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Colorado

See my grower diary here:
https://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2026&grower=155833&action=L

In summary:
- I started the plant indoors while I prepared a garden in my front lawn. Then once the garden was finished I transplanted it.
- The vine started growing the wrong way and one day I moved it too much and caused some crosshatch damage to the main vine. Only about 1/4 of the way through... I was devastated but she made a recovery.
- Then I encountered the next obstacle: cucumber beetles. It's been a constant fight with these buggers, but far less than it used to be.
- She grew really well till mid august when I damaged the main vine again, this time about 1/2 of the way through. (diagrams of this in my diary)
- I made the decision to pick the fruit I saw on the main vine to give her more time to recovery (regret this)
- Next fruit was late august on a secondary before the damage. I let this one grow and it's my biggest candidate at DAP11 now
- There is a more established secondary that is now on DAP3 as well as another DAP3 on the main vine.

I really just need general advice. I have so many questions and I don't want this fruit to fail.
- How long should I monitor all 3 fruits?
- Which fruit should I keep?
- I'm planning a harvest date of October 25th and I think it will be a warmer fall
- How should I prepare the fruit to give it the best chances?
- Is my reasoning with the main vine correct? (that it has a cutoff vascular system and the fruit there won't be as big?)


This is my 3rd year attempting this, and the last 2 years had all of their own problems that I've learned from.

Anything you can give me would be useful. My biggest goal is >500lbs, but anything I can do to increase those chances and make it even bigger would be awesome.

[Last edit: 08/11/26 4:01:59 PM]

8/11/2026 2:16:40 PM

Springfield, VT

Keep them both until about beachball size. Make the decision at that time. The fruit should not abort at that size. The other option is grow 2 smaller pumpkins on the plant. It should be possible to get both about 500lbs

8/11/2026 4:40:18 PM

Colorado

So keep all 3? and the fact that one is 7 days apart from the other two, how should that affect my decision? just keep the biggest?

You really think 2 500lbers is possible?

8/11/2026 4:48:56 PM

Springfield, VT

Grow them to about beach ball size, usually they abort before they get that big. The plant looks healthy so two pumpkins in the 500lbvs range are possible. If you were trying for bigger I would recommend to remove two pumpkins and go with the best fruit. With two fruit you should have at least on make to the end.

8/11/2026 10:01:27 PM

Western NY

Yep, what Wilbur said. I usually try to make my chopping decisions around softball to cantaloupe size.

8/12/2026 9:21:55 AM