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Princeville, IL

As tough of a time as I am having getting my seedlings into the ground I think I may have to start a contest to see who can grow the biggest pumpkin in a five gallon bucket. Now there would be a challange. Every time it gets dry enough it rains and turns cold. I see why so many guys have greenhouses or some type of growing structure.

5/6/2013 8:31:39 PM

Upa Creek, MO

I am growing one from a pot for pollination purposes. I wasn't planning on trying to get a fruit but if you do I'm in.

5/7/2013 9:48:31 AM

Mission Viejo, CA

I would join in that contest. Sounds like a hoot!

5/7/2013 10:22:47 AM

Never grew one in a pail but I did grow one on land and the vine went into the lake and rested on weeds and lily pads and grew a 125 lbs pumpkin in the water.
Probably a world record for water pumpkins.
So since records are only made to be beaten you might want to grow a water pumpkin.

5/7/2013 10:57:02 AM

Princeton Kentucky

Can the tap roots be allowed to hit soil or not. I would be in to.

5/7/2013 11:07:27 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I might start one in a 5 gallon bucket just for the fun of it if can decide what the rules are. Perfect challenge for my scarce land growing environment.

5/7/2013 1:22:10 PM

If you really want to do something that is interesting grow one without and dirt.

You have to set up an automatic sprayer and spray the roots with water and food.

Scientists have been doing this for years.

5/7/2013 5:24:57 PM

Princeville, IL

I was only kidding. Its my first year trying to grow big ones and I hope I can get one from soil. Don't think I am ready for a five gallon bucket challenge. Built a couple small greenhouses today so hope to get a couple in the ground tomorrow.

5/7/2013 6:12:45 PM

Cincinnati,OH

A five gallon bucket will grow a nice plant with male flowers but it won't be enough to support a fruit if your using AG seeds. I tried it twice. I did grow a 71" long gourd from a 5 gallon bucket though.

5/7/2013 7:24:40 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

i spent the afternoon wondering if it might be possible to grow a driveway pumpkin to get viable seeds from it...i might still try....really dont have much to lose from experimenting

5/7/2013 7:44:40 PM

East Jordan, MI

its been done bnot....
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=136849

5/7/2013 8:18:36 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Here's the biggest I could find from a 5 gallon bucket.lol. I bet it could be done... at least 50 pounds.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=19985

5/7/2013 9:44:34 PM

They will grow bigger in the lake.

5/7/2013 9:54:13 PM

They will grow bigger in the lake.

5/7/2013 9:54:29 PM

One more time:

They will grow bigger in the lake.

5/7/2013 9:55:16 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Do you smell that????

5/7/2013 10:27:10 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Yep

5/8/2013 10:49:33 AM

Duxbury,Ma.

I grew a pump the size of a softball over the winter in a 5 gal bucket.

5/8/2013 6:23:13 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

I decided today...i am going to go for the challenge. The rules for myself are- 5 gallon bucket...no dirt outside of the bucket. The challenge wont be to grow the biggest, it will be to get the most viable seeds. The seed that i am going to start with is the Twinharpwaupun. Any seed from this plant i will name T-bucket 13. Hopefully i can set a personal best,which currently is at 0. Any other contenders?

5/8/2013 6:46:25 PM

Upa Creek, MO

I bought a new clean 5 gallon bucket today. If I can get one set, I'll grow it.

5/8/2013 8:04:38 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

glad to have company in this futile endeaver.I hope you will keep me posted on how yours is doing luke. I have a few days to think about how i am going to proceed. Wide mouth or standard bucket? How should I layer the soil? Should i let the main spread horizontally, or really go for a small footprint and build a trellis to attach to the bucket and try vertical. So many decisions to make...good thing for work so I have time to think about pumpkins.

5/9/2013 5:47:23 AM

Nottingham, UK

I tried in 2008 before I new what I do now.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2008&grower=55348&action=L

5/9/2013 6:29:34 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Nice orange one too Peter.

Bnot, I will probably just fill my 5 gallon with some store bought fert injected soil. My main priority is getting males, so early will hit it with bloom booster and go from there. I will probably just let it run on the ground too or thinking about up the woodpile. That would be a new one.

5/9/2013 7:33:24 AM

NE Kansas

You're male pollinator will have wood?

5/9/2013 8:45:15 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

Luke, you flirt with danger. Last year i tried burying some vines with store bought top soil. The middle of the plant turned very sick. It took two weeks to recuperate. Just to check to see if the bagged top soil was the culprit, i did it again. Same result. I dont know if it was residual week killer in the topsoil or the fact that a sealed bag is really a good environment for anaerobic bacteria. In either case..no more bags for bnot! I might try a mixture of soil containing coconut fibre.

5/9/2013 7:58:31 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

dandytown, you first year looked like a great success. Gives me hope for this year :)

5/9/2013 8:02:55 PM

Fairfield, CT, 06825

Im down if someone wants to organize it. I think it would be fun...

5/10/2013 2:33:45 AM

Rhode Island

we could save money at the weigh-offs to. everything could be weighed on a bathroom scale.plus we could hold the weighoffs just about any place.

5/10/2013 5:59:44 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

maybe it could be a weighoff side event. Grower could bring in the complete plant for inspection. If i can find a basketball hoop, i might try to make it slightly more challenging. Growing up and putting the kin thru the hoop.

5/10/2013 6:14:26 AM

Nottingham, UK

Maybe a focus could be on growing a square pumpkin?

For example: http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-a-Square-Watermelon

5/10/2013 4:28:28 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

someone else will have to go for the square pumpkin challenge. I am decided to go for the bicycle rim hoop challenge. I hope that I can find enough free time to weld|+|hammer the ring in place before it is needed. Anyone trying the square challenge might want to forgot the box...maybe try chicken wire and plaster.

5/10/2013 5:18:33 PM

NE Kansas

If you grow them in the lake you could even hold a bass fishin tournament style weigh-off. I'll even loan my fishing scales. Everything weighed with them goes heavy to chart.

5/10/2013 7:47:28 PM

Home of happy lil plants

from experience

small square field kin...easy....but it will cost you a cinderblock, shatter it to get it out..

anyone who can get a fully ripe and full size atlantic giant without shattering its container anything short of a 1in thick steel plate box is not going to hold it...

idea for anyone....atlantic giant....steel plate box tack welded from outside in a few places along seems to form box, grind off welds at harvest.

5/11/2013 1:23:23 AM

half moon bay mayor john muller grows square pumpkins

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/07/76/33/2090718/6/628x471.jpg

5/11/2013 7:54:41 AM

Home of happy lil plants

Killing me don he beat me to it! Thats an older looking pic too!

5/11/2013 9:19:40 AM

i went to johns patch he showed me a pumpkin in plywood box bolted together he has to cut the vine at certain point or it will break the mold

5/11/2013 11:09:53 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

making the mold stronger....what happens when the force that cant be stopped meets the force that cant be moved

5/11/2013 2:09:04 PM

Home of happy lil plants

It shuts it down for the most part such as on a field kin but like i said anything short of 1in steel plate you are going to blow the mold if you dont cut vine as mentioned, still just a guessing game and you haveto know what size your pumpkin will deffinantly get to and just accept you cant see whats going on inside the box such as with the blossum end or bugs,

back to reality.. the squarest pumpkin in all the land means nothing unless its the biggest pumpkin too

5/12/2013 12:15:38 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

as trouble maker...i have to ask...bigger by weight or volume. Seems to me that there should be an accurate way to measure the volume along with weights

5/12/2013 6:34:38 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

what is the volume world record pumpkin?

5/12/2013 6:36:06 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Volume is impossible to measure on a hollow sphere with a varying wall thickness.

5/12/2013 11:26:26 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

floats on water so a water displacement scale wouldnt work

5/12/2013 1:31:36 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

wait...a possibility might come to me...maybe set a tub on the scale...add water...and set to zero....place pumpkin in tub...lower a plunger to push pumpkin underwater...measure weight and the amount the water level rises...

possible?

5/12/2013 1:36:18 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

someone shooting for the volume record would like the seeds that went ott light

5/12/2013 1:39:27 PM