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Pittsburgh, PA

My wife and kids are wanting to take a week long vacation during pumpkin season. Last year I bailed on a beach trip (not a beach fan anyway). I feel bad bailing again this year. They want to go away at the end of June. Other than getting someone to come take care of my plants for me what does everyone do? After all the effort I put into my plants and the garden, I’d hate to lose everything. I’m in a bind and frustrated. Help!

4/30/2018 11:20:04 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Either a fellow grower to help you out and/or automated watering system.

End of June or beginning of July is pollination time, but Family Time is more important.

5/1/2018 12:21:35 AM

Lebanon, Oregon

Oh yes, the rigors of balancing garden time and family time. Sometimes you just can't win on either side. A whole discussion in it self. I find a simple timer on your watering system as mentioned above works great. Practice using it well before you go. Be ready for catch up when you return.

5/1/2018 12:38:14 AM

Littlerock, WA

If your family is at all reasonable, they'll understand the pollination window (June 22-July 4 for me) is a sacred time. I schedule my trips AFTER. It's too much to ask someone to monitor flowers and to be over early every morning. You've worked too hard getting your patch ready and starting your seeds to leave the pollinations to chance. Figure out your last pollination day, and suggest going away the following day.

5/1/2018 2:41:52 AM

New England

family is more important.

if they are willing to compromise; go after july 4th.

5/1/2018 7:48:50 AM

Syracuse, NY

The bees will take care of you and I'm sure it'll rain once or twice for you. That's what anyone would tell ME.
Please do not take offense.

5/1/2018 8:03:21 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

We scheduled our week on a Minnesota lake for just before pollination. I will just make sure everything is weeded, watered, fed, sprayed for bugs before we leave. Family time is important, and family knows pollination time is critical too. Both kids are grown but are able to get time to go with us this year, so we are going for it. A couple times over the past couple of years, I took a few days to take a mini vacation with my wife, but Jacob was home to take care of pollination.

5/1/2018 8:14:09 AM

New Berlin, PA

We usually go every other year around the beginning of June. This is our year to go. I like this time of the season, as the person who cares for my plants while I am away is primarily concerned with watering, and a little vine burying. Plants aren't super huge yet, and its too early for pollination, at least any I would keep, so no pollinating to do, nor checking on a fruit. Also, by then my plants are out of the cold frames, so they don't have to deal with that. I spray and fertilize right before we leave, then I take an extra day off at the end of vacation to tidy up the patch, and catch back up on spraying and ferts.

5/1/2018 8:19:11 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

I've missed multiple pollinations because of vacations. I've also had many vines snap from growing a foot a day and not being secured. We are going to be out a week during key pollination time, and not much I can do but hope for bees and taproots securing vines.

That being said, Vacations with my family are way more important than pumpkin growing so I just deal with it when I get back. I would regret opting out of any trip because you will never get that time back or those ages again.

5/1/2018 8:43:38 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Please nobody take this too harshly, but if you haven’t broke 1500 pounds (I haven’t, although weight isn’t really my thing) do you really think offsetting pollination by a week is gonna ruin your chances at a big pumpkin?

5/1/2018 9:04:43 AM

Westmoreland, KS

Every year I make a list of what would make growing easier and better for me. Automatic watering system, green house, automatic fertilizer, power to the green house, Ability to control power from my phone, wireless internet to the greenhouse, ability to water from my phone.

Then in the fall I do one or two of the projects. That way as long as it isn't pollination time i can take all the family vacation time I would like.

I'm in it for the long haul a bad year here or there isn't a big deal to me.

5/1/2018 9:08:26 AM

Torrance, Ca.

We plan one big vacation at the end of August when things are on cruise control and one vacation mid winter because thats when the Caribbean is the nicest.

I'm going for the biggest fruit I can get in our area so there's noway I'd go anywhere during pollination. Its really only a 2 to 3 week period for me.

5/1/2018 10:09:27 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

It is a give and take subject. Most our spouses know how much our pumpkins mean to us. I typically take close vacations, and have gotten up a 5 in the morning to head home to pollenate or water. Would you schedule vacation on Weigh Off weekend? Yes they are just pumpkins..but not just any pumpkins. We put our sweat and tears into them some seasons

5/1/2018 1:07:16 PM

Western NY

Go on Vacation!!!! I think one of the 2000 lbers from last year wasn't pollinated until mid July, just make sure everything is watered sprayed and buried before you leave.
Let the bees pollinate and you can pollinate when you get home and pick the best one.

5/1/2018 1:08:02 PM

Honesdale, Pennsylvania

plan ahead and take that Vacation. You may be surprised to see how much your plants grew when you are not staring at them every hour...

5/1/2018 2:54:31 PM

Midway, UT

Automate what you can, get a pumpkin friend to check in on the plants a few times during the week and everything should be okay. It is hard to make up for lost memories with the family. I get that pumpkins are important, but hard to put a fruit over a wife and kids. I typically do a trip once a year during the growing season. Other than vine burying and weeding getting behind I don't think I lost out in any other way. Plant has always survived. Look at Deletas. He is a pilot and somehow he gets big pumpkins to the scale every year. I doubt a week will cost you much on the scale.

5/1/2018 4:55:16 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Perfect example ArvadaBoy,,,, Daletas is gone days at a time for work and grows some of the biggest pumpkins each year. His schedule is like that all summer, automation and attention to detail while he's in the patch and it can be done.

5/1/2018 6:53:18 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Spambie (Scott Carley) our current BC Record holder and winner of the last 4 or 5 local weighoffs travels a lot and relies on automation. Agreed, you gotta be there to secure a specific pollination, but I’ve had fellow growers and pumpkin newbies do pumpkin chores in our patch when we are away. Arvadaboy nailed it, enjoy.

5/1/2018 7:02:55 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Your a lucky man though So Cal Grower, your kids are into it, and totally understand and your missus is 1 in a million.

Me too, couldn’t grow without my growing partner Andrea.

5/1/2018 7:04:42 PM

Pittsburgh, PA

Thanks for all the feedback. I have requested a mid June trip. Can only imagine the mess I will come home to but I’ll make due with whatever it is.

5/1/2018 10:53:32 PM

Grittyville, WA

Bees can be effective but FYI that depending on your local conditions they may or may not be reliable because of weather, too few bees, or too few flowers

5/2/2018 2:20:10 AM

Stanwood, Washington

Automate your watering with drip irrigation. You can pick up a timer that attaches to a hose at home depot for about 30 bucks. It will make everything easier regardless of vacation.
Pollination is the only thing that I really feel I need to be around for.

5/8/2018 2:35:53 PM

Whidbey Island

3 years ago my wife was graduating from her professional grad school right during pollination time. There was no way I would miss the ceremonies (out of town). I had two patches. At each one I recruited a friend, gave them the instructions and in both cases the pollination took. And I got a PB out of one of them. Yes, if possible, you want to be there for pollination, but you can make do. And my friends were tickled pink to help out.

5/9/2018 12:19:26 AM