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Manitoba

I plan to try growing a giant pumpkin this year! I have seeds from two different sources, an 800 lb fruit and a 1,200 lb fruit. I'll be growing 2 plants from each. I want to cross pollinate.

What is the usual procedure: do I pollinate the females on the plant from the heavier seeds, or the reverse? How can we figure out in advance which is the best way to go?

1/22/2014 7:56:05 PM

Going Green

If you are going to plant both seeds than you pollinate the female blossoms with the male blossoms of the 2nd plant. Then pollinate the female blossoms on 2nd plant with male blossoms of the first plant. Next year plant the new pumpkin seed from each plant and you might be amazed as to which seed performs better. Until 2014 when you plant that new seed from 2013 you will not know what the new genetics is going to do. In other words the male pollen will not influence the pumpkin you are growing this year other than pollinating it.

1/22/2014 11:52:38 PM

Roblin, Manitoba

Nice to see another Manitoban here. Shoot me an email if you want fishandhuntmb@gmail.com, I can answer this, but also might be able to help you out with some other newbie stuff you may have this season.

1/22/2014 11:53:59 PM

Manitoba

Going Green, thanx for your reply. Yes, I know that the size and health of this year's fruit is not determined by how I pollinate. But let's suppose (in my wild imagination) I can get, say, a 100-lb pumpkin this year and save the seed from that 100 pounder. What are the chances that if I gave that seed to an experienced grower of big pumpkins that he would get a much larger fruit because of its parentage?

Can't you tell I know exactly Nothing about plant genetics...

Scott M, I'm going to write you! How kind of you to offer your help! Already, I wish you lived next door, but I'm NE of Wpg. Oh, well! This is all for fun. I'm still wondering how I am going to rip up 400 sq feet of sod for my pumpkin plant, as we have no eqpt to do this and I hate doing it with hand tools, just too much hard work. Lots of time to worry!

1/23/2014 12:52:08 AM

Going Green

MeToo! If you take any seed and have it planted in NE united States by a more experienced grower who would of course have balanced rich soil it would most likely grow a larger fruit than you or me could grow. WHY??? Better, more balanced soil. Better techniques. Fewer mistakes made. Better longer periods of sun and light. The genetics is important but only 1/3 of the equation. The soil is just as important so that is another 1/3 of the equation. And the third is a variable, amount of light per day, temperature of soil and air, amount of rain and other environmental variables like bugs, soil and airborne diseases and the experience of the grower to prevent or overcome those variables. Same genetics grown in California, New York, Canada, Texas, Missouri and Alaska would most likely have very different results from one another because of all the variables and knowledge and luck of the grower.

1/23/2014 7:59:14 AM

Manitoba

OK! Tks for all your info! But as regards sunlight: where I live (c. 50 deg latitude) the amount of sunlight is amazing. On the summer solstice it's close to 18 hours. Regardless of what crop you are growing, my observation is that long daily hours of sun compensate for shorter number of frost-free days. What do you think?

Also, you speak about "balanced" soil. I wonder how much is due to actually working at it (balancing the soil) in a scientific way. The scariest-huge Butternut Squash I have ever seen grew out of my compost heap (not a planned, cared-for compost pile, I just threw kitchen slops against the east side of the house all winter long. The seeds came from an ordinary-sized butternut squash I had bought at the grocery store.)

Is this not the way that huge vegetables are developed in the first place? By planting ordinary seeds in an extremely rich medium? Just asking - I don't really know how huge vegetables came into existence. lol

When short little far eastern Orientals come to North America, where there's lots of meat to eat, in a very few generations they are big like us.

1/23/2014 2:12:09 PM

Going Green

I am glad for your sunlight and it occurs to me that you have all the answers so I will bow out now. I suggest you talk to a fellow Canadian who knows your sunlight, soil conditions and variances. Phil Hunt would be a great guy for you to talk with.

1/23/2014 4:06:00 PM

Manitoba

Many thanks for all your input, GG! Wish me luck! And best to you!

1/23/2014 4:34:12 PM