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Morris, Connecticut

Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone thought it was possible to have an unfair advantage in this sport. Should commercial growers be able to compete or should it be limited to only home gardeners. Do conventional techniqes have advantages over organic techniques. Do growers who have children who help out in the patch have an unfair advantage over people going it alone. Should people be able to grow pumpkins on other people's property if they don't have sufficient space?? Should growers who have more resources be able to compete against growers with fewer resources? I'm just trying to get an understanding of peoples opinions.

9/19/2002 5:19:03 PM

Tacoma, WA

BigWheels....you need a new "handle"! You ought to refer to yourself as "Troublecauser"! You have just listed enough issues to "burn down" this Message Board!<g>

9/19/2002 5:40:29 PM

Morris, Connecticut

Hmmm. not sure what that really means. I'm just a new grower trying to figure this stuff out.....

9/19/2002 5:51:30 PM

Cologne / Germany

A guy living a few miles away from me is a "professional". He has 250.000 pumpkin plants, needs 25 persons to harvest when season is over. I´m not sure he has big one going right now (he tried several AG´s this year, outdoor and inside a greenhouse) but there´s no update from him since Aug 18th. Same like other growers I know over here (not personally, from internet). Silence everywhere, and I don´t know why.
If you ask me to be modeled on growing AG´s, that would be John G. Look at his photo gallery here on BP. Growing a big one is your very personal way of doing it. Takes too much time and care, go along with two or three plants and try your best, you won´t have the time for more.
Saw no "professional" growers yet giving better results than a backyardgardener. I guess that´s the fun and tension about it.

9/19/2002 5:55:45 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

...until someone corners the market on "good luck" I think we're all pretty even, factoring in our experience levels !

9/19/2002 6:47:08 PM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

I think everyone has the freedom to overcome their disadvantages if they want to badly enough.

9/19/2002 6:47:27 PM

Ga.

Duff,,you got that right,,Luck has alot to do with it,,especially for me..AXC,,,not to argue,,but northern growers do have an advantage over southern growers..Weather plays a big role ...

9/19/2002 6:54:02 PM

Southern Illinois

hello burlington,that is a real nice patch you have,that is some nice land,that sprinkler system sure is nice,that green house sure is nice,those wind breaks are nice,those seed you planted are nice plants,you sure do have the advantage over me,i sure dont have the resources you have,i only have one sprinkler it spits out about 10 feet,wind breaks i had to use pumpkin plants,green house i wish i could afford one,im to old to bend over so i have my children put the seed in the ground for me,i use a 5 hp front tine tiller to till my patch up,takes about 3 days,man that is a nice sprinkler system.

9/19/2002 6:54:57 PM

North Ga

Get real Big wheels!!! Experience is the ONLY advantage in my book! And that doesn't get it much of the time. Ask some Heavy Hitters.

9/19/2002 7:15:04 PM

Long Island,New York

Heavy hitter...You have a tiller? I call no fair !.......G

9/19/2002 7:16:42 PM

Montoursville, PA

Big Wheels On Aug. 1 I shot a pig in my patch. On Aug 2 I shot a pig in my patch and looked to the sky uttering an Ungodly question. The big black cloud opend and a voice said, "Patience Son life 'aint always easy". On Aug.4 a pig destoryed one of my two pumpkins. I looked up to the sky again and the voice said, "Fair is fair". On August 6 the third pig met lead and all was again peacefull in the patch. I looked to the sky and the voice said, "persistance son persistance"! "It is written that I help those who help themselves". }:o)

9/19/2002 7:51:47 PM

Korea

How is this for a disavantage. My pumpkin patch is a 12 in. wide 24in deep flower pot on an appartment roof in South Korea. The roof area for the vine is 12 feet by 5 feet. The seed I planted was a cheese pumpkin from a pack of seeds from a garden store here in Korea. From the time the plant started to vine we have had 3 major typhoones, one lasted 2 weeks. Followed by 2 weeks of scorching hot sun. I had to go home several times a day (between classes) run up five flights of stairs to the roof to water the pot and hose down the roof to keep the vine from cooking. My plant is now 3 months old. The vine is 35 feet long (back and forth across the roof a few times). One fruit (self pollinated 32 days ago). The fruit is 60in around 15 in high and a beautiful classic cheese shape. I grew it blossom end down. Turning a golden color now. Pics will soon be posted.

9/19/2002 11:13:38 PM

Key West, FL

thats an acomplishment!!! not tap roots!!!

9/19/2002 11:18:10 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

I say we tilt the earth's axis so the good sun is from NJ to GA....Move all the borers and woodchucks to the West coast! Give them 45 days of growing time and see what happens....OH yeah and all Kids that will listen (obviously won't include mine) will be indentured to pull weeds 12 hours a day! That should even it up!
Chuck

9/20/2002 11:30:17 AM

Knopp, Germany

my dad use to say that when preparation met opportunity then that was luck. may everyone prepare their patches for the opportunity .... no unfair advantages, just not enough preparation for the opportunities.

9/20/2002 12:22:49 PM

Indiana

We have 64 plants, is that an advantage or a disadvantage?

Tom Beachy
pb ???????

9/20/2002 12:36:54 PM

Webster, NY

Tom, if you're taking care of 64 plants the way I took care of 3, I say you have the disadvantage.

One could argue either way I guess. Just plant them, grow them big, and have fun.

9/20/2002 12:59:15 PM

Key West, FL

hmm interesting

9/20/2002 5:33:44 PM

Southern Illinois

hello big wheels,i am going to raise my commercial crop next year down at the farm,i have 5 acre in town,i raise my pumpkins in town because there are not as many wild animals amd deer,as soon as this year is over i am going to install a sprinkler system on 3 acres,that is where i will raise my giant pumpkins,i have alot of good seed that has been sent to me from this site,i plan on planting some proven seed and a trial patch for next year,i have 3 chidren 12- 10 and 2 years old they enjoy working in the garden just as much as me,if and when i start to compete with the big dogs,my chidren will take the credit for what ever size of pumpkin that may be grown,accept for anything over a 1000 pounds,when you have a family it would be very hard to say that you were the only one involved in raising a big pumpkin,i will also raise a few pumpkins on some land that does not belong to me,one will be at, where a pig farm use to be,more than likely that will be where i will get my biggest pumpkin next year,you have one of the best set ups for growing pumpkins that i have seen.

9/20/2002 7:13:17 PM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Maybe we should have a handicap system... like the number of frost free days, the growing Zone *(I'm Zone 3) the number of inches of rain, the number of sunny days, your latitude (52.5 North here)

9/20/2002 11:06:18 PM