From

Location

Message

Date Posted

[email protected]

Since my son's school produced around 4-500 seeds with their 2 pumpkins this year, his principal & I have decided to give the seeds back to the children & faculty. I decided the seeds are of little use without some form of instruction. I will attempt to copy & paste the current version & am asking for comments please.

Keep in mind that this is printed in 6pt type & cut & folded to fit inside the seed packages. So it can't get too wordy. Not like *I* ever get wordy! LOL

Thanks,

Steve

continued

10/28/2003 8:52:19 AM

[email protected]

Dill’s Atlantic Giant Pumpkin growing tips.
Cucurbita maxima. "194 Chapel St. School 2003" seeds. These seeds were produced by the Kindergarten-2nd grade classes of Chapel St. Elementary School during the summer of 2003. On October 4, 2003 they were weighed in as a competitive entry at the Durham Fair where the children received an honorable mention prize. It is our desire to see these grown again in Stratford in 2004 perhaps to even greater success. Please store in a cool dry place. Store this package in a jar inside the freezer if space permits. Good luck! For additional growing tips please seek additional competent professional advice or visit our 2003 growers diary at www.bigpumpkins.com
People who seek to produce a competition grade pumpkin may wish to consider purchasing the 3 book series “How to Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins” by Don Langevin.

continued

10/28/2003 8:53:26 AM

[email protected]

1.)    Choose a sunny well drained location. Add manure or compost & till. Add lime &/or fertilizer based on soil test results.
2.)    If desired, soak seed in warm (85 degrees F) water for a few hours to help it germinate.
3.)    After threat of frost has passed, plant with pointy end down about 1½ inches deep. Start indoors in a pot to extend season.
4.)    Water as needed every couple days until Pumpkin emerges. Too much water may cause seed to rot.
5.)    Protect you plant from wind. Burying vines in a couple inches of loose soil helps. So do wind blocks or silt fences.
6.)    Prune secondary vines to 10-12 feet. Remove any vines that grow from secondary vines. The desired shape is that of a Christmas tree that is lying on it’s side.
7.)    Watch for Insects & Fungus Disease’s which are common to our area.
8.)    Consult professional agronomic help if desired. Spraying may be implemented but were not used to produce these seeds.
9.)    Pumpkins may form as early as July 10th in Stratford. This is desirable.
10.)    If growing a “big one” is your goal, try to pick a nice round one at least 10’ from the stump & remove the rest.
11.)    Support the pumpkin with foam insulation, builders sand, etc to keep it off the ground. Be careful. Stems crack easily.
12.)    The best specimens are produced with the help of shading the pumpkin itself from the sun during the summer.
13.)    Misting during the heat of midday may help the pumpkin survive early summer.
14.)    Regular LIGHT fertilizing may be helpful.

10/28/2003 8:53:34 AM

[email protected]

OK That's pretty ugly. But you get the drift.

Thanks again for any constructive criticism/contributions.

Steve

10/28/2003 8:54:44 AM

Knopp, Germany

Steve, I think that this is a great idea that you are doing. I only have two suggestions - the first one is in line 4.) "until pumpkin emerges" - replace pumpkin with "seedling" or "cots". The second one is to add 15.) Have fun!

10/28/2003 9:18:31 AM

Utah

that's good. it's a difficult challenge.
i would recommend the following changes ...

2) After threat of frost has passed, plant seed flat about 1 inches deep. (If desired, soak seed in warm water for a few hours to help it germinate)
3)Start indoors in a pot, 1-2 weeks early to extend season.

4) I would use "plant" where Owen suggested seedling.

8) Spraying may be implemented but was not used to produce these seeds. was / were ... i don't know, but was sounds better to me.

16) for more information or help
call Steve at 555-5555
or go to http://www.backyardgardener.com/secert.html or
http://www.bigpumpkins.com

if you could put together a web page - you could just reference it.

10/28/2003 9:51:29 AM

Key West, FL

I don't think many people are gonna know what a secondary is or when the chance of frost has past. Might want to give them a date of around when to plant. I would put more info into building the soil than little things like how to take care of the plant.

10/28/2003 10:50:26 AM

Montoursville, PA

That's fifty bucks and shipping for books. Doubt that many would do that. Sell them the $15.00 second book as a darn good beginners book. They will find the others when and if they develop the interest.

10/28/2003 10:58:37 AM

Tipp City, Ohio

Steve,

I have a kids Gardening book that is excellent for them.
The title is KidsGardening a Kid's Guide to Messing Around in the Dirt. By Kevin and Kim Raftery.

pgs 40 and 41 is for the pumpkins.

I think for kids the fewer the instructions the better. Too many instructions and the kids will lose intrest. Just a thought.

Doc or anyone else,
If you have kids or grandkids this book would be good to get them for spring. Talks about composting, using liquid fish fertilizer and even steer manure.

Copyright is 1989 so I do not know if it would still be in print.


No phone number but has an address:
Klutz Press
2121 Staunton Court
Palo Alto, CA 94306

10/28/2003 1:48:41 PM

Southern WI

I think Bantam is right, too much info will scare them off, the parents too. I would go very basic, like the back of AG packet and then offer the web sites for those who want to go for the big ones. Also seeing $$$ in the instuctions. That would have me thinking twice before starting a project with my little one who has the attention span of a hick up.

10/28/2003 2:05:54 PM

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

Maybe say plant in Sterile Compost.
Mention which insects and diseases could be a problem.

10/28/2003 2:12:58 PM

Massillon, Ohio

i triple agree on the part of "way too much info".
1)bigpumpkins.com and 2) put in ground and water is enough info for the general person.

10/28/2003 5:49:05 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Steve. It looks pretty good. A couple changes Git mentioned thats all. I think you just might have created a whole new generation of orange little people growing orange fruit with green leaves. Oh my God! In ten years they are going to be all over the globe. It could happen. I hope it happens
Kahuna

10/28/2003 5:54:51 PM

[email protected]

Very good points all of them. These are young children. Mostly ages 5-9. Some cannot read yet at all. So I tried to gear this towards their parents. To which this is still probably too much info.....I'll attempt a revision.

Either way, I'll be thrilled if 5% of the seeds even get planted. And if 10% of those don't die......who knows?
That's about 2 AG's this town wouldn't otherwise have next year. LOL

If it gets even 3 families out in the dirt together hoping & growing then it's all good.

Any more ideas?

Steve

10/28/2003 6:18:59 PM

wilmington,ma.

Steve you might mention the room they need.

10/28/2003 6:35:46 PM

you really should mention the fact that if they actually do get one growing these poor folks will find themselves hanging out on pumpkin websites 24-7.. searching for the elusive golden chalise ..the one that holds the secret elixar to grow real giants..searhing thru old out dated posts for that one last secret only known in Goffstown..but never to be revealed.

10/28/2003 7:13:31 PM

Knopp, Germany

LOL lobsta.....it's on the 5th post back in 2001....

10/29/2003 1:17:55 AM

Itzetown City

In our county-gardener-club i share during a course some seeds of my 207 from 02 on the instruction i wrote:

***
Speisekürbis
„Atlantic Giant“
Fruchtgröße: bis zu 200 Pfund und mehr.
Kultivierdauer 130 Tage
Keimtemperatur 27° C !
Aussaat in 18 cm Töpfe 14 Tage vor dem Auspflanzen nach
den Eisheiligen.
Unbedingt vor Wind schützen.
Raum: ca 9 x 6 m
Um eine möglichst große Frucht zu ziehen, nur 1 höchstens 2 Früchte an der Pflanze belassen.

Überreicht von:
Hans-Werner Böhnke
Birkenweg 6
25524 Breitenburg
Tel.: 04821/
***
means in english: Name of the seed; How big will it grow; Growing time; Germinationtemperature; when to grow; save for wind; space you need; what to do to grow em big
and at least my number for recall.

10/29/2003 2:48:17 AM