over the weekend. There was only 1 new female today, so she got pollinated.

I did a thorough look through and it looks like I have 6 that have taken and are growing with the biggest about softball size. Looks like a lot more females will be coming in the next week or so.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Got my first baby - it was on a vine that's curving around the side of the house. It's about the size of a 5 pin bowling ball


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

punkineater said:


> ...August average temps are 110-117. My babies won't like that very much. And, we will be away for 12 days, with no irrigation in place.


I wish you the best with your garden endeavors, and your pumpkin-sitter, but -- if you lose a couple pumpkins, I bet it will be worth the trade-off being able to get away when it's 110+! It's up in the upper 80's here, and we're all suffering. (We're wimps now, but we'll seem pretty tough in January.)


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

2 more ladies joined the party this morning. The 6 growers seem to be visually bigger by the day!


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

ooojen said:


> I wish you the best with your garden endeavors, and your pumpkin-sitter, but -- if you lose a couple pumpkins, I bet it will be worth the trade-off being able to get away when it's 110+! It's up in the upper 80's here, and we're all suffering. (We're wimps now, but we'll seem pretty tough in January.)


Haha! Yes, it's _is_ a trade off, weather-wise, isn't it! Come winter, freezing my keister off doesn't sound so appealing


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Apparently I was wrong - there's two in there - another one is coming up a little smaller than a softball, and there's three other females that look like the bulge on them is growing too. The plants are in my front flower bed, and for whatever reason all but one of the females were in the vines that are wrapping to the side of the house.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I have four Triple Treats going, for sure...all at varying sizes. Most of the females are still aborting. I guess I'm happy I have four, though, at least. 

As for the Wee Be Littles, not so good, still. I have one, single WBL pumpkin on the potted plant. It was dying, then came back, and now is dying again. Every female I have pollinated on that plant has died besides that one that started to grow before the plant got sick. It's so early, though, that I can't see my one little WBL pumpkin making it to Halloween. We will see. The one in the ground is still not giving me anything. One female opened up, so far, and I am not sure it's going to even set. It doesn't look like it's doing anything. The rest of the females on it keep dying when they just form...turning yellow and just wilting...though the plant still looks fantastic. Who knows. Bad weather this year. Guess I will be buying a lot of pumpkins this season...


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

When I went out this morning I couldn't believe how many flowers I saw, 23 flowers open! And 1 lonely female. I made sure she was thoroughly pollinated with a healthy male.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Bound to happen, but it still stinks. I lost three plants to the dreaded vine borer this morning. Two plants still had the grub in it, and one had exited. I removed the grubs and raised the dirt to cover the damaged stalk. Last year, I had a few survive surgery.

If I recall correctly, I lost about 16 plants to vine borers last year. And you wonder why I plant 28 of them.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Ah, pumpkin-grower camaraderie! I don't think I've ever fussed as much about my plants as I'm doing this year  It's not that I'm actually doing anything more for them; I'm just checking them more and worrying about them. I guess I _*am*_ killing a few more rootworm and spotted cucumber beetles, so that's something. Nasty beetleses! We hate them forever!
Chipping sparrows raised a batch of babies in the adjacent asparagus patch, and they're still gathering food for their fledgelings by the pumpkins. A wren has been hanging out by the pumpkins, too. I hope they all fill their little bellies to the brim with pesky beetles!

I just started a Pinterest board for cute/weird/otherwise interesting pumpkins/squash I'd like to try growing in the future..
Here's one oddball, Triamble:

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...7f2f08/5436f88728359.image.jpg?resize=620,622


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

I've been VERY negligent this year. 

Just so much going on with work and estate crap. 

My 13 year old has been in charge, and keeping everything watered, but kinda lax on weeding and training the vines properly. 

My one WBL that sprouted is pretty non-existent as far as I can tell, but volunteers have overrun over there so it might have something on it somewhere, and only 1 of the 3 JBL's is doing anything. 

My Mystery seed vines have the one set, only, and is a great little pumpkin on the larger end of a mini size. The other vine hasn't even produced females yet. 

On the jack patch:

The Neons seem to produce as expected. 

The Hijinks are lost in the tangled mass of vines that is the Hijinks/wolf mystery/volunteer/neon patch, where I can only determin Neons because they are orange from birth, but there are at least half a dozen assorted green pumpkins in that mass, which I can't even attempt to pick through and can only see what is right along the path. 

I tried to do my traditional put my kid's names on the pumpkins, and Talia's took, but I can't find the other 2 anymore! I don't know if they didn't scar, or just got buried.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Wow, that does suck, Col. Fryght! I hope your plants are rooted at some of the nodes and that they survive.
WitchyKitty-- I hope you plants perk up. I have the same situation with some small ones. I think they are nearly ripe, and I don't really know what will be best to do with them. If I leave them on, will the vines "think" their procreative job is done? If I pick them, will they rot long before Halloween? I'll wait until the stems start to dry, I guess.

The "tangled mass of vines" situation sounds familiar! I gave my gourds the amount of space per plant that they generally use, but this has apparently been a good year for gourd vine growth. (Production remains to be seen.) They have just gone crazy this year since it warmed up. Warm temperatures, humidity and regular rain has made for more issues with developing pumpkins (any tiny mar on just-pollinated fruit, including beetle bites, leads to rot & drop) but the gourds are loving it so far. I'm a little worried about mildew later on. We'll see.
The gourds have criss-crossed one another, back and forth and back again. Now they're invading pumpkin territory, their lighter vines climbing up over the tops of the heavier pumpkin vines. I've been re-directing them, but it's getting to be quite a job! Next year if I give them twice as much space, we'll probably have a dryer summer and the vines will stay small, giving me more in-between space to weed.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Sprayed Malathion all over the base of plants tonight and on the leaves of pumpkin plants without flowers. Malathion has vine borer listed as an insect that it can kill. Sevin dust to follow in a few days.  I was just hoping to catch a break this year.


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## CandyCornPrincess (Sep 3, 2014)

I hate vine borers!!! I hope all the plants you've done surgery on survive! I've sprinkled Sevin on the bottom portion of the vines as well... it seems to work well to get the little buggers before they start digging into the plants.


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

I think my Big Moons have powdery mildew. I thought, at first, the leaves were become a pretty variegated color....but then....they turned yellow and died.
Sprayed the remaining leaves with 50/50 solution of milk & water. Am I supposed to do that more than once? Any other suggestions?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Viruses can make the leaves variegate, and sometimes yellow, and die. They can actually look quite pretty before they get knocked back enough to wilt and curl (as with mosaic viruses). With powdery mildew, the leaves just look kind of gross and...mildewy. Mildew is tough to get rid of once it appears. (Viruses are virtually impossible.) For mildew, remove affected leaves and bag the up or burn them. Re-apply any short term or home-remedy type fungicide you choose to use once a week or so through the growing season. They usually recommend that if you use a water-distributed low toxicity remedy that you spray in the morning so the leaves dry off quickly. If you use a typical fungicidal chemical, you might consider spraying in the evening when the bees aren't out. Yeah, the moisture will stay on the leaves longer, but if it's moisture _with a fungicide in it_, it's not going to encourage mildew. An "official" chem's bottle will give you information about if and when to reapply.
With viruses, you're just kind of screwed. Sucking and chewing insects can transfer viral diseases from plant to plant, and soil borne viral disease can hang around a long time (as can mildew). Some viruses are even seed-borne. Your best bet there is to cut your losses. Destroy affected plants and hope the virus doesn't spread.

I recommend Google images for Pumpkin Virus and Pumpkin Powdery Mildew. Seeing the images might give you a good idea where to start. Good luck!


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

My patch is finally starting to throw out some more females that are pollinating and living. For awhile there, either the flowers would never open, or they would open, only to rot right away. The pine tree in the middle of my patch is pretty much completely overrun by vines, which is actually a good thing. It gives the pumpkins plenty of room to grow, as long as the stems can support them. I have one going right now, but I can't tell if it's a Big Moon, or a Dill's Atlantic Giant that is growing. Luckily I've been pretty fortunate with the powdery mildew and lack of bugs. I have been spraying a solution of 3 parts milk, 7 parts water once a week to ward off the powdery mildew, and it seems to be pretty effective. 

This is the best my plants have looked at this point in the season, now I'm just hopeful to start seeing more results. 

Here's a recent picture of the pine tree that's been taken over. 


This pumpkin started off at about 6 feet up. With the weight that it keeps adding on, it's around 5 feet now. I hope the stem can hold on as the weight increases.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

Looks like I will be harvesting soon, this week or maybe next. My vines are about done and everything's dying back. The stems are starting to get a little yellow on them so I guess I'd better cut them soon.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Mayor of Haddonfield said:


> My patch is finally starting to throw out some more females that are pollinating and living. For awhile there, either the flowers would never open, or they would open, only to rot right away. The pine tree in the middle of my patch is pretty much completely overrun by vines, which is actually a good thing. It gives the pumpkins plenty of room to grow, as long as the stems can support them. I have one going right now, but I can't tell if it's a Big Moon, or a Dill's Atlantic Giant that is growing. Luckily I've been pretty fortunate with the powdery mildew and lack of bugs. I have been spraying a solution of 3 parts milk, 7 parts water once a week to ward off the powdery mildew, and it seems to be pretty effective.
> 
> This is the best my plants have looked at this point in the season, now I'm just hopeful to start seeing more results.
> 
> ...



Ok. I absolutely hate anything remotely Cword tree related, but this is pretty awesome. 




Mine gots the mildew started, it's raining and muggy, and I won't be able to spray for a week due to scheduling...


Also started trying to get ahold of the big farms in the area, trying to do a bulk purchase for our party.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Powdery Mildew is just starting to pop up, here, too. I'll have to start spraying my milk/water/bs mixture this week. Bad year for pumpkins, still, for me. Still only one little WBL pumpkin, and my two TT vines each have two pumpkins going. I'm okay with the TT's only having two each, I guess, but the WBLs are depressing. The plant with the single WBL pumpkin in the pot is pretty much about dead...just waiting for the stem to firm up and I'll harvest my only lonely little one. The in ground WBL plant still won't set a baby...or even let it bloom. I think it may have a bug issue...squash bugs...grrrrr. I have pretty much given up on the WBLs and am concentrating on my TTs. I would have liked to get a couple more from those, but it's not looking like that will happen. The plants only seem to want to work on those four pumpkins, no matter what I do to help them along. Here's to hoping for a more productive, and better weather, year next year. My aunt in law texted me today complaining that she only has one gourd going out of a bunch of different gourd and pumpkin vines, too. Not a single pumpkin...and she usually has a bunch! Bad year over here, for sure.

My biggest TT is starting to turn orange, now. It looks like a really nice shaped pumpkin...hoping it stays put hanging from the vine and fully ripens for me!!!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Too bad your WBLs were so touchy, Witchykitty. We never know when we try something new. Maybe another year they'd be super-productive. Good luck with the TT's!
Looking good, Mayor--
Madame Leota--- I'm looking forward to seeing what you wound up with!

No mildew here yet, which is surprising with the frequent rain we've had. The patch is still rife with rootworm beetles and cucumber beetles, though. They don't do appreciable harm to established plants, but they can sure mess with the setting fruit! (A pair of curve-tipped hemostatic clamps is good for digging them out of flowers.)
Another plus-- when the alfalfa in the adjacent field started re-bloom, the bees showed up big time, and they are definitely pumpkin flower fans now! There are at least 5 species out there in the mornings. That's fortunate, because it's getting pretty difficult to walk around in the patch now, and I need them to do the pollinating.
One more positive-- I mentioned earlier that I had big yellow Hubbard squash things that look like nothing I intentionally planted. I did some background checking to see which plants were determinate vs. indeterminate (whether it was worth hoping for more fruit set or not), and I found out that Red Warty is a cross between an unknown pumpkin and (ta-da!) a Hubbard squash. I thought maybe mine was just a bit of a genetic throwback, but it turns out the fruits are changing shape as they develop. They're not red yet, but the largest is a medium orange rather than yellow now. So, the most gigantic, productive vine appears to be Red Warty. I grew them before, but didn't check on them that often, and I didn't see that double-torpedo shape. I hope they have time to ripen!

Mid-sized warty, just going from smooth to bumpy and rounding out at the ends as most of them are doing. (It worked its way out into the alfalfa field.)








The oldest one -- This one kept the torpedo shape at the bottom, but not at the top. The color is deepening.








And gourds  They're always racing the calendar here to get hardened before the first frost.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Thought I'd post some pics, since I haven't in awhile. 

Here is that WBL bush/vine that just won't produce. I almost decided to give up on it, but I see a few new babies forming on them. We will see what they do...










Here is a pic of my lonely little WBL pumpkin on the nearly dead vine...just waiting for the stem to dry before I harvest it. The plant is just about finished, so it better hurry!










Then, here is a pic of my two Triple Treat vines in the garden, and the four pumpkins they have produced:






























Had to remove some PM infected leaves, and tomorrow morning, I will have to start spraying. Hoping I can keep it mild and hold it off until my four pumpkins ripen.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Those triple treats sure look nice.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Got another one that's well set, about softball sized and a few other promising females. THe two originals I saw are getting really big, but still green so they may have some yet to grow.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Heading out shortly to spray my plants again and take inventory. One thing this year that is much easier, is that I expect to lose more than half my plants during the course of the season to borers. Last year with each plant passing, it really sucked. Last year, I had one wave around the July 4th and another in late August. Keeping my fingers crossed that I got past the first wave with only about 4 plants lost. Now I just need some pumpkins to set.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

I have got the largest flower I've ever seen on a pumpkin.









Only one that has set, and quite a few tiny new female flowers - seems like they came on late, so I'm not sure how big any of these will get. The super long vine just keeps getting longer, at least 24 feet. I'll get out with the measuring tape one of these days. On the other end, I've got one vine that's only about 5 or 6 feet, and looks like a totally different variety with its little bitty leaves.

My third planting of JBLs seems to be doing ok. I stuck 3 seeds straight into a pot, and they've all come up and are healthy.

A bunch of my corn has been trampled (probably raccoons, but could also be the neighborhood groundhog), and the other end seems to be taken over by ants.

As long as they leave the pumpkins alone I won't be too mad.


Seeing tons of ants, about normal for bumble bees and wasps, but not many honey bees. :\


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

kakugori said:


> Only one that has set, and quite a few tiny new female flowers - seems like they came on late, so I'm not sure how big any of these will get.


 You still have plenty of growing season left. I was starting to panic about not having pumpkins yet, but we still have over two months of growing season left.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

kakugori said:


> Seeing tons of ants, about normal for bumble bees and wasps, but not many honey bees. :\


Honey bees play very little role in pollinating pumpkins. Since honeybees are not native to America and pumpkins are, this is no surprise. (same for most new world veggies, honey bees just don't care for them) 

Some wasps, moths, and bumble bees can do the job just fine. Ideally you get some squash bees, but you have to be up EARLY to see them, they are almost exclusively dusk and dawn active, don't need the sun to navigate like other bees, so get out, get the goods, and get back home to avoid competition and hide through the heat of the day.


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

I think the flower party is almost over for my patch. I've only had one new female in the last few days. Now the real waiting game begins. It looks like I will have 10 or 11 that will be ready come September. Best year ever!


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

Sadly, the harvest came earlier than I would have liked. Out of the three, probably two will make it to October but one is already a little shriveled. Our temps went from low 90's to 104-106 within just a few days and my vines just couldn't handle it. Oh well. I'll enjoy them while I can and maybe next year I'll plant some on purpose!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Find somewhere to store them...maybe they will make it until the season for you!! I have never been sure how to store pumpkins to make them last...maybe someone on here can give you (and me, as I may have some ripen too early, as well) some storage tips?? They look great, though.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I was just reading that they should be stored somewhere with temps around 85 degrees with comparable humidity for 10 days and then move them to a cool dry place. I'm going to keep them in my laundry room where it is warm but not too hot and the air is pretty moist. We'll see what happens!


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Two years ago mine started to ripen and were off the vine by mid-August. I cleaned them off real well by dunking them in our pool, but a bleach solution would work as well, then let them sit outside a few days to harden up. Then I stored them down in our basement where it was nice and cool. 

My suggestion would be to place them in a plastic container, or on a plastic container lid, that way if one of them would happen to start rotting you wouldn't have a big mess to clean up. I just used a large storage container from Lowe's to store them all in, then every week or so check to see if any are rotting. All of mine made it to Halloween, even the ones that had a bug enter the stem. I simply washed out the hole and filled it with some regular household caulk. 

Best of luck, and hopefully they make it. I know they can last 6 months or more, so you may be just fine.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I did wash them in a bleach solution when I brought them in. They had a bit of mold around the stems so I wanted to kill that quickly. Good news is they look better today after spending the night in the laundry room. The shriveled one has plumped back up and is much less soft now so they seem to be curing.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

My green babies


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## Spookywolf (Aug 4, 2012)

Well, before I post anything else, I have to say "Holy Moly!" Madame Leota. Those are the most amazing, awesome pumpkins that you harvested this year! They are gorgeous!  

And now on to my less than stellar update which falls into the good and bad categories. My gourds are growing quite happily on my deck rail and I have my first flower (think it's a male) and lots of vines. I'm running several weeks behind most here, because of my very late start in deciding to join in and plant. I'm still hopeful that I might have some gourds in time for Halloween though. 








And onto my bad news. I'm almost embarrassed to post this pic of my pumpkin vines - or lack thereof. I'm counting these as a failure this year. They just never really took off like I'd hoped. This is my first year trying pumpkins or gourds, so perhaps the site I chose wasn't the best. Maybe next year I might try a few seeds in a big pot. Has anyone had any luck growing regular-size pumpkins in a container? But here they are looking tiny and pathetic. If I would be lucky enough to see any growth and pumpkins at this late stage, I'd probably be pushing it to harvest by Thanksgiving if the frost doesn't get them first...sigh.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, my Wee Be Little plant that wasn't letting females fully form finally let three bloom today, and maybe another tomorrow. I pollinated them like crazy, so here's to hoping they actually set this time! Better weather and a stronger plant...please, please please let them be able to set! I want some minis!!!!! I am in withdrawals!


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Positive spirits everyone. Most of us still have a solid 60 days of growing season before the first frost. Keep the faith!!!!!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Our first frost last year was Sept. 19th. I'll almost certainly have some ripe pumpkins by then (a few are about there now) but my gourds need every day they can get. If we have an early frost, I'll get none. If we have a late first frost, I should have loads of them.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

I am lucky here in Georgia with late frost dates, well except for the vine borers having two seasons. 

"Weather people say that over their thirty year observation range, the average date of first frost is November 13. The earliest frost date was October 25 and the latest fall frost was December 6."


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

Col. Fryght said:


> I am lucky here in Georgia with late frost dates, well except for the vine borers having two seasons.
> 
> "Weather people say that over their thirty year observation range, the average date of first frost is November 13. The earliest frost date was October 25 and the latest fall frost was December 6."


My frost dates are between Dec 15 and Feb 1! I'm going out and planting more!!!! 

Never even thought to look that up, thanks for bringing it to our attn!!


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Looks like my first frost is projected for almost exactly 60 days out - exactly 2 months from today.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Our weather is odd in Illinois. We could have a hot September...or we could have early frosts. Who knows. 

Well, I am doing a happy dance, because it looks like those baby Wee Be Littles have set and are growing!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know what was up with the plant aborting every single baby all this time, but it is looking like it has finally gotten over it. Yays!! I hope they grow and ripen before frost time...thankfully, they are small.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Yeah ours is similar. September can be summertime or it can jump straight into chilly fall. 

I have another lady who's growing, so wishing hard for that late frost!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

WitchyKitty said:


> Well, I am doing a happy dance, because it looks like those baby Wee Be Littles have set and are growing!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yay! So glad your efforts are paying off! There should be plenty of time for little ones to ripen yet 
My late plantings are just starting to run, but I can see little female flowers on the soon-to-be vines. If we get a late frost, they have a chance. The Sept.19th frost date for last year was something I looked up in stats from the nearest city. DH, who (like many farmers) has a fantastic memory for weather statistics said out here we had killing frost a week earlier, on the 12th. We usually get a little more time than that. 

When there were relatively few pumpkin flowers open at a time (a dozen or so) they didn't exactly bring the bees in droves. There are acres of good bee forage very close including lots of white clover. Mason bees showed up once there were a few more flowers to visit. Now that the flowers are legion, I've seen two species of bumblebees, the masons of course, leafcutter bees, honeybees galore (finally) as well as beeflies and hoverflies --and-- a single squash bee. There might well be more squash bees, but I'm not out there checking at 5 AM. I've only seen one. 
Despite conventional wisdom, the flowers on mine do stay open all day, but by 8:30 AM or so, it's hard to find a stray pollen grain left! Honeybees are a little too efficient about pollen gathering! I think leafcutter bees with their messy, brushy abdomens are better pollinators, but I have a love-hate relationship with them - heheh.
There is a scratch in the center of my camera lens, and I haven't taken magzine-worthy photos-- just quick snaps of critters in motion.
First picture is The Cursed Luffa-- only female flowers yet-- no males, and consequently no set fruit in spite of the bees' best efforts.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Oops, partial double post.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

The gourds aren't as appealing to bees, but they do get the occasional apian visitor before they close up mid to late morning. They get more activity from night-time pollinators.








My honeybees have no ethno-botanical prejudices. If there's tasty nectar and/or pollen they can reach, they're game (sunflowers, strawberries-- they'll even gather corn pollen when it's abundant. They don't visit tomatoes and peppers simply because they can't reach the goods-- not being small enough to climb inside, nor heavy enough to tip the flowers the way bumblebees can-- nor do they have sonication talents.) It took lots of pumpkin flowers to entice some away from the abundant clover, but they're fans now!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

HAH!! I began to wonder about all those female luffa flowers, and I looked them up to see whether they might be gender specific. Sure enough-- they are! I planted 4 vines. I believe 3 have bloomed, though it's kind of a tangle and hard to tell what comes from where. So far, only female flowers. They are the Moriarties of my garden!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I have found that growing a non-mini pumpkin, like my Triple Treats, is difficult for me...I am waaaay too impatient, hahaha!  It takes too long for them to grow big and turn orange!! I am used to almost immediately orange and fast growing Jack Be Littles, lol. Sigh...


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## Combatdre (Aug 10, 2013)

Awesome pumpkins everyone!! I have never been able to grow carving pumpkins, they always get attacked by vine borers &#55357;&#56867;... it happened again this year, luckily the C. Moschata (musquee de provence), never dissapoints and is resistant to everything... so far I've counted 10 pumpkins on just 3 plants, the vines are vigorous ☺


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Oh, Musquee de Provence are gorgeous, gorgeous things! The ripe fruits look like works of art! I've never grown them. I wonder if they'd do as well in my very-different climate as they do in CA.
I hope you'll share pictures after harvest, Combatdre.

I know that feeling, WitchyKitty, although I've not grown many of the little ones before. I really want to see them do something. I'm conflicted, though. I want them all to hurry up and ripen, but when any of them do, then I worry that it's too early and they might not keep. lol! It's still more fun to watch them develop than it is to ignore them until after frost hits.


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Quick update. My patch is still going pretty well. Some of the vines have slowed down and are starting to yellow. I still have been able to do a pretty good job keeping the powdery mildew at bay by spraying once a week or so, and I'm still having a good amount of females open every few days. As of right now I have about 10-12 pumpkins for decorating. I think only a few of them will be carvable, and the rest are strictly for decoration like the Turks Turban, Peanut pumpkin, etc. My gourds this year have been a bit of a disappointment due to lack of quantity and size. 

Here's the Turks Turban. This one climbed up the trellis I have set up behind my shed, then latched on to a nearby tree. It's currently about 7 feet off the ground, and I believe has stopped growing. I had probably over a dozen of these have female flowers that opened, and this is the only one that didn't rot and die right away. 


This is a surprise one I didn't know about until recently. The vine took off towards the back of our property and this one was hanging over the back fence that borders the neighbor's yard. This was taken about a week ago when it was the size of a Nerf basketball. I have no idea how big it is now.


This one is about done. While not nearly as big as I'd like, it has a nice shape. It's done growing and is starting to turn orange. 


I'm not positive what this one is, but based on some of the other ones I have growing, I'd say it's a Big Moon pumpkin. It was pollinated about a week ago and is growing quite quickly. I never planted the Big Moon Pumpkins before, but I must say they have been great. I'd say it's about the size of a cantaloupe.


This vine had managed to climb over my neighbor's 6 foot high privacy fence that borders my patch. Luckily this guy was on my side of the fence and was just hanging there. It's a Dill's Atlantic Giant. I had to create a shelf for it to sit on because it was growing to big for the stem to support it. Unfortunately the vine broke about a foot past the pumpkin while I was trying to bring the vine back over the fence. It's still growing and is about the size of an NFL football. 


Here's the overrun Pine Tree. It has about 5 or 6 pumpkins currently growing in it. You can see the largest one in the picture, which is a Big Moon Pumpkin. I did have a second Big Moon Pumpkin about 2 feet to the right of this one, but the other day I found it on the ground due to either the wind, or the fact that it had gotten too heavy for the branches to support it. The vine cracked both before and after the pumpkin after hitting the ground. The one in the tree is about the size of an NBA basketball, while the one on the ground is the size of a soccer ball. Both of them are pretty heavy. 


My apologies for the pictures being so large. I copy them over from Photobucket and haven't figured out how to make them smaller.


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

Wow, wow, WOW!!! What a treat you've shared with us, Mayor! Everything looks great!! Sorry about the ones you lost, even with multiple "babies", it's still a huge bummer. 

And here I am, with my little 4" vine trying to just survive the monsoons..


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Nice work, Mayor! I love seeing so many different varieties in progress!
We've hit our first dry spell of the season. We only had a little less than a half-inch of rain about a week ago, and none in the last week. A few new little pumpkins are starting to abort. I hate to see that, because this is about the end of where new fruits might have a chance to ripen. I guess I'll have all I need if the ones that set now all develop, but I'd still like to have a few more to share. I could stretch out the hose and water, but the plants are quite a distance from the house.


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

I looovvvve that you can have this garden with no irrigation. But I'm sorry to hear that the skies aren't opening up for you.


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## Col. Fryght (Oct 23, 2012)

Combatdre said:


> I have never been able to grow carving pumpkins, they always get attacked by vine borers ��... it happened again this year, luckily the C. Moschata (musquee de provence), never dissapoints and is resistant to everything...
> [/ATTACH]


Any reason why the vine borer leaves them alone? Are the vines too thick for the grub to burrow in? Finally, isn't the musquee de provence the "cinderella" pumpkin. Kind of hard to tell from you photos if yours are going to orange out.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I water every day, as long as it's not raining, lol. My garden is in the back yard...the hose, however, is up near the front yard...so I know what you mean about not wanting to get the hose! Our hose is 100ft (or was it 150ft?) and I have to pull it nearly all the way out to water everything...then drag it back and wrap it back up. It's super heavy duty and, well, HEAVY, too. I love it when it rains overnight...it's like, yay!! I don't have to lug out the darned hose!!

Powdery Mildew is starting to take over on my Triple Treats...I was spraying with my milk mix, and held it off for a bit, but the current weather just made it spread like wildfire! First, wet weather that caused it, then dry, hot, windy weather that is now blowing it around and spreading it. (PM spores spread in the wind, if you didn't know.) I had to remove and toss half the leaves/vines today that were badly covered, then spray the rest. These guys need to hurry and ripen!!!!

The three new little WBL's seem to be growing, still. The fourth didn't set, because it rained heavy and the flower filled with water. There are more babies popping up, though...they need to hurry and open, too, so they can get growing before Fall comes! Regardless, I'm just happy to have the three I currently have on that plant, lol. That single WBL in the pot looks hilarious...all the leaves have died and have been removed, so all that is left is a short, almost empty vine hanging over the pot rim, a few sad leaves and a bright orange mini pumpkin hanging off the end! Hahaha! It reminds me of the sad Christmas tree with a single ornament from Charlie brown, lol. That thing is staying on it's sad little vine as long as possible!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Col. Fryght said:


> Any reason why the vine borer leaves them alone? Are the vines too thick for the grub to burrow in? Finally, isn't the musquee de provence the "cinderella" pumpkin. Kind of hard to tell from you photos if yours are going to orange out.


Rouge vif D'Etampes is Cinderella. Musquee de Provence (Fairytale) is similar, but has burnt orange and mahogany colors.

So far I haven't seen many borers around, but I'll be interested to hear what Col. Fryght has to say, too. (I wonder whether they resist freakin' corn rootworm beetles.)

Yeah, LadyGoats, we've been lucky. We usually have pretty regular rains, but this year was better than average in that respect (after a bit too wet early).


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

Was talking with someone today who insisted that I need to rotate my pumpkins to avoid them rotting on the side touching earth. Is this a thing?


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

LadyMage said:


> Was talking with someone today who insisted that I need to rotate my pumpkins to avoid them rotting on the side touching earth. Is this a thing?


I try and set a board under ones that I can get to. If they are too far out in the patch, I just let them sit, and have yet to have any rot due to not turning them. If they are sitting in an area that is constantly moist, then maybe I would worry.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I agree with the above. If they rot where they're touching the ground (where there's not standing water) they were going to rot anyway. What might happen is a little discoloration, flattening or scarring on the side against the ground. If I can easily manipulate mine so the bottom is against the ground, I will. Then any flatting is in the right place, and any discoloration doesn't show. I don't mess with them if the stems are too short to move easily and the vines are rooted down. I wouldn't try to turn them regularly, either, for fear of breaking the stems.


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## Combatdre (Aug 10, 2013)

Col. Fryght said:


> Any reason why the vine borer leaves them alone? Are the vines too thick for the grub to burrow in? Finally, isn't the musquee de provence the "cinderella" pumpkin. Kind of hard to tell from you photos if yours are going to orange out.


They are resistant to borers and mildew, the vine is really thick for sure and of all the squash I've grown they produce until mid November, they are hardy here in California. The pumpkins themselves start of green, then turn into a dark green color before they turn into a teracota orange. Here's a pic of a few of them from last season. Also, these pumpkins keep amazingly well, I just cooked up my last one a few weeks ago.


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

Thank you Mayor of Haddonfield and ooojen. That info is exactly why I came in here today.

I think my flowers are done now. Wasn't sure on turning them or not. All of mine have really short stems so I can only rotate a little bit back and forth. I've been doing it trying to even out the color. And will try to get them to sit on their bottoms if I can.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I always grew minis in the past. Many were trellised, so touching the ground was never an issue. The ones that were on the ground, I propped up with sticks under the vine they were attached to. They were little enough, that I could raise them up just enough, without pulling on the vines or stems. They always got even coloring, though, even if I never tried to turn them. Obviously, propping up a large pumpkin with a stick would not work quite as easily, hahaha, unless you have one heck of a heavy,thick stick!

This year, as you know, I am growing the Triple Treats...but I lucked out, again, in that all the ones that set just happened to be hanging off the garden fence...so again, no worries about touching the ground and they all have a lovely shape. If I even do have one touching the ground next year, I plan on just sliding a piece of wood or such under it.
Everyone is still so surprised that these pumpkins are just hanging on these vines by their stems and haven't ripped off, yet, lol. They feel like they have some decent weight to them for their size. Every morning, I pray I won't go out and find them broken on the ground.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Combatdre said:


> They are resistant to borers and mildew, the vine is really thick for sure and of all the squash I've grown they produce until mid November, they are hardy here in California. The pumpkins themselves start of green, then turn into a dark green color before they turn into a teracota orange. Here's a pic of a few of them from last season. Also, these pumpkins keep amazingly well, I just cooked up my last one a few weeks ago.
> View attachment 248843


Tried those a couple years back, and they worked pretty well early, of the ones that set, only one ripened by mid October when frost killed the vines, and it was half eaten by slugs. 

I never got a taste, thanks to the slugs...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

From reviews I read, it sounds like Musquee de Provence need a long growing season, but when they work for you, they're amazing. They're probably not perfectly suited to my area, but I intend to give them a try anyway-- at least a couple plants. 

http://www.mariquita.com/images/photogallery/vegetablesatoz/wintersquash/musque1.jpg


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

So apparently the white stuff on my plants and the zuccini plant is powdery mildew. Was expecting that to be black, but whatever. I found the milk spray recipe and sprayed down all the plants - how often should I do that? The sites say once a week, but is that just for prevention? Some of the leaves are pretty thick with it.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Just now had to toss my little pumpkemon at work from last year. Talia still has 2 going well.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

LadyMage said:


> So apparently the white stuff on my plants and the zuccini plant is powdery mildew. Was expecting that to be black, but whatever. I found the milk spray recipe and sprayed down all the plants - how often should I do that? The sites say once a week, but is that just for prevention? Some of the leaves are pretty thick with it.


The milk spray doesn't really stop it...it only slows it from spreading as quickly, in my experience. So, basically it's a preventative and slows spreading. It basically makes a light coating on the leaves that the spores from the powdery mildew don't like. I use it once or twice a week when the conditions for PM start. Spray in the morning. You don't want wet leaves overnight, as that could cause more problems, and you don't want to spray midday when the sun is at it's hottest, either. If you have any leaves that are super covered in the mildew, remove them and discard them. Don't compost them, you will just spread the spores to the compost and they will still be able to blow on the breeze.


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Quick update. The patch has really slowed down recently, and several of my pumpkins have been already taken off the vine. I still have a few flowers opening each, day, but not nearly as many as a couple weeks ago. I'm thinking that next year I'm going to push my start date back until the middle of June so I still have stuff going into mid-September. I'm thinking my entire patch may be done by the first week of September. Overall I'm pretty happy with what I'm going to get. I'm not going to have a lot that I can carve, but I will have several nice decorative ones. 

This is probably the largest one. This is the one that started at about 6 feet up in the tree. It currently sits about 2 feet off the ground. This one has some pretty good weight to it, and I'd say is about 12 inches high or so. 



Here's some that I've already cut from the vine. After cutting them I gave them a quick dunk in the pool to clean them off. I believe the pumpkin on the left is a regular Connecticut Field pumpkin, the middle is a Turks Turban that grew up in a tree, and the one on the right is a Peanut Pumpkin. I had a total of 4 plants each for the Turks Turban and the Peanut pumpkin, and only managed one of each, which is a little disappointing. I do love the Peanut pumpkin. It kind of has a pink outside. 


Here's a close up of the Peanut Pumpkin. 


I do have a couple Red Whartythings growing right now, and at least one Dill's Atlantic Giant that isn't going to be a giant at all, and a couple other smaller field pumpkins. I'm thinking I'm going to get maybe 11 total pumpkins of different varieties as well as some gourds.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

That peanut is awesome. 


Looks like a beast to try to carve, but awesome.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

It looks like I may get a few more Wee Be Littles, if they grow and ripen quickly. I have no idea why this plant took so long to start with all it's females, but happy it finally did!


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Looks like I somehow got some baby boos on what was supposed to be a JBL.


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

UnOrthodOx said:


> That peanut is awesome.
> 
> 
> Looks like a beast to try to carve, but awesome.


Yeah, I don't think I'll be able to carve that peanut pumpkin. Not nearly tall enough, and I have to think the outside would be difficult to get through.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Your pumpkins look great, MoH! The peanut one looks awesome...I have never seen one before.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Looks like I somehow got some baby boos on what was supposed to be a JBL.


That's odd. Is the whole plant Baby Boos...or is one plant putting out JBLs AND Baby Boos?? I suppose you could always paint them orange...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

WitchyKitty said:


> That's odd. Is the whole plant Baby Boos...or is one plant putting out JBLs AND Baby Boos?? I suppose you could always paint them orange...


Whole plant is Baby Boos. I'd bought a mix that was SUPPOSED to have some in it, but the seeds never come up, so I bought 3 JBL plants as that's all the nursery had, 1 is producing baby boos. (one not producing at all)


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Vine Borers - 2
Kaku - 0


I went out today and pulled up all but two of my vines. Well, two and a half - the half seemed okay and had a pumpkin set, so we'll see if the shoots can keep it alive for any length of time. Two or three pumpkins set, and that's probably going to be it if those even survive. It's very frustrating to see months of work all crammed into a trash bag. I think in the future, I'll stick to buying my pumpkins.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Mayor -- Your pumpkins look great!
IME, Peanut isn't a highly productive vine. One or two fruits seem to be all I ever get from an individual plant, too. 

Kakugori-- That must be awfully frustrating. Good luck with what you have left.
WitchyKitty-- glad yours are putting out some female flowers!

Mine slowed down on female flowers, maybe because they have ripening fruit, or maybe because we had a little over a week without rain. It rained last night, so we'll see. Rootworm beetles are really taking over, eating up the flowers, too. This morning two flowers opened in front of a conjoined pair of fruits (I've been keeping tabs on them for a few days.) I killed all the beetles that had been in the flowers, dusted the inside of the petals with Sevin, hand-pollinated the flowers, and closed up the flowers with twist-ties so bees can't get in. So I hope the bees will stay safe, but if any beetles chew their way in, it will be the end of them while the hole is still tiny.
I really want that conjoined Red Warty pair!

We're coming down the home stretch. Good luck to all!


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

Now, I don't want any of you with these measly attempts at pumpkin patches to scream at me in rage (or jealousy, naturally), but I think I have you all beat. 

Y'see, this was a seed is planted not long after a microburst destroyed my three semi-decent plants (what? 6-ish weeks ago?), and it's obviously planning on taking over the world..!









Now, calm yourselves! I can't give away trade secrets over here, but I can tell ya that love and effort have no affect on it. Nope. This is just how the garden grows over at Casa de Lady Goats..

Ugh.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Awwww, hahahaha...I don't know whether to laugh at your post or feel bad! 

It IS adorable, though...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

LadyGoats-- I bet that little gem has roots like a saguaro! Just wait until it starts putting its effort into above-ground growth! Jumanji time!


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## LadyGoats (Oct 3, 2012)

ooojen said:


> LadyGoats-- I bet that little gem has roots like a saguaro! Just wait until it starts putting its effort into above-ground growth! Jumanji time!


Haha, definitely not getting my hopes up,!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

You have a long time until the first frost, so who knows?


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## Combatdre (Aug 10, 2013)

Harvested some of the other winter squash I planted, turks turban, butternut, and a volunteer pumpkin I'm guessing is a mix between a butternut and a musquee from last season


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Beautiful harvest, Combatdre!

LadyGoats, let us know if your little seedling suddenly starts to take off!! Fingers crossed for you!!!


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Combatdre, your harvest looks pretty awesome!!! I love the different mixture you have going on.


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

I have several that are already turning orange. It's too soon!

So, when do I need to cut them off and store them until I'm ready to decorate?


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

fanboy said:


> I have several that are already turning orange. It's too soon!
> 
> So, when do I need to cut them off and store them until I'm ready to decorate?


I leave mine on until they are completely orange, then maybe a week or so after that to harden up. Then I cut them off and clean them real well and I'll let them sit outside for a week or so longer. Two years ago I had some done around this time and they did just fine until Halloween. I stored them in the basement where it's cool and dark.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I know with my Jack be Littles, it says to leave them on the vine until the stem starts to brown and dry. Then, you can harvest, clean, let sit a week, give or take, and then store.


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## Spookywolf (Aug 4, 2012)

With as fast as everyone's pumpkins have come on and have already ripened, I'm still holding out hope that I might see pumpkins by Halloween. My gourds are doing fantastic and growing like something out of the Addam's Family greenhouse, LOL! I had them growing on the deck rails, but I think if I sat out there very long they'd grow over me.  I'm already seeing the beginnings of babies on those. My pumpkins were a little behind the curve, compared to the rest of you since I started so much later, but are starting to get lots of flowers now. How long does it normally take to go from fruit set to orange on the larger pumpkins as a general ballpark?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Don't worry about your pumpkins turning orange, Fanboy. Even though it seems early, they'll still have some maturing to do on the vines. The longer they keep getting nourishment from the plant, the longer they'll keep.
Mayor of Haddonfield is no doubt doing the right thing for his climate, and WitchyKitty the right thing for hers. Those maturity season-length thingies-- those are based on certain temperatures and hours of sunshine, so here in MN you can't necessarily count on a 105 day pumpkin being ripe 105 days after you plant it the way you could in California. Maybe they'll be ready, maybe not. (I admit to a bit of growing season envy.) 
Like WK, I leave mine on the vines until the vines are clearly dying-- which for me often means first frost. They should be gathered before a_* hard freeze*_, but if you're going to decorate with them in the weeks leading up to Halloween, they're going to get hit with frost anyway.

Today I'm starting an experiment with a couple of the minis' vines. These particular pumpkins are determinate plants, which means they do their producing all at once, and when they have firmly set fruit, they tend to quit making female flowers. Mine have been left to run on the ground, so they have well-established roots at each node. Where I have nearly-ripe fruit near the plants' bases, I'm going to cut runners off the parent plants, essentially making them separate rooted plants. Without any hormonal messages telling them there's already successful fruiting, maybe the runners will produce. It's worth a try. The main plants will still have enough leaves to finish out, or enough nodes from which they could throw more runners if they feel the need. I'll give an update either way.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Ran out and snapped some pics of how mine are looking, so far. Not the best pics, but you can get an idea. First, the WBL's. They are really hidden in the depths of the plant, but I tried to get some pics of them: 






















Then, here are my TT's so far:






















...and here is my one, lonely, sad little WBL on the potted vine...this is the one that I said the whole vine has died and this is all there is left of it, hahaha, my little Charlie Brown pumpkin vine!! That little guy is hanging on like a trooper, and I will leave him there as long as humanly possible!! It cracks me up each time I look at it.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

So how long did the WBL vines get?


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

Question/Dilema...
About half of my pumpkins have turned orange, the other half either starting to turn or still completely green. That will be about the 100th day, at that point, from planting. First 2 weeks of Sept we will
be gone, and the patch will receive no water. It's been in the 100's here, and we have very sandy soil, so the plants will be deader than a door nail after a few days with zero water. My question is: should the pumpkins
be cut off the vine before we leave, or is it okay to just let nature be and harvest when we get back?


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## hhh (Mar 1, 2012)

I've got four orange smoothie vines going, each with one fruit so far. this one is odd ball, it was the first to open a flower, and a lone female flower, which somehow managed to be pollinated anyway. the vine is maybe 2 feet long, and the pumpkin is starting to ripen up already.








very little happening on the weebee little vines though. we'll see if they produce anything.


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

I didn't plant anything in the end because we really don't have the space or the light requirements, however my neighbors planted a few seeds only to find out afterwards they planted Atlantic Giants. The vines must be 30-35 long and have two pumpkins which look like they are around 25lbs already. Good thing for them they are not doing anything special to encourage excessive growth.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

punkineater said:


> Question/Dilema...
> About half of my pumpkins have turned orange, the other half either starting to turn or still completely green. That will be about the 100th day, at that point, from planting. First 2 weeks of Sept we will
> be gone, and the patch will receive no water. It's been in the 100's here, and we have very sandy soil, so the plants will be deader than a door nail after a few days with zero water. My question is: should the pumpkins
> be cut off the vine before we leave, or is it okay to just let nature be and harvest when we get back?


Yes. 

If your pumpkins have hardened, the vine is done with them. Leaving them on will help nothing at all. Test them with your fingernail. If you easily pierce the skin, they're still 'cooking' and you'll want to leave them. If not, may as well pick them and get em somewhere coolish. 

If you decide to leave them, try to SOAK the ground before you leave. Coupled with the plant's natural ability to shade the soil and help retain water, they could surprise you.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Spookywolf said:


> My pumpkins were a little behind the curve, compared to the rest of you since I started so much later, but are starting to get lots of flowers now. How long does it normally take to go from fruit set to orange on the larger pumpkins as a general ballpark?


It's very dependent on your conditions (as well as pumpkin variety). My first large-ish pumpkin of the season took a lot longer to go from flower to deep orange fruit than what recent ones have taken. This is just a ballpark figure, but I think it's running about 3 weeks now for them to get to full size and to color up. I very much doubt they're completely ripe at that point, though.
I'm still holding out hope for my late re-plants that have yet to bloom. They're not much bigger than LadyGoats' plant, but I'm holding onto my optimism


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

UnOrthodOx said:


> So how long did the WBL vines get?


The WBL vines didn't get long, so much as it got bushy. The separate shoots are just now beginning to lengthen, but very little. Here is a pic from last week or so, they are a little longer now, though, but you can get the idea:


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## Spookywolf (Aug 4, 2012)

WitchyKitty said:


> The WBL vines didn't get long, so much as it got bushy. The separate shoots are just now beginning to lengthen, but very little. Here is a pic from last week or so, they are a little longer now, though, but you can get the idea:
> 
> View attachment 250000


So this might be a good candidate for a container planting then. I have a few areas with not a lot of room for long vines, but could hold a nice "bushy" type pumpkin plant. Might try one or two of these next year and see what I get.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Spookywolf said:


> So this might be a good candidate for a container planting then. I have a few areas with not a lot of room for long vines, but could hold a nice "bushy" type pumpkin plant. Might try one or two of these next year and see what I get.


The vines are about six inches to a foot bigger all the way around than they were in that pic, as of today, but still quite compact and bushy. It's considered a semi-bush plant. I tried to grow one in the container that I normally grow my JBL's in, but it died for some reason. If you scroll to the page before, you can see the one little pumpkin hanging from the leafless vine, lol. They can be grown in a container, but you might want to make a tee pee with bamboo or wood or such to support them, because they grow upwards at first...both of mine did, anyway. Here are two pics of a container grown WBL I found online where you can see the huge pot and the wood tee pee trellis:


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

My large Big Moon finally made it's descent to the earth. It started out at about 6 feet up in the tree and slowly made it's way down due to it's increasing weight. I went out to check on everything the other day and noticed it on the ground. Unfortunately the stem broke where it met the vine, but luckily the pumpkin itself is fine, and it was already starting to turn orange. I ended up cutting it the rest of the way off the vine, cleaned it up, and have it sitting out for a little while before I store it for the next month or so. It's the one on the left below. The one on the right is a field pumpkin that just didn't want to grow too big. 



About a week or so ago I noticed another female bloom towards the top of the pine tree. It's a Red Wartything that is really growing quite quickly. For whatever reason, Red Warty things took a lot longer to come out then everything else I planted.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

I know, not pumpkins, but the tomatoes are finally coming on. Weekend of tomato sauce makin' on the way.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I have eaten so many tomatoes this past month, lol. The month and a half before that, I had cucumbers every single day. I have had so many jalapeno peppers that I have been finding new ways to cook them each week and giving them away to anybody and everybody! I still have a million more to go on the plants, yet, too. I wish my pumpkins were doing as well as the rest of my veggies...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I'm already thinking about next year, and looking for advice from anyone who has grown giant, or at least *big*, pumpkins. I don't want 600-pounders. I don't choose to put that much effort into growing them, and I don't like the look of flabby pumpkins that ooze out under the pressure of their own weight as they grow, all misshapened. People do some awesome carvings on those, but it's not what I'm looking for. I would be thrilled with a couple fruits that were more or less roundish, and close to 2' tall. 
Will Atlantic Giants look like that if they're left to fend for themselves (in good soil with regular rain)? Has anyone here grown Prizewinner? That looks like it might be a better choice for shape and nice orange color, but I don't know first-hand. If anyone has some input, I'd love to hear it!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I haven't grown big pumpkins, so I am of no help, lol. I hear many people talk about Big Max pumpkins...I have seen those grown as large, nice shaped round pumpkins and also supersized and floppy, lol.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Thanks! I Googled images of Big Max, and a lot of them do look like they are are a nice shape and color.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I would assume that it all depends on how you grow them if you want to get a nice round shape instead of over sized and floppy. I know people go through certain steps to get those super huge, melted looking pumpkins. If you just grow them normally and try to get them upright instead of on their sides, maybe that's how they grow normal and round?? Good luck with what you choose!! I am sure one of the others on this thread might know more about them...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Thanks for your take! I think you're right, that the huge size and the floppy shape kind of go together just because of the sheer weight when they get that big. Most of the information I can find on growing large pumpkins is all about going for record-breaking size. I'm not trying to break record. I just want a little variety in sizes for a nice display by the front door. 
I have some time to decide, and with any luck I'll have something to report on next year's thread.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

< sigh >

Gargantuan plant... we're talkin' an almost 50' spread - _maybe_ one soon-to-be pumpkin. I might have to paint the cantaloupes orange.


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## hhh (Mar 1, 2012)

So I've got a pumpkin turning orange already. it's pretty small and doesn't seem worth keeping around for carving. so I figure, why not eat it? It's an orange smoothie which is supposed to be an OK pie pumpkin. Anyone know if they'd taste best straight off the vine, or better with a few weeks of hardening up, or what?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

My Wee Be Little vine/bush has gotten quite a bit bigger, suddenly!


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Our pumpkin plants have been having plenty of blossoms all season long, but the blossoms inevitably whither up and die. Any ideas why? I can get a picture later and post it here.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Do you know if they are male or female?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Greenwick said:


> Our pumpkin plants have been having plenty of blossoms all season long, but the blossoms inevitably whither up and die. Any ideas why? I can get a picture later and post it here.


It's really difficult to say, because not setting fruit (or aborting set fruit) is the way the plant reacts to almost any source of stress. If some condition or conditions aren't right, it will drop the fruit and try again later. So that can mean it's too dry, or too wet, too hot or too cold. Could mean the soil is too alkaline, or too compacted, fertility is too low, or there's too much Nitrogen. Insect pest can cause fruit not to set, and so can a lack of pollinator insects.
I realize that's not very helpful by itself, but you can run through a checklist... First-- Do you have bees or flower flies? If not, you might try transferring pollen to the female flowers yourself. Without giving out your address (hah) if you could give us a general idea of the climate where you live, then maybe someone with similar conditions can give you the best advice.


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

A tumblr post too accurate not to share:

http://halloweentreat.tumblr.com/post/127826858091




I do still have two plants hanging in there, despite all the butchery I've had to do to them. I think the one pumpkin I had set earliest has a vine borer in it - it's stopped growing, turned mostly orange, but the end is white and soft, really weird. Couple of others set and growing, so maybe I'll have A pumpkin this year. My late start (3rd try) JBLs have started putting on flowers too. And my corn has mostly been trampled, so I'm just letting it go.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I think the link you posted is "killer"...not that your corn was trampled, lol. 
I could have made a whole troop of mini failed flower jack o lanterns this year, lol. It's adorable!


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I don't know if the plants are male or female.



ooojen said:


> It's really difficult to say, because not setting fruit (or aborting set fruit) is the way the plant reacts to almost any source of stress. If some condition or conditions aren't right, it will drop the fruit and try again later. So that can mean it's too dry, or too wet, too hot or too cold. Could mean the soil is too alkaline, or too compacted, fertility is too low, or there's too much Nitrogen. Insect pest can cause fruit not to set, and so can a lack of pollinator insects.
> I realize that's not very helpful by itself, but you can run through a checklist... First-- Do you have bees or flower flies? If not, you might try transferring pollen to the female flowers yourself. Without giving out your address (hah) if you could give us a general idea of the climate where you live, then maybe someone with similar conditions can give you the best advice.


I'm in the Pacific Northwest, up in Bellingham, Washington. So usually it's wet and cool, but this summer we've had a dry heatwave. (Generally with muggy temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees.) They were put into new beds with freshly added soil/compost from a local awesome place. So 
I don't think the soil is the problem. We do have bees and wasps, and my roommate's pumpkins in the same yard are giving fruit.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Greenwick said:


> I don't know if the plants are male or female.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The male flowers bloom first, usually, to start getting bees to the area. They have a long stem and one center part, the stamen. The females usually begin to bloom later than the males by maybe a week or two, sometimes. The females have a short stem close to the vine, a little swelling right under the flower that will be the baby pumpkin and have a multiple part center, the stigma. The flowers each only bloom for one day, then close. So seeing them wither each day is normal. When you get females, they must be pollinated by bees or you, before they close, earlier in the morning, the better, so the pollen on the males in the most viable. Here is a site I posted earlier that shows the males/females and how pollinating works:
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/pollen.htm

If you are certain it's not a bug infestation, nutrient deficiency, ect. It's probably likely that you are just seeing your males bloom and die daily, like they do. The females, once they start blooming, will do the same...but the difference is, is that if she was pollinated correctly, that little bump below her will begin to grow! If you DO have females blooming, but none are setting pumpkins, you may need to hand pollinate. Like the link I posted says, take a male, pick it, pull back its petals and use it's center to "paint" all the parts of the inside of the female...her stigma parts. Make sure the male is fresh, newly opened and that the pollen is mature (it will be clearly visible and come off on your finger easily). Make sure to get some pollen on each part of the females stigma, or pollination may fail, as well. Also, if it rains, and it gets into freshly pollinated females, it could wash away the pollen and again, won't have good enough pollination. If you hand pollinate...or the bees do...and it looks like it may immediately rain before the flower closes back up, you can always carefully tie the flower petals shut to keep the rain out and the pollen in the female. One thing i also do, once I "paint" with the males stamen, I pluck it off (just the pollen covered part) and gently tuck it inside the center of the females stigma parts...that way, it's double sure that pollen is gonna be in there, lol. It's not necessary, but I like to be double sure!

Like ooojen said, there are sooo many things that could cause it...stress, too. Some of my pumpkin plants fought fruit set...even getting females...because I weather stress, I am guessing...but other ones in my yard were setting fruit just fine. Another just finally started giving me females...while other plants have already gotten orange pumpkins! You can't always go by if one plant is okay, the other should be okay, too. There can be variables from plant to plant.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

The plants should have flowers of each gender.
Hmmm, that's really a tough one. Highs in the 80's to 90 should be just fine as long as the nights cool off to 70 or below. If your roommate's pumpkins in the same yard are producing, the only possibility I can think of is that you have a variety that's just fussy about something in your climate. If your roommate is growing the same variety, then I'm completely stumped....unless your roommate is wicked competitive and would pick the female flowers off your plant.
Sorry, I really wish I could be helpful, but it does sound like you're doing everything right and having trouble in spite of it.

Anybody from the PNW with any ideas?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yeah, if it's a different variety of pumpkin than your roommates, different brand or even just a different packet the seeds came from, that could be the difference...but if they are the same seeds from the same packet...in the same place with the same amount of light, soil and bees, started at the exact same time...well...I have no idea, lol.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

WitchyKitty, I'll try the hand pollination either today or tomorrow.

We have several varieties, some from packets, many from seeds saved from local pumpkins we got last year. I was wondering if it might have been the varieties we had, but the plants look happy & healthy & strong other than the blossoms not forming pumpkins.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

After looking at those pictures, I think all the blossoms I've been seeing were male, so this seems very likely! I'm returning from a trip today, so will have a look to see if we have any female flowers.

Do any of you know if we can pluck & eat the male flowers without affecting the plant? I had roasted stuffed squash blossoms while visiting relatives last year & they were amazing.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Greenwick said:


> After looking at those pictures, I think all the blossoms I've been seeing were male, so this seems very likely! I'm returning from a trip today, so will have a look to see if we have any female flowers.
> 
> Do any of you know if we can pluck & eat the male flowers without affecting the plant? I had roasted stuffed squash blossoms while visiting relatives last year & they were amazing.


I don't see why not. As long as you have an abundance of male flowers, you should be okay to pick some. Don't pick them all, though, because you need them to keep attracting the bees and also for pollinating your females, should you have some. Just carefully pick the flower...don't hurt the vine when doing so. Like I said, when hand pollinating, I pick many males to use to pollinate my females...so taking some to eat shouldn't be any different. 

I've never tried a fried pumpkin flower...I should have, this year, since I had so insanely many of them on my Triple Treats, lol.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

For hand pollinating, if you don't want to get up every single early morning to check for females, you can usually look the evening before and can tell when a female is going to open the next day, as the closed bloom will be turning orange and nearly ready to open up, rather than the green they start as and tightly closed. If it looks like you have a female that's gonna open the next morning, you will know to wake up early and go pollinate.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

When I posted, I hadn't seen your post yet, WK. I wasn't dismissing your answer by asking whether anyone in the PNW had ideas! Good pollination information!

Greenwick - Planting seeds saved from local pumpkins could be your issue. Hybrid pumpkins can produce sterile seeds or seeds for very non-productive plants. You and your roommate could take seeds from the same pumpkin and get entirely different plants out of them. Even cross-pollinated non-hybrids-- same species but with different forms -- can give you a very wide variety of offspring. You might just have inferior seeds that grew into less productive plants. But you still have some time if you can find some female flowers! Best of luck!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> When I posted, I hadn't seen your post yet, WK. I wasn't dismissing your answer by asking whether anyone in the PNW had ideas! Good pollination information!
> 
> Greenwick - Planting seeds saved from local pumpkins could be your issue. Hybrid pumpkins can produce sterile seeds or seeds for very non-productive plants. You and your roommate could take seeds from the same pumpkin and get entirely different plants out of them. Even cross-pollinated non-hybrids-- same species but with different forms -- can give you a very wide variety of offspring. You might just have inferior seeds that grew into less productive plants. But you still have some time if you can find some female flowers! Best of luck!


Lol, I know, ooojen.

Yes, I agree with the whole saved seeds thing. Many people don't realize, that if a pumpkin flower is pollinated with another flower's pollen from the same family type, that that pumpkin will grow fine, but it's seeds will grow a plant that is a hybrid of whatever the other pollen was and the original plant. Cross pollination affects what that pumpkin's seeds will do. Sometimes, if you plant seeds from a pumpkin that was set by cross pollination, you could get something cool, like a pumpkin with a different shape or color...or some pumpkin/squash hybrid...but like ooojen said, it could also be a bad match of the two original plants that will give you a not so healthy new plant from the seeds.

The only way you can be safe to reuse seeds and get the same pumpkin growing from them, is if you have made sure no cross pollination could have happened by growing a far distance from other seed family plants (so insects/bees can't bring over other pollen), covering before and after hand pollination, making sure only you, and no insects are pollinating, ect., for absolutely sure. Otherwise, there is always a risk for cross pollination and pumpkins that will have hybrid seeds.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Yep, you have to control where the pollen comes from, as mentioned above, and you also have to be sure the pumpkin plant you're dealing with isn't already a hybrid itself (like First Prize, Aladdin, Prizewinner, Mischeif, Gladiator, Hijinks, etc.)


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I harvested this last week...off of my sad, dying potted vine...but just got around to grabbing a pic of it.
My very first, tiny, perfect little Wee Be Little. 










That vine may have only given me one pumpkin, but it sure is an adorable little pumpkin!


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Oh, it's definitely adorable! It looks so perfect in that setting, too.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, I now know why my Wee Be Little vine won't set anymore pumpkins...I was correct, I have a severe insect infestation...squash bugs, to be exact. I went outside and did a thorough search and found zillions of them...babies, young ones and adults. I have never seen this before in my life. I am pretty sure controlling them is now out of the question, and since it's already September tomorrow, I may just harvest the three pumpkins on the vine and remove the entire plant. (Although, I have no idea how I will remove the plant without getting covered in bugs...sigh.) I have had so much going on, that I hadn't had time to really check out the vine. Now I know...

Grrrrrrr!!


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## punkineater (Apr 26, 2014)

So, my first attempt ever at growing pumpkins(and corn) yielded mixed results. Lots of mistakes made; overcrowding,
planting the corn/pumpkins in the reverse space in the garden, severe drought conditions...BUT, I DID get 28 pumpkins 
Only a few that are carve-worthy~the rest will be added ambiance. The Big Moons turned out looking like WitchyKitty's WBL's~
a far cry from their lauded 'up to 200lbs'!
Lots of corn on the plants..waited to pick as per suggested...shucked those babies in anticipation of sweet corn heaven....
got about 12 _kernels_ all totaled Ha, clearly no pollination. Another rooking planting placement mistake, which will
be reconciled next year.
It was fun, (sometimes agonizing) and a good learning experience. Thanks to everybody for sharing their expertiselooking forward to 2016!
punkineater out...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

It's too bad to hear about your sweet corn...but 28 pumpkins is awesome! I'm glad to hear you got a fair amount of them. they look great! I love to start seeing the harvested pumpkin pics!!!


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## fanboy (Mar 21, 2014)

I harvested 5 of my 10 pumpkins over the weekend. They had no change in growth but were turning orange nicely. I did the fingernail test and those were ready to pull. I've got 5 more I'm waiting to turn and hopefully will get a little larger. Nothing carve worthy, but they'll look great when I set up my outdoor display in a couple weeks.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

That's a shame, WitchyKitty! I found a hatch of squash bugs on one of my gourds, yesterday but I'm entirely heartless when it comes to such vermin (well, not actually _entirely_ heartless, I guess. I prefer their deaths be quick and merciful...when every last freaking one of them DIES!) I dispatched them before they got to grow up and make more. It was just lucky chance that I saw them; they'd have been very easy to miss!

Punkineater-- Nice haul, all those pumpkins! Too bad about the corn. Yep, placement matters, but you've apparently got that handled for next time. Looking forward to seeing pictures of the pumpkins as Halloween decor!

Fanboy-- I hope you'll share pictures of your display, too!

My vines are winding down a little, too, with more yellowing old leaves lately than new young green ones coming to replace them. This week is warmer than last, though, so they'll probably hold their own for a while. I haven't picked any yet because the vines and stems are still going strong. The longer they stay on viable vines, the longer they're likely to keep.
The gourds are still putting out lots of flowers (hummingbirds have found them!) but I don't think there's time for any more to mature and harden at this point.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I harvested the three WBLs on the vine, but I haven't removed the vine, yet. I am going to see if I can slow down the bugs and give the two that were just pollinated a chance to set. If they don't set, I'll just give up and remove the vine. I cut off a bunch of leaves that had bugs on them, and also sprayed the whole thing down with soapy spray and a bit of Sevin around the underneath. It's all I happened to have since I don't really like to use chemicals and I didn't want to hurt any bees. One last try, I suppose, lol.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I broke down and used Sevin on mine, too. I feel the same way, that I don't want to harm the bees, but I took off all the flowers that were nearby (they were all males anyway) so the bees wouldn't be especially interested in the area.
Good luck!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> I broke down and used Sevin on mine, too. I feel the same way, that I don't want to harm the bees, but I took off all the flowers that were nearby (they were all males anyway) so the bees wouldn't be especially interested in the area.
> Good luck!


I kept it away from any flowers. Sigh. Good luck to you, too!


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

We finally have a female blossom. I believe we planted these late, so that could be part of what happened - but maybe we'll get lucky and ours will ripen just in time for Halloween. If they have time to grow, anyway. 

Ooojen, i figured that'd be a possibility, but my husband & I decided we'd take a chance. I had assumed that sterile plants just wouldn't produce good fruit. I believe we did have some store bought seeds to grow from as well, and at any rate next year we'll be getting more.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, it looks like I am going to have to fight and keep trying to keep my WBL vine alive a little longer...I found two fully set and growing pumpkins!! I was totally ready to remove the plant because of the bug issues and the other females/pumpkins not setting. I'm glad I did a thorough check today, lol. They were buried in the vine a bit, so I never saw them. Now we just hope I can keep that vine alive long enough for them to grow a bit more and ripen...sigh...stupid squash bugs.


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## xLawfulevilx (Aug 30, 2015)

I am hoping to get some sizable cash to spend at the pumpkin patch i grew up going to. I want to this year make a Jack-o-lantern-in-a-box lol. Have about 5 or 6 pumpkins stacked on another in a wooden box. And the Top pumpkin having a scary clown face carved/sculpted onto it. Make it very dark carnival-esque.


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## Mike and Tiff (Aug 21, 2013)

I'm not getting any females flowers at all, I have tones of males, Is that normal?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Mike and Tiff said:


> I'm not getting any females flowers at all, I have tones of males, Is that normal?


My experience in my climate, with the varieties I've planted--- is that I _*usually *_get female flowers a few days after the male flowers start (maybe 5 days? -- Sometimes other factors affect that.) The mysterious "they" say to expect females about a week to two weeks after the male flowers start appearing. 
It _*is *_normal to get a lot more male flowers than female, and it's normal for the female flowers to be a little less noticeable because they're often closer to the ground and sometimes shielded by leaves.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I've been busy doing away-from-home things the last few days, and didn't check on my pumpkins. It seems the return to warm weather has brought them back into action. These are plants that haven't produced anything new for a month. There are at least a couple of the minis that have new little fruits behind withered blossoms, and I saw three new female flowers open today. Since they're small ones, they have a good chance of ripening if the beetles don't take them out. I dusted the little fruits with Sevin, and I hope no wayward bees decide to land nearby.
More happy news for the day-- I had thought only two pumpkin vines had survived the Mad Mower, a Red Warty Thing and a One Too Many. Today I discovered a Peanut hanging on the fence! (I knew the fruit was there, but assumed it was a OTM as they look very similar until they near maturity.) It's only one fruit, and it's not the peanuttiest yet (there's still time) but I was thrilled silly to discover I hadn't lost all of that variety. Though I did lose quite a number of individual plants, Jarrahdale is the only variety I completely lost from the mown-off patch, then. Could have been worse. 

Our family went to the Great Minnesota Get-Together (the State Fair) yesterday, and while the others stood looking less enthusiastic, I snapped a couple quick pictures in the vegetable wing of the Horticulture building. To be clear, none of these are mine.
The Champion for largest pumpkin (and there may well be some heavier ones in the state later in the season) was this specimen at 1,473 pounds: 









Some more big squashed-looking entrants:









A goal for next year, this is the range I'd like to achieve --the 100 pounders. I could shift them around myself (a short distance, anyway) and they don't get all flattened. Big, but manageable and still pretty:


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

There were hardly any medium-sized pumpkins, or odd ones, but there were some cute little ones:


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

One of my re-plant pumpkins finally had a female flower open today! Here's hoping we have several more weeks before the first frost!
I took the camera out to the 2 growing areas yesterday and took some updated pictures. I tucked a standard-sized pen in most of the pictures, to give some size perspective. 
Yep, the vines have expanded into crabgrass territory and into the alfalfa field. I'm not even going to try weeding their entire spread!
I don't know what this first one is, but I like it. It's somewhat similar to "Orange Cutie" but larger and smoother-skinned.









I'm not certain, but there's a probable explanation for this next one. I planted "Batwing" which growers have said is quite a variable variety, both for color and for size. This could easily be an all-orange version. Batwing didn't live up to my expectations, but fortunately didn't take up a lot of space. This really isn't a bad little pumpkin, but plain orange pumpkins are readily available and generally quite cheap here. My intent was to grow more unusual shapes, colors, or sizes and then buy a few conventional ones for filler. 









The real "Orange Cutie". These haven't changed much since the last time I photographed them, but they've gotten a bit more intense in color. I messed up the perspective consistency by putting the pen under the fruit instead of across the stem. The pumpkin is a little smaller than that would suggest.









The fruit lower right might be closer to typical for "Batwing" but it's not something they'd be apt to use for a promo photo! I had to root out one of the BW vines early because it was virally infected. I may have gotten sub-par seed for that variety.









Weeeee One, which is putting out lots of new female flowers now. If I can keep them from getting eaten up by beetles, there's a chance the fruits could mature. I have several fruits, anyway, so it's all good.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

I am so sad. The vines are dying off, and at least 2 of my four pumpkins have rotted - the two smallest ones. I'm trying to work up the courage to check the bigger ones, and pull out the dead vines.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Sorry, LadyMage. I hope your last 2 fruits hold up for you!

"One Too Many", named by someone who thought it resembled a bloodshot eye. (Growing blossom end up might reinforce that.) I happen to think they're beautiful. They're quite prolific, and also variable in shape. I like the flattened form of this one.









Here's a more typically "pumpkin shaped" OTM. The markings aren't as bright because it's less mature.









And finally, at the other end of the spectrum, another OTM, but of elongated form.









Love the big and beautiful "Cinderella's Carriage", an F1 similar to "Rouge Vif D'etamps". This one is particularly smooth-skinned. I guess these exhibit the occasional blue fruit, though I've not seen it. I intend to grow CC again.
What looks like powdery mildew on the leaves is actually powdery Sevin. Scars by the pen came from the chickens sampling the fruit when it was much, much smaller. Fortunately they weren't impressed. (I wasn't dusting yet then, either.)


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Released in the 1800's as "Victor" and more recently as "Red Warty Thing" (poor Victor!) -- these show their Hubbard Squash roots until they approach full size. Here's one that's leaning toward red, but isn't very warty...









...and here's one that's not yet fully colored up but definitely has warts:









Another for size perspective, pen upper left. These are fairly prolific, too, though a lot of the set fruit aborted when larger-than-softball size.









And, finally, the recently-discovered "Peanut". I'm still hoping it develops a little more peanutty texture, but I'm happy for whatever I get. This was hanging on a fence and putting a lot of strain on its vine, so I put a plastic patio chair under it for support. Dust on the last two is Sevin, also. I hate to use it, but if I didn't, I'd have no fruits at all in the back patch.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen, I can't see any of your pics...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Hmm, I wonder what's up with that! They showed up on my laptop when I posted, but the just have attachment numbers now. I'll see what I can do.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, I can see them now.  They look great!!


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I really like those Wee Ones...I have never seen seeds for those, though.  I have always loved pumpkins with a tall shape...a mini pumpkin with a tall shape is too adorable!


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

That warty one...
< shudder >


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

If you decide you'd like to try them next spring, lmk. I have quite a few seeds left over, and I don't expect to use more than 5 or 6 next year, so I'd be happy to share a few. The germination rate usually holds very well for the second year.
Here's some information on the variety:
https://www.jungseed.com/P/03328/Weeeeeone+Hybrid+Pumpkin


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

ooojen said:


> If you decide you'd like to try them next spring, lmk. I have quite a few seeds left over, and I don't expect to use more than 5 or 6 next year, so I'd be happy to share a few. The germination rate usually holds very well for the second year.
> Here's some information on the variety:
> https://www.jungseed.com/P/03328/Weeeeeone+Hybrid+Pumpkin


That would be awesome! Are they vine or bush type? I wonder if they could be grown in a container like I do my JBLs?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

They're more toward bush type than vining. I don't know anything about container growing pumpkins but I would think a container would work; they're pretty compact.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Looks like maybe downy fungus will take out my pumpkin plant. I've heard that spraying with milk, dish soap, and a little oil might slow down the rot. Any hope? I have just one gorgeous perfect pumpkin that is still dark green - around the size of a basketball - and the rot is creeping ever closer to it


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Well, everything dead in the field and one rotting already, figured we may as well pick. 

To recap, since planting, I HAVE DONE NOTHING this year. Alec weeded a time or two in spring, but pretty much, no watering, weeding or fuss. 










The two bigger ones here are my mystery pumpkin.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

They look great, UnOrthodOx! You have some in there with nice shapes, that I can see. Awesome that you got a nice yield without much fussing over them.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I'll be having to harvest the rest of mine soon, here. I'm letting them stay on as long as I can, to get them as orange as possible. I already had to harvest four WBLs...I have two more on the vine, still, that aren't ready yet, and my TTs will need to be harvested any time, now, due to the vine being mostly dead, now. I'll post pics when I have them all picked.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

5 plants, only 2 survivors and one I am worried about.












the second one has a small hole in the top near the stem, I think some boring bug got at it. Don't know if it's going to last. Yanked out the vines and my dead zucchini plant last night.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

I hope your pumpkin makes it, LadyMage...they both have a very nice shape.

I harvested my four Triple Treat pumpkins yesterday...wow, for being a smaller pumpkin, they sure are heavy! I can't believe they hung on the vines without falling off. I still have two WBLs trying to finish up ripening. I removed most of their vines from the plant, since the squash bugs were just destroying it, and left the two vines that those two were still on. I tied them up to the trellis and am going to let them get some sun before harvesting them, as well. One of them is a bit beat up on...we will see if it makes it. If it does, that will give me 4 TTs and 6 WBLs. Sigh. Okay, but not the yield I was looking for. I really hope this amount of squash bugs don't show back up next year, now...


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## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Holding out _some_ hope, this one seems to be doing okay. It's outgrown all sports ball comparisons. Got two others out there, about softball sized. We'll see if they hang on. I had one JBL just set, about an inch in diameter, but something ate half of it - I suspect slug due to slimy, shiny trails. Those are still flowering. Better than I thought I'd be doing at this point. I said if I just got one good pumpkin this year, I'd be satisfied.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Well, here's my final, total harvest. Four Triple Treats and six WBLs...though I am still worried the last two WBLs I picked won't make it, but we shall see. Happy I got some decent looking small pumpkins, but I hope I do better next year. The powdery mildew and squash bugs just beat them down this season. 










I have seen some of you post your harvests...how is everyone else doing?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Your pumpkins look beautiful, WitchyKitty! Even if there aren't loads of them, they're very pretty ones. 
I haven't harvested mine yet, but I didn't get very many of the little ones for the number of plants I had, either. There were just 2-4 pumpkins that matured on most vines, where the listings say they should produce 8-10. The cold snap we had made a lot of small fruits abort, and rootworm beetles made it difficult for new ones to set after it warmed back up. I'll have plenty, but I had hoped I'd have more to share.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks! Yeah, we have had the oddest weather this year...too cool of a summer (not that I'm complaining) and random super hot snaps in between all the cool days. It just bred too many bugs and mildews...and the plants struggled and were confused. You are close to me, so we probably had similar weather.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Yeah, I think we did have pretty similar weather. I agree that the cool weather was welcome, but when it was cool and rainy at the same time it was tough on the pumpkin crop. The beetles were awful on my plants, but I was lucky with powdery mildew; it really just came on this week, and only a few of the plants have it. I imagine it will take over in the next week or so, but the season is just about over anyway.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

The PM hit me waaaay earlier than usual.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I have quite a few immature fruits on my vines yet, so they're racing the clock! I had 5 pretty healthy-looking re-plant plants, but one died and one really declined over the last couple weeks. Of the other 3, two have little fruits. I think they might be Jarrahdale, because they don't look like any of the other varieties I planted. I'm pretty sure they won't have time to fully ripen, but if we get a little more warm weather they might be good enough to fit in a display for a while. Hoping...


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Okay...help! I accidentally stubbed my toe on one of my precious few pumpkins and put a good scrape in the skin. I am terrified it will go bad, now! Any thoughts on what I could or should do to try to save it? Should I leave it alone...should I try to seal it with clear coat, acrylic varnish, clear nail polish, ect? I am so mad at myself right now...grrrrrr...

Note: Pumpkin skin really stings when it gets jammed underneath your toenail...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Ouch! Pumpkins do have kind of resiny sap under their skin that helps seal up their wounds. I guess if it was mine, I'd dab a little disinfectant/anti mildew in the area around the cut (dilute bleach or dilute Lysol or something like that) and if it bleeds sap, let the sap dry on it.
I have read that a clear coat (like varnish, or I suppose nail polish for a small area, like you said) will help pumpkins last longer, but I haven't tried it myself. I suppose once the sap dries thoroughly, you could give it a try. I sure hope it lasts for you (and that your toe feels better!)


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Yeah, I do a spray clear coat on my painted pumpkins which helps seal the paint to weather and help keep the pumpkin from rotting for just a little while longer...but I had never used it to cover a scrape. It kind of looks like it has stopped being wet looking, and I hope the scrape was shallow enough for it to just dry and be okay. I may put a tiny bit of varnish over the scrap later once it dries fully. I cleaned it right away after it happened, for sure. We will see what happens. Thanks for your opinion on it!


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## Mayor of Haddonfield (Jul 15, 2015)

Well, my patch is all but done. I somehow had a Red Wartything start growing last week about 40 feet or so out on a vine that crawled up the trellis, over the shed, down the other side, out through the fence, and into the backyard. I pulled all my other vines, but figured I might as well let that one go. 

It was a pretty good growing season here. I planted them in pots around May 20th, got them in the ground about three weeks after that, and got plenty of rain in June and the beginning of July. Unfortunately the latter half of July and all of August was terrible for rain. 

Overall I'm pretty happy with what I got. I planted some new varieties this year, like Cinderella and Turks Turban. I got one of each, which is OK. I got some very nice decorative pumpkins, as well as a handful I'll be able to carve. I also planted Indian Corn for the first time this year. I planted about 24 seeds and got some nice results. I've only harvested maybe a third of the corn so far, and will be using the stalks for decorating as soon as they brown up a little bit more. 

Here's a final picture of everything I've harvested to this point. I can't wait to start again next year and try some new ideas!



And one more closer picture.


Before I forget, does anyone know how to prevent the stems from shriveling up after the pumpkin is cut off?


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Your harvest looks beautiful!! Nice variety!! Great job, Mayor.

As for the stems...I have no idea.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Wonderful harvest, Mayor! Your Peanut really got peanutty! I, too, love the variety. The mix of tall and short, smooth and textured, is very cool! I like the little daisy gourds, too. I might try those next year. I wonder whether they'll dry. 

I only harvested a few so far-- those with dead or drying stems. Orange cutie:









(For the record, the brown things are hickory nut hulls, not kitty leavings.)


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Mayor of Haddonfield said:


> Before I forget, does anyone know how to prevent the stems from shriveling up after the pumpkin is cut off?


The stem thing is mostly down to the pumpkin type, to be honest . Some will shrivel and some wont. 


Well, found a local farmer that was happy to have us come over at pick up pumpkins for a reasonable price.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I mentioned earlier that I was going to try experimenting with determinate varieties that had set fruit and that were well rooted at nodes away from the base of the plant. I'm an all-around Botany nerd and have dabbled in applying plant hormones that induce branching, or encourage offsets (as in orchids). I figure there has to be a hormonal message from the ripening fruit telling the plant it can lay off the female flowers. So on a few of my smaller pumpkins, I separated said fruit from the main plant base by cutting through the vine (only where the vine nodes were well-rooted so they could finish off the developing fruit. I worked beautifully, but probably should have either been done earlier, or done in a place with a longer growing season.
Here's an example of one. The vines that had developing fruit are headed up toward the top of the picture, behind the green part. You can see the dead leaves, and even a little of a now-ripened pumpkin at the very top. The rooted vines were able to finish out their fruits. When I separated them, new vines grew from the base of the plant, and they've been blooming and even setting some new fruit.








So, they did continue to produce. There are 3 vines it worked for, and a couple it didn't, but those looked more spent at the outset. It might be worth trying a little earlier in the season, but I didn't want to risk losing the unripe fruit that was already set. I'll get a few more pumpkins for my efforts, anyway.
All in all, they still look pretty good. One somewhat-accidental plant in front of the house (sun only until early afternoon) has powdery mildew, and the plants that survived the mower have a little touch of it, too. I don't see any in the regular garden, where there's full sun and excellent air circulation. I still have a lot of little pumpkins coming---if we'd only have another 3-4 weeks of summer-like weather. Gourds are still going like crazy, though pests are attacking many of the fruits before they can harden.

Crossing my fingers for this one, which is one of my late-plantings' efforts:


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I don't know how much will come of it, but they're surprisingly healthy for this late in the year. Second one is the one with a touch of powdery mildew.


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## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Your first two you posted look great...I hope the green one makes it, as it looks really nice! Your next set of pictures aren't showing up for me...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Ooo, what is that green one? Musquee de Provence?


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I believe the green one is Jarrahdale, but it remains to be seen. They're predicting lows in the 30's this week; I hope the vine lives to prove itself.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I was able to buy some pumpkins from locals, too, though I didn't get as many as UnOrthodOx. A family down the road had ambitious kids who raised pumpkins for pocket money from the time they were little. Now they're both young adults, but they keep up the tradition at their parents' farm. They have lots of beautiful, round orange pumpkins grouped as small, medium, or large, but in a random pile on the end were the odd ones-- new this year. Unlike Trader Joe's, their unusual varieties were the cheapest. I have to admit, I'd have felt a little disappointed if I could have gotten dirt-cheap versions of the pumpkins I'd given space to all summer...but they had only one single one (a "Cinderella's Carriage" hybrid) and since I only got one ripe pumpkin off that one, I bought theirs to go with it! They had a number of varieties that I'd put on my want list for next year; Triamble, Blue Delight, Knucklehead, Small World of Color. I'm very happy with them!
The tall one with the broken stem in the back of the first picture actually came from the Amish produce auction in a lot of 3 for $1, before I got the others. I went looking for a cheap big lot of little pie pumpkins, but didn't find them. They had two lots of 6 each Atlantic Giants, though. I'd estimate they were from about 50 pounds to over 100. The first lot went for $36, and I didn't bid because I didn't have the pickup to haul them. I regretted missing them, and decided I could come back with the truck, but the next lot went for $60 and they weren't as nicely-shaped. I could have justified $36, because they'd have made hundreds of pounds of chicken feed after Thanksgiving, but $60 was too much.


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