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Cheyenne,WY

I have asked a few growers around Wyoming, Colorado, and a grower from Ohio about using heating cables under the pumpkin. So far, I'm not aware of anyone trying this. My pumpkins grew over the blossom stem. Even when I positioned the blossom end facing up in the air. Last year, Ron Hoffman solved my problem with my pumpkins growing flat by telling me to blanket them every night. So now my pumpkins are more round except the pumpkin now grows over the blossom end. I talked to Ron H. and we think it could be a temperature issue or keeping the pumpkin a consistent temperature on the bottom as well. We have 30-40 degree temperature differences between days and nights. Has anyone tried putting cables under the pumpkin to keep a steady temperature at night?

1/19/2012 9:28:38 PM

East Jordan, MI

I wouldn't think the ground temperature would change very much day to day. Since you are in a colder climate this may differ.

I would think that by having sand and or mill cloth under the pumpkin so it can slide a little, keeping the stem height level to the ground (through adjusting) and enough slack in the vine would solve the problem, but I'm fairly new, so maybe someone that has had this problem in the past can give you some more insight.

Good luck!

1/19/2012 11:12:09 PM

Tinykinville

PF i tried the cable under the pumpkin last year. I saw no visiable difference in grow curve or wall thickness. Since ive only tried once you cant say that my results are even close to what a larger test group may result in. But imo it was alot of work for no worthwhile results.

1/19/2012 11:28:33 PM

Anchorage Alaska

PF.. instead of heating cables under the fruit .. try a small remay tent over it a with a thermostatically controlled electric heater inside it pointing at the stem end ..it will keep the pumpkin warm and the stem dry and problem free and since the remay fabric breathes you can't overheat..it will provide shading and some hale protection.. your main problem would be keeping from blowing away ..lol..create your own micro environment

1/20/2012 12:19:42 AM

Riverton, WY

This area tends to be a low humidity area...it is common for humidity % to be in the teens. Evaporation of moist soil, leaves, pumpkins etc will quickly lower the temperature of the soil, leaves, pumpkins etc. Cheyenne's winds greatly increase the rate of evaporation which quickly lowers the temperature, which could slow the warming of the soil around the pumpkin as well as the pumpkin, which would slow growth as well as cause the pumpkin to lose moisture through evaporation.

I like Dale's idea, but because of winds, might need to use a tarp tent instead of remay and make sure it is opened up some on sunny days or temps might get too warm on top the pumpkin. Maybe the heating cables could be placed under sand around the pumpkin (instead of underneath) for some subtle heat at night with an enclosed structure ... and move the cables out as the pumpkin grows?

1/20/2012 8:46:05 AM

Cheyenne,WY

Thanks everyone, I think I will try a combination of what Dale and Ron suggested. The wind is crazy here and 3 days ago it was 70 + mph gusts at our house. I am planning to buy more wind fabric and hail netting this year. I will also buy a small space heater and make a tent for the fruit. I'm always willing to try something new. I sure don't have pumpkin growing figured out by any stretch of the imagination.

1/21/2012 6:19:10 PM

Joliet, IL

http://www.patiostore.com/greenhouse/portabuilt2.html

Nothing to do while waiting for the football games later on so I thought about your situation and Dale got me thinking. The above site has the shape and design of a small portable greenhouse one would be able to easily throw over a small one. Not big enough for when they get larger than that and the wind issues. But it got me thinking. What ever you use you will need it to withstand wind and not damage pumpkin if crazy winds do hit. So how about this. Drive stakes on an angle in the pattern similar to the umbrella greenhouse on the above site. You can then use long pvc conduit like a hoophouse and then put one side on the slanted rebar stake and bend over the pumpkin and then slid over the rebar stake on the other side. I would think 6 small 2' or3' pieces of rebar from
Menards and 6 long skinny pvc slightly wider than the rebar would make a frame. A leather rope or bungee could be used to quickly tie the looped arch tops together. Then a large piece of visqueen draped over entire structure and pumpkin with a space heater. Visqueen can be anchored by bricks or cinder blocks rolled into to edges of the visqeen. Remove the visqueen and have full access for inspection. Untie the stabilizer rope and bend 3 pvc pipes and remove them for total access.
Something along this idea is a simple approach that will with stand the wind. The key would be not anchoring pvc near stem or blossom nub to avoid wind flex of pipes. I also have found the heat coming directly out of a spaceheater can be intense. Position on slight angle and far enough away to avoid cooking or too intense warmth in a smaller area which could cause a differential in temps of the flesh. Anyone else can chime in here to modify. I think the most important thing with any structure near a plant or pumpkin is that it is sturdy enough to withhstand unexpected wind storms.

1/22/2012 10:39:42 AM

Joliet, IL

Correction...3 pieces of long skinny pvc.

1/22/2012 10:42:21 AM

Joliet, IL

Use the remay over this structure like Dale said and Visqueen if major cold spell or heavy rains and want to keep dry.

1/22/2012 10:47:08 AM

Cheyenne,WY

Wow, thanks for the feedback Shazzy! It sounds like you have experience with wind as well.

1/25/2012 12:27:58 AM