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New Brunswick

My plants are growing wild....still producing flowers and babies. I have three pumpkins (over 40 pounds) on one plant. I know I should remove at least one of these. But which one? I have pics in my diary. (Butt Ugly and Sunny) Butt is growing down hill and is putting quite a strain on its vine. Sunny is growing with stem downhill....also not great. The third and largest I am keeping. I am open for suggestions as to what to do. Also with all the continuing growth of flowers and babies, should I deadhead? Does one deadhead both primarys and secondaries???? Or remove both pumpkins allowing the new ones to develope? (I really would like to keep a backup...so do not feel right about culling both) ...I am a chicken. LOL. What is everyone else doing? I am feeding daily...a weak solution of water soluable 20 20 20..... (5 mil to two liters of water.) plus all kinds of water.

8/11/2003 9:13:53 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

pumpkins growing downhill will get larger than those uphill...water follows gravity.

8/11/2003 1:18:14 PM

Montoursville, PA

I am going for broke! Down to one pumpkin. Deadhead secondaries at the edge of the patch or out ten feet both ways. Option on the main. I deadheaded at end of the patch.
Some turn it back in on itself. Cut off all extra bloom and all growth from secondaries. Keep weeds to a minimum.

I can't stand the thought of growing two four hundred pound pumpkins and wonder if one would have gone to eigh hundred.
I understand that when going for broke you can lose the whole ball game for a number of reasons.

8/11/2003 1:31:59 PM

New Brunswick

Thanks Docpipe. Would you mind looking at my pumpkins in my last few diary posts? That downhill fellow (Butt Ugly) weighs about 70 pounds....but as you will see her blossem end is sucked right up in and she looks as she is in danger of having her stem split off. What an ugly critter!!! The big one on the same plant has gained 32 pounds in two days. It now weighs about 150 pounds. (A beautiful pumpkin) It is slightly down hill as well. I piled manure behind him (Mr. Perfect) this morning The third one, Sunny is growing up hill (stem down) I swung her around this morning and piled a bunch of horse poop behind her to keep her from trying to roll down hill (blasted side hills!!!) I just measured her cir. It is 56 inches. She is very young. I just discovered her a few days ago. Would she be what is termed a "Wagon Wheel" or a "birdbath" or is she just an upside down pumpkin?? LOL

8/11/2003 3:00:38 PM

New Brunswick

docgipe...I forgot to mention in my last post....which one or ones should I cull? It does appear as if Butt Ugly might just cull herself!

8/11/2003 3:03:25 PM

Montoursville, PA

If it were mine I would run with the best vine to stem relationship with a nicely growing fruit. I would terminate the others about a week apart.

Yes to your birdbath or wagon wheel. I have the one trying to do that to me. I shored her up with props to avert a complete upside down fruit. Mine has a 7 inch stem that was being crunched by growth to the stem end.

I would pull out the manure and use sand. Manure is asking for fungi and rot troubles. Bags of sand from a builder's supply store.

8/11/2003 3:26:09 PM

New Brunswick

Hello again....my plants are immune to horse manure. That is what I am growing in...the whole patch...straight horse manure. It is in various stages of decomposition. I went down thru the pasture to the fly shed and got some out of there this morning. (It has rained off and on for over a week. That was the only fairly dry manure to be had.) Both Norwegian Fjord ponies had their noses in the wheel barrow. I had to literally shove their 800 to 900 lb. butts out of the way so I could get turned. I had to shovel it in right fair under their noses! LOL Your pics of the stem split have not been posted yet. I will keep checking. By the time summer is over you and I should be experts on those and their upside down pumpkins! (Sad but true) but we shall try to find humor thru it all.

8/11/2003 5:08:18 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Got to agree with Doc on this one. Horse Manure is not a good material to put under a pumpkin. When it starts getting moist and composting, it will cause problems.

8/11/2003 7:11:20 PM

Montoursville, PA

On the good side of this situation is the fact Killer came into my chat and indicated that a bird bath or wagon wheel usually weighs heavy in the Ohio weigh ins.

8/11/2003 8:57:27 PM

New Brunswick

Yes Docpipe... hearing this shape weighs heavy is good news. I am covering the pumpkin with a tarp tomorrow. I use rebar and tie the tarp to them. It will stay dry underneath....horse manure is dry fluffy stuff anyway (when it is composted)...and this stuff is old. I did not use fresh stuff. It has excellant drainage. (My garden soil is 100% decomposed horse manure.) It is not long drying out when it gets wet. I just put the stuff behind the pumpkin today as a buffer in case it decides to roll downhill. It is resting on grass. The fresh stuff heats and is messy....this stuff has already cured. I have never had trouble with pumpkins growing in manure. My mum threw out squash seeds and peels on the pig manure pile years ago. The next fall she entered the half "wild" squash in the local fair and won first prize! All squash rested directly on pig manure...both fresh and old. Nary a drop of sand. LOL. If I do manage to get in trouble with it, I will let you all know and be prepared to take my "lumps" haha.

8/11/2003 9:17:35 PM