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Creston, Iowa

I haven't checked into the site for several months so maybe this has been discussed before. If so, please direct me to possible discussion or if not, any comments.
This having been my third year at trying to grow giants, along with long handled gourds, I struck out completely. Out of six pumpkin plants, I only had one set and it was a small one. My gourds never set on until August, so no luck there.
Was it just a bad year to grow, (sure wasn't for Don Y), was it just me or should I just start growing things for my wife and forget about growing pumpkins.
Hope you all have a good Christmas and may your new year produce a winner.
Frank of Iowa

12/26/2007 6:59:22 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Oh there are some great growers up there in Iowa....We can help you out....Stick with this site, its information and members will help you grow BIG......

12/26/2007 7:02:01 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Frank,

Have you been able to identify the limiting factor(s)? I know that Don was getting hammered by cucumber beetles in the first few weeks of the growing season. Anyone else might have given up but Don fought back hard & it paid of for him.

What specifically went wrong for you?

12/26/2007 11:48:00 PM

Minnesota

I'm a begginer, I have learned that the people growing these giant pumpkins put alot into growing them. Also try the site search in the top right corner of the page, it has a answer to almost any question you might have. Just trying to help.

12/27/2007 1:12:05 AM

Rhode Island

frank in iowa
if you can grow a tomato or pepper or egg plant, cucumbers or string beans you can grow a giant pumpkin.

the principals are all the same.just the approach changes some.

in your case id suggest looking into your operation and list everything down you remember doing last season
soil balanced?
soil tested at all?
any ammemdments added or just what did you do?
without knowing what you have practiced and your method of approach to the giant pumpkin hobby its difficult to tell where you may be going wrong

like i said if you can grow other vegetables you can grow a giant pumpkin. you just need to be more carefull and give more attention to detail with the giant pumpkin plant.

edcuation and belonging to a good club is a big key. you need to nuzzle up with a good grower in your area abd start firing aweay with the questions

pap

12/27/2007 6:08:44 AM

Somers, CT

I think getting the soil tested is the best thing you can do now. Most new growers do not do this until they fail a few times. It does not sound as if you were wiped out by disease so that is good.

After the test is back, post it here in the Soil Analysis section with the size of your patch. The issue with not having everything in balance does not allow enough nutrients to get to the right places at the right times. Also look into picking up some reading material such as Don Langevin's HTG books, or ask your library to get them. Once there, ask as many questions as you can.

12/27/2007 10:56:18 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Frank, it was a bad year for us with the pumpkins also. We watered too much when we had 90 degrees in June, then July and August got way to wet and fungal diseases set in. It also stopped our watermelons way too soon.

We did do fairly well with the long gourds; we took 2nd at Anamosa. The same vine also grew another one that fell off the vine and broke while it was still growing. That one might have come close to Marc Petersen's winner. I can let you have some seed from our 2nd place. As far as not setting until August, that is normal for me. I had poor germination early in the house, but the seeds I planted directly in the garden in mid May came up nearly 100%. They seem to get most of their growth in about 4 weeks and that is it, so an August set has plenty of time before frost. I was growing in a spot with half day sun, and soil that is heavy clay with a lot of loose lime. Next year they are going to a much better spot.

12/27/2007 1:35:26 PM

frank if you remember were i live stop by sometime -i got a farm pond just west of creston i fish 4-5 times a year id sure stop by sometime and see you plants etc send me a email

bigpumpkin@mchsi.com

12/27/2007 2:33:49 PM

Somers, CT

Frank, I would take Don's offer. It is a good one. I have had the good luck to visit some of the greatest patches in RI and found it well worth it.

12/27/2007 10:12:39 PM

Rhode Island

nothing beats a first hand look. someone once said that - lol
ya cant beat a good one on one with a trusted grower

don young is a typical example of that

pap

12/28/2007 3:24:15 AM