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Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

I expanded my garden this year and this allowed me to have enough space for a Field Pumpkin. I planted my field pumpkin (57 Shymanski) on the same day I started my AG's and plan on growing it just like an AG. I noticed alot of growers are now just starting their plants. I understand a field pumpkin only grows about 50 days before it is mature, but isn't prime growing mid july to early august.

6/10/2012 2:39:05 PM

Huntsville Texas

Mine came up April 1st; the 103 MacKinnon is a couple of feet across; 162 MacKinnons just starting to set , 99 Lyons about a foot across and growing nicely. Temperature is over 100 every day now, and noticing that it is getting harder to set fruit; much more aborting than when weather was cooler.118 Engel starting to set; it has the largest leaves and does not look like any of the others, some of the vines have secondary vines attached to the side of the pumpkins at first, but not later on the vine. I tried to start them early to beat the real heat later, think I should have started even earlier.

6/10/2012 3:39:17 PM

Mass

I would say so it matures around weighoff time. If you are starting earlier, It could be mush by the time a weigh off comes around. I want to pick it and take it, and not have to worry about storing or refridging it. But I did have a hard time getting some to set last year because of the later start and higher temps. ?? I think it was late July after a brief cooldown that some set. I might think that some early starts and some later starts if one has the space, would be the way to go and then compare benifits verses problems.

6/10/2012 6:44:36 PM

churchville, ny

Shannon - many of the big field pumpkins are from the phat jack variety which 1s 125 days to maturity (some companies say 120 days). So if you plant by 5/25th you should be ready for most weigh offs. Around here by 5/25 we are pasted our last frost, the ground is warm and they get maximum growing weather without a cloche, etc. I started mine around June 1st this year since I only grow for the challenge and not weigh offs. Once picked and kept out of the frost, they will easily last a month.

6/10/2012 8:03:22 PM

Bethlehem CT

Last year I direct sowed a 137.5 Crews on May 5th. On August 5th I had a pumpkin that was totally ripe and weighed 84 pounds. I picked it and stored it in a temperature controlled environment to ensure that it would make it to a weigh off. A month later( At the fair) it weighed around 72 pounds. So I decided to kick back my starting date this year in hopes to get it ripening a little closer to a weigh off, hopefully avoiding any weight loss.

6/20/2012 8:48:33 AM

Ohio

just put mine in the ground, planted in the house maybe wk n half ago.

6/21/2012 1:14:36 PM

Ohio

I have never had a problem (knock on wood) with field pumpkins turning to mush before Halloween,as long as they are still conected to the vine(even when done growing) If it was me, I wouldnt pick your weigh off pumpkin untill its time for the weigh off,keep it dry and covered up protecting it from the sun. What you see outside on the pumpkin might not be growing,its on the inside that you cant see.

6/22/2012 6:43:28 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Some Very Interesting Comments...We will see what results I have growing one on the same schedule as an AG

6/22/2012 7:25:18 AM