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Indianapolis,Indiana

I was wondering how often I should water a giant pumpkin plant? thanks for any replys

3/8/2006 7:03:54 PM

Follansbee, Wv

The usual rule of thumb is an inch a week per plant. I put it slightly differently. I say an inch of water every 7 days. I have rain guages placed in the garden. After each rainfall, I measure the amount of rain and record it. If at the end of seven days, I have not accumulated an inch of rain, I water to make up the rest. However, if I get half an inch on Tuesday, and another half inch on Friday, I start the accumulation period over from Friday. If you go by a calander week, you might have your inch of rain by Wednesday. You would then say, well, there's this weeks inch. But what if it doesn't rain anymore the rest of the week. So far it's not a problem, you got your inch for the week. Then it doesn't rain the following week. So on Saturday morning you say, well I didn't get this weeks inch of rain, so I better water. What just happened? Your plants just went ten days without a drop of water. By using the seven day approach, your plants never go more than seven days without water. Of course, watching the weather for extended dry spells will allow you to water in advance.

3/8/2006 9:32:00 PM

Norton, MA

Very good advice. Just watch out though, if you go a week without water and add an inch all at once you're gonna pop pumpkins all over the place. I'd do the same thing Monty said, but water a third to a half an inch about three times a week and hold off on 1, 2, or all 3 of those depending on the weather. You kind of have to get a feel for it. AleX Noel.

3/9/2006 8:17:13 PM

Ray, North Dakota

Would a rain guage accurately measure a sprinkler output?

3/10/2006 1:30:05 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

A properly set rain guage is the BEST way to test any overhead irrigation system. I have a scream every summer checking "disease" on golf fairways & estates with tiny rain guages. "Sloppy Irrigation Design Disease" shows up more often than some wou,ld like to admit.

3/10/2006 5:15:40 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Of course I don't advocate watering a full inch once a week Alex. Hence the statement: "Of course, watching the weather for extended dry spells will allow you to water in advance."

Steve, I agree completely. It is very important to set several gauges to ensure that your readings are accurate.

3/10/2006 11:25:54 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

In the absence of a rain gauge, an empty cat food or tuna fish can is a fair substitute. Make sure whatever is used is not blocked by a leaf. In the patch we have a bunch of mini-gauges that are mounted to wooden sticks which places them above the canopy.

Drip sysyems are much more challenging to gauge.

One local grower who uses drip irrigation invested in seperate water meters for each zone. He started with the cheapo version from "drip-works" but since we were also injecting fungicides (dosatron) he decided to check the output. The % accuarcy was right at the claimed error so he pitched the cheapos & went for some very accurate (read expensive) units.

It must have been worth it. He raised his PB by 150 lbs even with a vascular disease.

3/11/2006 8:48:11 AM