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Centennial Colorado

Hi all,
I have 1200 square feet for pumpkins and am wondering how much space I should give each plant. I have 2-600 square foot patches. The ambitious goal is 4000 lbs club. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1/9/2021 10:51:49 AM

Central NY

I vote 600sqft each...

1/9/2021 10:55:32 AM

Central NY

If one rolls like a freight train and one sucks, I’d pull the one and go all in...depends how early you can start without stalling the plants.

1/9/2021 10:56:43 AM

Central NY

(Assuming you would rather forgo the 4000 club and go for gold w one fruit)

1/9/2021 10:58:45 AM

Centennial Colorado

Unfortunately too risky. I have normally a 50% chance of getting a fruit. I was thinking 600, 450, 150. I will plant 16 plants in hope for 8 to plant in hope of 4 plants to grow to 10' and then cull the weakest of the 4. If I had 2 weak plants I might consider it though. 3 years ago I only grew 2. I ended up with 1- 177 lbs fruit. Was pretty disappointed.

1/9/2021 11:18:04 AM

Central NY

“Too risky”....,words I’ve never heard from a record holding grower in my 10 years in the sport....it really depends what you want at the end. Either way...fun to start planning this time of year...hope 2021 is your year.

1/9/2021 11:46:33 AM

Ironton, ohio

I say start 6 seeds set 4 out cull down to your 2 best. Each gets 600sqft give 'em room to grow. Good luck and grow big!

1/9/2021 12:16:59 PM

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=676912

Read iceman method

I am trying to find the thread where it was stated that the 2363 was grown on 300 - 400

1/9/2021 1:34:41 PM

Grittyville, WA

But we arent talking c02 and a greenhouse here are we?

1/9/2021 3:56:45 PM

Centennial Colorado

I have both.

1/9/2021 4:04:12 PM

Centennial Colorado

I had a 1928.5 Daletas growing and it was a totally full plant at 400 square feet and was growing like 6 inches a day in circumferance and then stopped. yellow vine disease hit. I never was able to test this theory. So, I guess I could easily improve by waiting longer to polinate. Instead of June 16th at 13' June 30th at 20'. Interesting idea.

1/9/2021 5:59:02 PM

Centennial Colorado

I think that and giving the plants co2 in the early stages using yeast, water, and sugar could really help me with this goal. With my elevation air is less concentrated, so co2 could have even more benefit than in a normal environment. Forgot my friend Chad New, who at the time grew 1 mile away from me grew 3264 lbs of pumpkin between 3 pumpkins in 800 sqft. He had close to all side vines terminated. Thanks spudder for the info. I bought 5-24 ft soil heating cables and am going big this year. Last year I had them buried 19" deep and after seeing debacco's diary will do 13" instead. Will try the same theory on morrows, field pumpkins, and watermelon. Tomato I already did this with. If only I had thought of that a few years ago. Live and learn I guess.

1/9/2021 6:06:45 PM

Pittsburgh, PA

I personally would love to see you succeed but in my honest opinion, achieving 4000 pounds from 3 fruit in 1200 sqft is gonna be incredibly difficult unless the stars align perfectly for you. Not saying it can't be done but I think you'd be happier in the long run with 2 600 sqft plants. Trying to crowd too many plant in too little space just leads to headaches. Been there, done that. I wish you well.

1/11/2021 9:13:41 AM