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Point Reyes

I was a bit behind on everything and my plant also had a slower start after germination. My main vine is only about 4' long.

Have I lost my window to be competitive? I am in the San Francisco Bay Area.

6/24/2022 4:43:17 PM

Depends on when your competition date you are looking forward to entering is and the growers that you'll be going up against.

6/24/2022 7:28:05 PM

Point Reyes

My competition date is October 10th - Half Moon Bay. Does that give me a good chance to fully mature?

6/24/2022 7:43:21 PM

When did you start your seed?

6/24/2022 8:13:47 PM

To be competive you would have to be over 2000 lbs and I think you would had to have pollinated by now or in the coming week for that size. But you can check the diaries for growers that enter there and see there plant start or pollination dates.

6/24/2022 8:24:48 PM

Grittyville, WA

Doubt you'll have any frost... maturity is 80-120 days you'll be on the low end.

6/24/2022 8:43:13 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Define competitive Chris. Are you going to grow a fruit that will rival the best growers in your area or do you want to reach the scales with a PB? To me that’s competitive so good luck to you.

6/24/2022 9:36:54 PM

Colorado

Youve lost your window to win but you can still grow something big and learn what to do to win in 2023.

6/24/2022 9:47:30 PM

Syracuse, NY

Be as competitive as you can be, no matter what(!);
Back in '06 I had a 912.5 and I won at Oswego because
everyone else had a rotten year -
Another, top-notch grower was behind even ME by about
15 lbs. Not sure if he would have won,
as it was a squash, but it's a bit fuzzy anymore, lol---
Go for IT.
PS - No one is as behind as me!
I should look in the mirror now and say 'Good Luck!'
to myself the rest of this year...eg

6/25/2022 3:12:15 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

The old sweet spot pollination date was latest July 10th, so there is definitely potential to still have fun with the season. If there is a WR being grown in 2022, I’m sure it’s already pollinated.

6/25/2022 9:30:39 AM

Plymouth, MN

Always compete against yourself first, worry about others after.

6/25/2022 10:18:29 AM

On a cliff in the desert

Last year I won squash competition with a 166 pound squash at a weighoff. Bring whatever you grow to the weighoff.

6/25/2022 1:49:03 PM

Torrance, Ca.

You have plenty of time to still bring a nice fruit to one of the local weigh offs up there!
Sparky will tell you!

No 2000 pound fruit but if you can pollinate in the next few weeks you'll be fine. Like Luke said, we all use to pollinate around the July 4th weekend.
With different genetics, chemicals, styles of growing and just pushing the fruit differently now days that pollination date seems to have moved up almost a month!

Crazy!

I like others said, always compete against yourself. Once you start going to weigh offs for other reasons then seeing your friends and hoping to get a personal best, the fun will begin to leave.:)
Hope to see you up at one of the weigh offs!

6/25/2022 4:57:00 PM

Johnston, R.I.

Have fun and don't worry about it.

6/26/2022 5:22:50 AM

Midway, UT

I would say to be "competitive" you just need to grow a bigger pumpkin this year then you have in the past. You are a little behind in terms of timetables, but if you work hard you may still have a chance at a personal best.

7/6/2022 12:43:09 PM