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President - GPC

Please list questions here you would like to see asked of our Heavy Hitter Panel - Pumpkins and Squash.

Webinar Saturday Morning

10:15 am – 11:30 am – HEAVY HITTER’s > Ask the “Champs” Pumpkins Featuring- Mathias Willemijns, Ron Wallace, Ian and Stuart Paton, Steve Geddes, and Steve Daletas

2/8/2021 11:46:43 AM

Centennial Colorado

When do you plant? What is your target soil temperature? How do you apply water/fertilizer?

2/8/2021 5:04:31 PM

North Of The Border

Heavy feeding spaced out, or light feeding more often?
Target temp for pollination?
Advice for under 500 sq ft?

2/8/2021 5:11:11 PM

New York

Do you use liquid mycorrhizae or just granular? What are the benefits of liquid mycorrhizae? How important is it to use liquid mycorrhizae if you are using granular?

2/8/2021 6:37:51 PM

Ontario

what kind of fertilizer do you use once the fruit is set and at basket ball size?

2/8/2021 6:50:21 PM

Centennial Colorado

Do you fertilize even during early fruit development?

2/8/2021 7:41:34 PM

environment around plants what do you change and why .what temperatures are you (dialed in )night and day as target if you can or could adjust

2/8/2021 9:38:36 PM

Reading, Pennsylvania

I have seen many growers push nitrogen early season, and they end up with big stumps/crowns that look like aliens. do we want monster stumps ?

2/9/2021 6:38:12 AM

East Sussex, UK

What do you feel is the minimum soil depth required to grow one over 2000 lbs? What is sufficient, what depth is ideal?

2/9/2021 8:11:50 AM

Alex, IN

Several university studies show that the symbiotic relationship between plants and mycorrhizae is adversely affected by higher ppm concentrations of both phosphorus and nitrogen. The availability of nutrients in a balanced soil would not trigger the plants to form a relationship with the mycorrhizae in the soil. Due to these factors what is your opinion on using mycorrhizae on a healthy, fertile patch?

2/9/2021 8:26:43 AM

President - GPC

Great ?'s Keep em coming

2/9/2021 9:30:51 AM

Wisconsin

Is anyone doing SAP analysis? What are you findings VS tissue testing? From my limited understanding nutrients may be "sufficient" in quantity in normal leaf testing, yet they are low in SAP analysis due to fact they are in an unusable plant form.

2/10/2021 3:15:44 AM

Wisconsin

Is anyone regularly measuring Brix and what levels are you able to obtain?

2/10/2021 3:16:34 AM

East Sussex, UK

Good questions Mike. Sap analysis is the way forward for serious growers. I would be very interested in other regenerative methods being employed.

2/10/2021 5:59:52 AM

Nova Scotia

How often do you grow in the same area until you rotate to a new patch? I guess this would apply to greenhouse grown ones as well thanks.

2/10/2021 6:50:49 AM

Central Illinois

What can we do to increase cell division?

2/10/2021 7:32:19 AM

Central Illinois

Are there things we can do before pollination that will set up the pumpkin for better growth

2/10/2021 7:34:47 AM

Mulino, Oregon

What AG's are you growing this year and why?

2/10/2021 9:03:41 AM

50 Acres

How many seeds do you start? When you cull, what do you look for in your keepers?

2/10/2021 9:28:34 AM

Tapfheim

How can we improve watering our patch? Should I water less with a highly nutritious soil?

2/10/2021 11:35:46 AM

Centennial Colorado

When do you water?

2/10/2021 11:43:29 AM

On a cliff in the desert

what do you use for a compost tea mix?

2/10/2021 12:54:45 PM

On a cliff in the desert

What fertilizer do you use in your fertigation system?

2/10/2021 12:56:09 PM

On a cliff in the desert

How many sq. ft. do you give each plant?

2/10/2021 12:57:51 PM

Nova Scotia

When and how did you first catch "giant pumpkin fever"? At a weigh off/fair, read about it, a friend/neighbor?

2/10/2021 1:06:22 PM

Steam Mill

What do you mix in your patch before you plant.Fertilizer or mycorrhizae Compost?

2/10/2021 7:09:50 PM

Griffith, In

Even if your soil tests say your nutrient levels are good, do you do anything to check if the depth of these nutrients are at a depth that is most available to feed the roots or work with other elements in the soil??

If this is a problem,,,what do you do to correct it

2/10/2021 11:51:28 PM

Grittyville, WA

What is it you enjoy most about giant pumpkin growing? Also, (I hope there are is no such thing as a stupid question...) I think I can tell if a plant is stressed or if it is healthy but is there another level of plant health thats above healthy? (If so what superlative would you use to describe this?) What are telltale signs you are doing something really right?? other than just observing the daily weight gain?
How, or what products, help you reach this next level?

Thanks

2/11/2021 9:58:48 AM

Central Illinois

Any advice other than a RO system for extremely high EC of over 700 in untreated well water, PH of 7.7

2/11/2021 11:21:53 AM

Central Illinois

ignore my stupid post above^

2/11/2021 12:41:38 PM

Thomas wv

Setting fruit up after pollination are we tearing the vascular system of plant and slowing down water and nutrients with a s pattern

2/11/2021 3:18:07 PM

Ohio

What is your ideal vine pattern? Have you used a diamond pattern? What do you think are the pros and cons of different patterns?

2/11/2021 8:17:26 PM

Reading, Pennsylvania

soil tests show calcium is high, all seems balanced, tissue tests show low calcium, I have used products such as biomin and millers calcium chelate EDTA, calcium on tissue tests rise a little but always low, do large Ag's eat a lot of calcium. do we push the calcium, or am I chasing something that is not there.

2/12/2021 5:58:28 AM

Wisconsin

What is your source Water? Do you test it? Any reverse osmosis, deionization, ion exchange, PH adjusting or other voodoo?

2/13/2021 2:46:40 AM

Wisconsin

Does growing a "proven" seed put you at a disadvantage vs someone growing a unproven seed from the previous season? example; growing a proven seeds makes you grow the same genetics as others including yourself and forces you to grow better because of even playing feild. Or if growing an unproven seed you may or may not have a competitive advantage due to the fact your growing different genetics than a "proven" seed

2/13/2021 2:56:30 AM

Germany

What is in your opinion the ideal PH of your soil?

2/13/2021 4:11:12 AM

Steam Mill

When should you terminate growth on your plant. also do you let some new growth start later in season when some of the first leaves are dying off say in september?

2/13/2021 12:50:20 PM

Germany

How do i keep my plant growth up, after setting a fruit? In the past i had problems to fill in the remaining patch after the pumpkin was pollinated.

2/13/2021 4:23:15 PM

Colorado

Any cutting edge fungicides you"d recommend.What are they,what for and how applied?

2/13/2021 5:49:52 PM

Almeria Spain

hello everyone
I see that there are too many questions here goes mine
I have been doing sap ph brix measurements for two years and does anyone have reliable references for these parameters? It is the fastest and most economical way to analyze the metabolism of the plant.
I would also like to know the optimal matrix tension at 6 "in centibars or in% thanks.

2/15/2021 3:03:23 PM

Whidbey Island

What about no-dig in the patch? Has anyone done it with good results with AGs? Does burying the vines ruin the no-dig concept?

2/15/2021 4:37:12 PM

Spring Hope, N.C. - USA

In time of extended high humidity What do you do different to help plant from stress?

2/16/2021 2:52:35 PM

Brandon,WI.

In the newsletter, the Patons stated they don't set a pumpkin unless its 15 feet or more out.As a general thought,what do you HeavyHitters consider an optimal range to pollinate? And then, what do you feed to get a optimal size plant so early in the year?

2/17/2021 5:44:25 PM

Centennial Colorado

How do you water? Does anyone still hand water or is drip and misting enough for a plant?

2/18/2021 7:19:32 PM

What are the reasons for blossoms end splits and how it can be prevented?

2/20/2021 4:42:00 AM

What is the ideal proportion of organic matter for you?
And what do you think about high proportions of organic matter like 20% or more from leaf compost?

2/20/2021 4:52:14 AM

Ct

Weed prevention: there's a product from Gardens Alive called Without Weeds. It prevents seeds from germinating. It's corn gluten meal based. Has anyone tried it? Does it work well in our pumpkin patches? Any adverse effects on the plant? It's high in nitrogen 9-0-0 too. Any other weed prevention practices?

2/20/2021 9:00:50 AM