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Fitchburg , MA

Hi,
I am a new grower. My patch gets a lot of morning light but does not get direct sunlight after 5pm.
This is because my neighbor has large oaks that border her property across the street that shade most of my yard.
I was thinking about incorporating some outdoor grow lights in the patch but i haven't read about other people doing so.
So i was looking to see if other people do this and what recommendations they might have. Wattage? Types/Models? Timing?

Thanks.

1/28/2021 1:27:55 PM

Centennial Colorado

I have that exact same question. The question I have in addition is is it worth it and does it attract squash bugs?

1/28/2021 1:34:37 PM

Syracuse, NY

there've been those that may have used outdoor lighting to come on BEFORE the sun comes up, to activate the plant an hour or so before its normal time of day, but you'll be MUCH better off putting the time and $$ into doing anything else to help your plants like burying the vines, a soil test initially and amending the soil to conform to that test's requirements, logical pruning away of 3rd (tertiary) vines and patch-wide water sprinklers/drip hose irrigation, etc., AND especially what is called Myco (Mycorrhizal Fungi) tilled into the soil to assist the plant with a beneficial underground fungal network - use the Search Window on the front page to search all of these items and plan a long weekend of studying up! Good luck! eg Squash Bugs? naaahhh...not more than usual, but i dunno fer shure; cucumber beetles are my main nemesis---eg

1/28/2021 2:01:06 PM

Syracuse, NY

and, get yourself some nice Gerry seeds, lol:

http://www.worldclassgardening.com/grower/eric_gerry

no pressure, just 'shop away' (wink, wink) and email me if interested at

pumpkinpal@msn.com g'luck!

i'm in a generous mood right now, obviously, hee hee---
eric gerry

1/28/2021 2:15:13 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Cntryboy did this and documented it in 2015.

Here's a pic if you want to look through the diary, not sure of the detail.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=244731

1/28/2021 2:25:01 PM

valtierra/spain

For me it is a mistake to cut the secondary of the stem of the pumpkin ... the secondary and tertiary that are close to the stem, the more it will feed the pumpkin. The 1916 weston, if I had had that secondary, it would have been a pumpkin weighing more than 2000 pounds, I don't know why Cecil and Teresa cut it, it might be very annoying, but for me it was a mistake, I'm sure. About the light, it may be a good idea, for those who have electricity in the patch. In any case, the plant begins its activity when the light is more powerful, I do not know if artificial light can give the necessary lumens.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=245175

1/28/2021 2:58:35 PM

valtierra/spain

1921 sorry

1/28/2021 3:00:18 PM

Syracuse, NY

It's okay, lol---that's nothing compared to that I was gonna tell you 'Nice job cutting it open!' and then realized it was cntryboy's pumpkin used as an example, lol; I am genuinely looking forward to any pics of your 'fat flowers' that you use from your pollinators-only plants. No need to go to any trouble, as I could look at yer previous diaries, or you may have a pic or two of them in 2021 - that would be neat! eric g

1/29/2021 2:34:07 AM

Grittyville, WA

Charles Lieber grew his 2296 in a plot where "the sun is blocked in the morning and evening by large trees in our neighbor's yards"

He says "I originally blamed lack of hours of sun and space on my inability to crack 2K... ...it is now clear it is definitely possible"

He says backyard growers should be encouraged by his results. Source: Decenber 2020 SNGPG

I will send u the whole article if u want.

1/29/2021 2:39:36 AM

Grittyville, WA

But if you want to hit 3K, then yes, you may need artificial lights.

1/29/2021 2:42:34 AM

Syracuse, NY

Neat-o, Gritty, but if it were with a Gerry seed, that'd be really cool, eh? I only have so many, but I hope to try my 343 (Ms. Warty (1421.5 Stelts X 2009 Wallace)) again this year; In my 443 (1207 Young X 1421.5 Stelts) SOME wartiness did come through, but not massively...With allllllll the others' seeds I have, I shoulda been focusing on my own, lol;
OK, back to Enchanted's post - sorry - eg

1/29/2021 3:01:59 AM

Syracuse, NY

If they ever do a Pumpkinhead III, it should be in a pumpkin PATCH! With that artificial lighting...yeeeshhh.

1/29/2021 3:17:04 AM

Bethlehem CT

Some copper nails in your neighbors tree would be cheaper. LOL

1/29/2021 9:22:47 AM

Bethlehem CT

Rmen Thanks for the tip, that kind of practical advice is greatly appreciated.

1/29/2021 9:24:05 AM

Wisconsin

I don't think a little evening shade hurts. I think it helps, especially on super hot days it helps the plant from overheating, allows you to spray earlier. You are much better off with evening shade than morning shade.

1/29/2021 5:31:43 PM

Bethlehem CT

I have a garden that gets shade starting at 3:00 in the afternoon. That garden yields as well as those in the full sun all day. Plus it gets the benefit of cooling off a little bit early which helps reduce stress especially in a dry year.

1/29/2021 7:12:25 PM

Bethlehem CT

I agree with mike, on the flip side I have another garden that receives shade until 11:00 am then is in full sun the rest of the day. That garden will have slower growth than the gardens that are in full sun or the one that receives late afternoon shade.

1/29/2021 7:15:26 PM

Syracuse, NY

So, there you go, Enchanted - skip the lighting and do ALL the other things growers do that you don't know about yet, lol; Probably ask right along in the New Growers(') section and for anything you think of, use the Home Page's Search Window about it first and then ask the question anyway if you don't find a ton of current info about it - that way you'll have an idea about it and you won't have to wait as long to be informed - or do whatever you want, lol - that's the best part about Giant Pumpkins _-THEY don't mind!-_ ha ha eg (*.*)

1/30/2021 2:24:55 AM

Fitchburg , MA

Thank you so much for all this information. I think that clarifies it for me!

Thank you for being so generous with your experience and advice.

1/30/2021 10:53:37 AM

Mn

2350 only had light from 1030am, to 340pm. Oak trees afternoon, morning large trees shading. I do think there was filtered light but with that being said I did try some lights Sept October. Don't think it helped much as there was only two and in a small area.

1/30/2021 11:32:31 AM

Syracuse, NY

Hi, and thanks - Did you happen to notice if the leaves on that plant were bigger than ever before or of any noteworthy size? On my 301.5 plant (677 Catapano X 689.5 Sandercock), a '05 seed that grew a 552.5 for me before it split at the stem in '20, I had leaves that were routinely 30 inches across and the plant was like 1/2+ in shade and all I expected was the usual super-orange 500-600 pounder that I had had the year before in the same spot; Hence, if not for the stem split, as we all end up saying, 'what could have been?' I have the same foul-mouthed reaction every time I go to Search and it's disabled during auctions - Glad I wasn't in a church just now!

Oh, but, I was reminded of an idea I had years ago about using MIRRORS on a movable platform similar to one of the early satellite dishes or a SIMPLE yet large frame that could be moved left/right/up/down at just the right time every day to direct the previously-unavailable sunlight at the patch in-question - we see this all the time - those ARRAYS of solar panels? Lol - here'd be one with a broken STRUT;

Example for y'all - if the trees block the sun for a few hours every morning, and your patch is at the base of the trees, positioning a CURVED mirroric array perhaps a hundred feet into the shadow and aiming the pending sunlight back at the patch would illuminate the patch for however long the sun is above the trees with respect to the sun NOT being over the patch for its own illumination. Adding HEIGHT to the array would improve this even further - Better start with a TOP seed!
Far-fetched, I know, but, cool as Hell if it were to work!
Later---eric g

For FUN! (*_*) :

GOOGLE>>>

flexible mirror roll

1/30/2021 6:26:58 PM

Elk County, PA

Colder climate, lower light, and still 2350 and selfed. I'm excited to try that seed this year.

1/30/2021 6:37:25 PM

Syracuse, NY

Cripes, I may plant more trees! ha ha h...

1/30/2021 6:43:06 PM

Grittyville, WA

Shade. If it reduces the plant's stress, it could actually help.

1/30/2021 11:46:12 PM