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Lakewood, Colorado

Last year I got lucky and grew a nice 514 pound pumpkin without too much trouble. I made many mistakes in timing, transplanting, and pruning.

This year has been tough. After 2 abortions, I pollinated my "hail Mary" pumpkin this morning. I have low potassium in the soil (by soils test) and now have brown edges on the old leaves. Thanks to the Mad Scientist for the report posted that helped pin-point this problem for me. Also, have some crinkling on newer leaves (maybe from oxygen deprevation from high rainfall). I am hoping that is correct and will pass.

At this point, I will keep growing the plant for the experience, but have my doubts about a good sized fruit come the end of September. Sigh!!

7/23/2011 4:20:23 PM

Cincinnati,OH

You can use a foliar fertilizer to help with the Potash problem

7/23/2011 7:51:35 PM

Rhode Island

erik
if you stick with it,work at bettering your growing skills and overall knowledge? you will get over the hump.
it starts with knowledge,then the very best seeds,then an assist from ma nature along the way.
even after over 20 years of growing my son and i still find problems that require assistance from people far more experienced in soil sciences then us.
its a constant learning process -for sure
pap

7/24/2011 8:39:14 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

Erik, like you i'm a 3rd year grower and pretty green to all of this. What I have seen from many of the expirienced growers is, they really enjoy the hobby. Even when the plants seem to be in trouble they love the challenge of getting the plant and fruit back on track. During the early season when you gotta set up the hoophouses and watering systems most seasoned growers really enjoy doing it. With motivation like that its no wonder why the weights have jummped up. Good luck and remember that this is a hobby. At times it gets stressful and motivation levels can drop (been there myself) its all worth it once you get a giant pumpkin to the scales. All the work in the patch and money spent on things doesn't seem to matter much when you get your weight announced.one thing I have learned in this hobby is, something always goes wrong. Nothing goes smooth, bugs will show up, disease will try to take your plant, growers get humbled..lol....hard work is needed. People will laugh at you wondering why you spend so much time in the garden....etc....I expect that and will do whats needed to bring my weight higher...good luck!

7/24/2011 11:11:09 AM

Lakewood, Colorado

The other problem with this plant is that the side vines don't always develop. In the first 10' of the main, I only have 2 side vines. The others throw out a triple flower with a stunted growing tip that doesn't take off. Further down the vine the secondaries are developing more normally.

The last 2 days were pretty low, but I did pollinate a nice 5 lobe female that looks perfect from the inside and out, so my hopes are renewed that I can grow this one to decent size. Just about a month behind where I wanted to be.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

7/24/2011 12:15:58 PM

Pataskala,OH

Sounds like you need to up the amount of fertilizer you add. Sidevines not developing for me has always been due to a lack of nitrogen. Potassium deficiency caused my pumpkin to split one year.

7/25/2011 10:25:59 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Nic, did you have too much potassium?

Erik, my sidevines didn't develop well on one side on 2 of my plants and the first couple were stunted too. My most recent test said I was high across the board including nitrogen. I attribute the stunted vines early on to unuasually cold temps in May.

7/25/2011 10:40:14 AM

Pataskala,OH

Smallmouth,

I don't really know if it was the lack of potassium that caused it to split. But I think there is a good chance that it was. The walls of the pumpkin were really thin. It was not a genetic thing since that particular seed was prone to growing heavy pumpkins.

When I have s stunted vine it has always started growing again after I have about a tablespoon of calcium nitrate sprinkled under the entire length of the particular vine. The cool May with frequent rain probably made it hard for your plant to access the nitrogen in the soil. So it is kind of the same thing.

7/25/2011 11:20:27 AM

Lakewood, Colorado

Nitrogen was good. 55 ppm by soils test. I think it was the cold, wet weather we had. The plant was in a hoop house, but not heated. It didn't freeze, but was getting into the 40's. That is on my list of "must do's" for next year, heating the hoop house to cut down on the large Colorado temp delta. The secondaries are going great guns now.

7/27/2011 3:34:04 PM