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Elk Grove , California

Someone on the Facebook page “backyard giant pumpkin growers” is claiming to have grown a 1600-1800 lb pumpkin in a “fogponic” tank where all the roots grow in a 55 gallon drum. He claims the drum was in his house and the vine grew out a window and to the ground where the pumpkin set. He claims the OTT was 367 but the pumpkin weighed 1600-1800 lbs. didn’t take it to a weighoff or a certified scale because “it wasn’t a world record” and “I’m too busy”. Anyone heard of this fogponic methodology?

9/30/2019 12:00:43 AM

North Pole,Alaska

It's a variation of aeroponics. Nutrient droplet size is considerably smaller (5-30um) vs aero (50-80um). Nasa has been doing alot of research with it. Smaller plants tend to develop finer root hairs and greater root mass, but less energy goes towards the above ground plant. Mineral clogging at the roots was also observed. As for larger plants like an AG, the water demands are far too great for a "mist" to keep up. As for all the roots being in a 55 gallon drum....Lack of oxygen, the aforementioned water/nutrient deprivation from a small volume of mist... If he grew a large pumpkin out the window, it made most of its gains from secondaries in soil. Fogponics on that small of a scale couldn't support a full plant WITHOUT a pumpkin.For small, short term plants like lettuce it's great

9/30/2019 1:55:09 AM

North Pole,Alaska

Most common method is small ultrasonic transducers, but they fail constantly from mineral build up, and generate a lot of heat, which causes calcium sulfate to precipitate out of solution.You would need on the order or 300-500 transducers to keep up with an AG's water demands, plus some type of heat sink to keep from boiling your solution. Water level is also critical, you have to have less than an inch of solution over the membrane or no fog is generated. I call foul on his claim.

9/30/2019 2:02:52 AM

Bethlehem CT

WIth that OTT, I don't think it would be possible to have a pumpkin weigh 1600-1800 pounds.

9/30/2019 7:46:10 AM

Westmoreland, KS

Maybe he was using centimeters to measure and it weighed 1600-1800 ounces?

9/30/2019 9:05:40 AM

Pittsburgh, PA

It was noted that the sidevines were only grown on one side of the main (Flag Pattern) and the ones that were grown were terminated and placed in airpots or something like that for additional nutrient feeding. There's pics of the trellis going up to the window of his house and a raised bed that the main vine must have grown along. I hate to doubt anybody but his pumpkin must have been made out of lead to weigh that much.

9/30/2019 11:41:02 AM

New Berlin, PA

I know nothing about quarry scales so I could be way off on this, but I wonder how precise a scale like that is on 1 to 2 thousand pounds. I assume a typical quarry is weighing loads in the multiple tens of thousands.

9/30/2019 2:28:03 PM

Dillonvale, Ohio

There are many holes in his story, things don't add up. He also started out at 1900lb, after being called out, ended up at 1600lb. I would still like to see the inside, but not holding my breath

10/1/2019 9:50:49 PM

Central Illinois

wheres the link to this ,I found a short youtube video but it doesnt show anything except the container

10/2/2019 8:37:42 AM

Dillonvale, Ohio

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1145353668831112/permalink/2683632798336517/

10/2/2019 9:40:38 PM

Central Illinois

looks like 900-1100 and it had roots into the soil

10/3/2019 8:13:32 AM