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Santa Ynez California

Hi. How big should plant be allowed to get? It is our second year and last year we never really had an issue of how big to let plant get. Our biggest pumpkin is about 100 pounds and others are growing fast too. The main stems are about 27-30 feet long. They are s curved so they do not look as long as the main stems are. My dad is trying two plants this year and swears his bigger one is 20" x 30" rectangle and about a 60 pound pumpkin on that one. I know there is probably a max size on vines so I figured I better ask hahaha. Thanks. Steve
ps. It is really fun watching these pumpkins grow hahaha. Thanks again and thanks for all advice. Steve

6/29/2009 1:20:17 AM

Rhode Island

20ft x 30ft is a decent size plant.

6/29/2009 5:31:47 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I had one last year I let sprawl and it got to about 850 square feet. A well trained 500-600 square foot one will do the deed handily.... The idea is to have enough plant to feed the fruit; and directing the energy to the fruit after there is enough plant to do the job by careful pruning and growing tip ending.

6/29/2009 10:00:51 AM

Santa Ynez California

Hi. Thank you. It sounds like about 600 square feet and then tip off all the ends and let them just work on taking care of the fruit. Is that about right? I am thinking I will give them about 2 to 3 more weeks of vine growth too then concentrate completely on the pumpkins. I have about 3 1/2 more months or so before contest and good weather until at least mid october so a lot of months of grow time ahead and really want to optimize it this year. I think this year it will be quite possible to land 4 1000 pound plus pumpkins and don't want to blow it at all so any advice is highly appreciated. Steve

6/29/2009 10:21:38 AM

milford, CT,

Estaban..your first 3 secondaries should be just about ready to terminate..this starts the process of sending growth forward..hopefully by July 15th you are terminating after your pumpkin if the growth allows it. 600 sq ft is a nice number...Mark

6/29/2009 5:57:31 PM

Rhode Island

if you have the space id suggest 700 square ft not 500 or 600. heres the reason. if you run into trouble mid to late season and loose half your plant? you still have plenty left to support a champion pumpkin.
the same can be said for plant growth after the pumpkin. the more the merrier. you can loose all the plant before the fruit (for an extreme example ) and that 300-350 or so ft of plant after the fruit will keep her growing.

6/29/2009 9:24:05 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

pap, what length do you terminate early secondaries? Nevermind....I'll just read Pap's Tip's II!!!! AGAIN!!! Peace, Wayne

6/29/2009 11:43:16 PM

Santa Ynez California

Thank you again. I did not know you terminated the first secondaries so I will do that. Do you just cut them from the main vine. We got ten pounds growth on our biggest pumpkin today in twelve hours and it grows most at night usually. So they are really starting to take off. It sounds like I should keep the vines going until the 15th of July then trim off the first secondaries. Do you do the first three on each side or just the first three totally. Thank you again. STeve

6/30/2009 12:20:27 AM

Ohio

I agree , 20 x 30 OR 30 x 30 is what I usually try for, Doc Liggett grows in approx 400 sq ft and sometimes less, per plant, and he always manages more then a few monsters every year.

Hes grown over 1500lbers in less then 400 sq ft. I seen pictures of his patch (my Dad has been there also) , but I have heard where all his leaves where done for (raggedy, dead) on his 400 sq ft of plant, and he still gets 30 to 40 lbs a day growth, how he manages to do this is beyond me, Dan Kirts and myself are still trying to figure that one out,,,lol!

Hows he do that Joe Gerchy?,,, you know him better then most of us?,,,lol

6/30/2009 6:27:39 AM

Steve, you don't cut the secondarys off,,,you pinch the new growth at the tip to "terminate" it. This allows the plant to "push" the fruit with all the growth eventually "termed" the plants energy flows to the fruit. Your plants are big,,,some of the first secondarys could be trimmed from what I see.

6/30/2009 6:34:43 AM

Santa Ynez California

Hi. Thanks. I was worried I had to cut them off hahaha. I pinched off my first secondaries at about 14' and am ending the others that come after these at that distance too. Our biggest pumpkin gained approx 20 pounds yesterday and has kicked up to about 120. Our other three are right behind it but I think will pass it as they are on bigger plants. I sort of feel like we have a tiger by the tail as this is only our second year and I feel like we don't really know all the fine points about giant pumpkin growing yet hahaha. Still it is fun to see the growth. We have been giving directions to my dad over phone and two plants from our biggest pumpkin last year and he is claiming to have a 600 square foot plant out in Fresno area and about a 90 pound pumpkin - the blind leading the blind hahahaha. Thank you again. Steve

6/30/2009 6:08:38 PM

Pataskala,OH

Maybe ligget is on to something maybe we let the plants get to big. My 640 last year was grown on like 200 sq ft.

7/1/2009 2:15:23 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

estaban...luv yer attitude!!! Close yer eyes and watch em grow!!! Luv it!! Peace, Wayne
PS...Thanks for the tip Unka...will be pinching from now on!!!

7/2/2009 10:34:27 PM