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Deer Park, WI

So when you read that title, did you interpret "offensive" as something that offends or as the side of the coin that scores points? Goofy language, English is, with so many words that carry such differing double meanings. alas, I digress.

Some years ago, I took a survey of the pumpkin community on this very website and crowdsourced a list of the "top 10 pests" that afflict giant pumpkin growers. The purpose of this exercise was to help growers recognize the most significant threats to their patches and prepare their defense against them accordingly, based on the collective input and experiences of this body of contributors.

I'd like to revisit this approach from the opposite side of the ledger, to compile a list of the top 10 offensive tactics that contribute to patch success. Much has been written about what it takes to grow a contest winning giant. But we have yet to crowdsource this in a ranked list format and standardize some of the tactics that really move the needle.

So here's what Im asking for: give me your best 3, 4, 5 patch tactics that you believe are absolutely necessary to grow a large pumpkin. I caution you to stay away from the big picture stuff: good seed, good soil, good climate, good luck. No one will argue these 4 biggies are essential. I want the tactics...vine pruning, vine burying, specific biologicals, seed starting date, watering strategies. Hopefully you get the picture. If we can get a large enough sample size here, i'll categorize, rank, and summarize the findings of the collective here. Let's play offense!

3/28/2022 7:52:52 AM

Deer Park, WI

since i dont see any rules against contributing to my own survey, i'll start with an off-the-cuff top five:

1. vine pruning, 2. vine burying 3. early season supplemental heat (cables, hot houses), 4. pumpkin stem/vine stress management, 5. optimizing vegetative plant size: 650-1000sq ft

3/28/2022 8:02:47 AM

Central NY

1. A great start…all the bells and whistles to keep the right environment until hoops come off and Mother Nature can take over. 2. Plant training/successful and prolific rooting at the nodes. 3. Staying ahead of the nutrient requirements (good luck fellow hand waterers)
4. Not hoping…believing.
I’m amazed by growers every year on this site…can’t wait to see what y’all do. ….best of luck in 2022!!!

3/28/2022 9:10:01 AM

Ironton, ohio

1. Plant growth/size before pollination
2. Optimal soil moisture not too soggy or dry
3. Make September as important as may and June
4. Daily plant inspections get ahead of issues

3/28/2022 1:10:47 PM

Westmoreland, KS

1) In the heat of the south start date is extremely important (must try to pollinate before the 100 degree temps set in.
2) Fungicide rotation on a weekly basis starting early.
3) Soil moisture very important to keep it perfect
4) Consistency, you must keep doing all the small things every single day
5) keeping the plant and pumpkin cool

3/28/2022 2:17:14 PM

Stanwood, Washington

1. Mycho
2. pruning and burying
3. Controlling pests and disease
4. Proper watering
5. Deep Soil

3/28/2022 4:22:46 PM

Grittyville, WA

Lol I dont have 2k wisdom but have experience with not growing a pumpkin at all.
1) Make sure the plant can uptake what it needs. One way or another.
2) Pay attention/observe, clues may be subtle (whenever a mole gets under my plants I can tell something isnt right--the roots are getting broken by the digging and it creates a visual change in the vigor). Just give the plant a moment of your time where you arent busy doing something, give it a moment where you are just paying attention to it.
3) Measure. You dont know what you dont measure. Something like that. Whether its the pumpkin growth rate or the soil EC. You dont know what you dont measure.
4) Start/grow multiple plants. Then you can afford to try new things and learn. (Poor little Guinea plants...)
5) Try cutting corners where you can and always have some fuel left in the tank for the busy part of the season. I'm still working on this one. For example, are patch shoes necessary once the winter organic matter has decayed and the soil oxygen levels are back up again? (A shout out to mobeymike here.) Maybe there are corners that can be cut, so that more effort/expense can be focused on the area of greatest return.
6) Goals are good. Just dont obsess like a More-On or a Gridiot would... Obsession doesnt equal success.

3/28/2022 7:11:33 PM

Deer Park, WI

Thank you to the contributors above. This is....a start. I'd really like to compile and write this article...but its going to take many many many more inputs to achieve.

Sooooooooo, all you quiet lurkers out there, I'm asking, as a fellow introvert, please break the silence and offer your 2 pennies of wisdom to this thread.

3/30/2022 8:47:01 AM

Diamond, Ohio

1. Consistent watering/fertigation
2. Proactive disease/pest management
3. Vine management

3/30/2022 9:59:25 AM

Watlington, UK

1. disease management - with a diseased plant you may not get a pumpkin at all
2. pest management - pests = low yield + entry point for disease
3. correct watering - critical for plant health & pumpkin size
4. temperature control - ditto
5. vine pruning & training - important for all of the above

3/30/2022 11:19:14 AM

Connecticut, USA

1. Wind protection - don't let one bad storm take you out.
2. Spray for bugs and diseases BEFORE they get you.
3. Vine management, bury and prune
4. Watering and feeding

3/30/2022 11:19:36 AM

Benson, MN

1. Vine Management
2. Proactive Fungicide/Insecticide
3. Weed Management (probably cost me couple 100lbs)
4. Consistent watering/fertilizing
5. Pollination date

3/30/2022 11:20:43 AM

Bethlehem CT

1. Insect and disease control
2. Water and nutrient management
3. Soil tilth development and improvement
4. POllination date There are many factors to consider like;proper plant size at time of pollination, Mid to late June,Ideal weather window during critical fruit growth stages, i.e. lots of sun!
Sunny dry years equals really big pumpkins
5. Vine pruning and good plant pattern layout.

3/30/2022 1:01:11 PM

stoughton WI

1. Know your soil "soil health and soil tilth".
2. know exactly why you are using certain products.
3. be able to read your plants, by doing tissue tests. in my patch, my plants pretty much deficient of the same things year after year.
4. sometimes its the small things or the things we dont think about that can make a difference.

3/30/2022 5:09:25 PM

Ironton, ohio

5. Shade your growing tips if its gonna be hot

3/30/2022 8:00:40 PM

East Sussex, UK

1. Soil health: physical, chemical and most importantly, biological. This should take care of most disease/pest issues.
2. Plant size and vigor including protecting the plant from wind/heat/hail. No plant=no pumpkin.
3. Vine pruning and vine burying are almost prerequisites like the big 4...
4. ...as is proper watering.

3/31/2022 5:37:56 AM

Wisconsin

Water

4/1/2022 11:23:56 PM

Syracuse, NY

Joze, Muh Man, I hate to bring it up 'until I'm a HH' but...

Did you want growers to list out things that are obviously 'STRATEGIES'
or obviously 'THINGS to be concerned about' in growing AGs?
I see this all the time in any Company's 'Our Mission:' Statements
or
'We're Aiming for YOU!' or 'Our Values' kinds of adverts;

PS---With all due respect to EVERYone:

Ummm, like per your lead-off:

4. pumpkin stem/vine stress management
= Not a strategy, butt to be concerned about;

5. optimizing vegetative plant size: 650-1000sq ft
= (more like) A strategy, and to be concerned about by default;

Any alteration to mosts' replies may BALLOOOOON their lists, butt,
perhaps if there were a LIST to begin with of about 10 things
derived from the replyees' (sp, lol) list of CONCERNS
that each would ELABORATE personally on...

Now, here are a couple of yours that will more-instill this in growers' minds:
'I want the tactics...vine pruning, vine burying, specific biologicals, seed starting date,
watering strategies. Hopefully you get the picture.'

Our new takeaway:
>>>specific vine pruning methods
>>>specific vine burying methods
>>>specific biologicals used
>>>seed starting date employed
>>>watering strategies utilized

As per usual, if I'm incorrect, then, ignore, ignore, ignore - I am very used to it, lol, butt
you're always glad to hear that distant, occasional microwave 'beep' that reminds you
that there IS something to cheer you up if (we) are alerted to it, yes?

A side benefit to your post may be that anyone looking at the end result COULD grow a
1,000-pounder if they've not already with the outline followed even to a near-T!
Hmmm...I'd better get crackin', with all that competition ensuing!

Wait...I I I I I I I I I I can read, too, lol!

OF COURSE, everybody's replies so far are, I'm sure, super-valid and
of greatest-ever usefulness! I just bring up stuff that...well, T

4/2/2022 4:23:30 PM