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nitelife
Ethno Man
Registered: 09/26/09
Posts: 383
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Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins?
#12003675 - 02/10/10 04:31 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Hey all, This year I am planning on growing a few Dill's Atlantic Giant pumpkin plants. I am looking for the best pruning strategy to grow a 100+ pound pumpkin. I already understand the concept of digging a large hole and mounding a few feet of compost, manure, and mulchy items. But, I don't quite understand the best method for pruning Lots of people have different strategies, some people only let the secondary vines get to 3 feet long, and cut them all off, and only let the main vine get to 10 feet long. Others say to let secondary vines get to 8 feet long, while keeping the main vine to 20 feet long, maximum. So, what is the best strategy here? Thanks!
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Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 7,024
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: nitelife]
#12004059 - 02/10/10 05:48 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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I think the shorter vines would supply the fruits with more energy and growth, but I'm certainly no vegetable/gourd/fruit* expert.
It'll be interesting to hear what others have to say as it is certainly a division I'd like to get into.
*to appease KBG
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karode13
Tāne Mahuta
Registered: 05/19/05
Posts: 15,290
Loc: LV-426
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: nitelife]
#12004123 - 02/10/10 05:58 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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I have no tips or tricks to be able to grow a massive pumpkin but I look forward to seeing how yours comes along. I have always wanted to try my hand at growing a giant pumpkin.
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DeeGee
Insert Title Here
Registered: 06/25/09
Posts: 1,436
Loc: Sunny Southern California
Last seen: 3 years, 24 days
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: karode13]
#12004379 - 02/10/10 06:38 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Don't you off the smaller ones so the plant can focus on one super huge one?
I don't know much about pumpkin growing.
-------------------- DG
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nitelife
Ethno Man
Registered: 09/26/09
Posts: 383
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: DeeGee]
#12004934 - 02/10/10 08:01 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Yes, you keep 1 best looking pumpkin. But one huge debate that I have been going over within the past 2 months is: -Would the plant do better with a LOT of leaves and a huge vine before pinching and letting growth focus on the pumpkin? But this way could stall pumpkin growth majorly because the leaves taking too many nutrients, robbing them from mr.pumpkin.. -Or, would the pumpkin do better keeping the vines short, so growth focuses on the pumpkin? The problem with this one ^ is that I think that the lack of leaves will result in less energy being absorbed by the plant.. What do you guys think would be best?
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the man
still masked
Registered: 08/12/99
Posts: 6,697
Loc: C A N A D A
Last seen: 11 hours, 41 minutes
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: DeeGee]
#12004940 - 02/10/10 08:02 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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ya make sure to snip all the male flowers, except maybe one or 2. It will obviously need a tonne of water and sugars. so whatver way to have the biggest leaves getting sun and leaves that arent really recieving any sun prune those.... water with regular nutes maybe add mollasses to water add few drops of peroxide every few waters, trick with other lowering plants. make sure for the first bit of it life it sometimes helps grow a bigger root system if you let the soil dry out a bit. but after that id keep that bastard with as much water as i could without mold or drowning it
im not sure if pumpkin love full on sun all day. youll have to find that out. might have to set up a shade tent thing.
make good soil at least 2 feet down and 3-4 feet wide at minimum. im sure your garden soil is alright but making it the best will result in better results.. so regular soil, perlite, verm, bloodmeal, bonemeal, epsom salts, peat moss, compost, composted manure, dolomite. make sure you weed as much as you can. im sure youll be growing at least a few plants so make sure to keep them as far apart as possible.
i dunno thats all i can think of.i havent grown a pumpkin for many many years. oh and once you pick 1-2 of the largest pumpkins(or first few to appear) on that one plant kill the rest. more nutrients to the main pumpkin
remember the name of the game is energy creation from leaves adn energy consumption by creating leaves and vines. if you prune and it makes 2 vines instead of one thats a good thing(im not sure how pumkins grow) if you do that and get lots of vines. if your season is long enough it might be worth keeping your plant in vegatative growth a bit longer by snipping all flowers that appear. so the plant keeps growing leaves that can fuel the big pumpkin.
sorry if that doesnt make sense just kinda spewin stuff out. Those are pretty much all i can think of and im not sure if they are applicable or not but do some reading and keep them in mind.
peace
Edited by the man (02/10/10 08:14 PM)
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nitelife
Ethno Man
Registered: 09/26/09
Posts: 383
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: the man]
#12005186 - 02/10/10 08:41 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Hey the man, what you are saying theoretically makes sense, but from what I heard, that is not true with pumpkins. Having LOTS of vines and LOTS of leaves is not good. They consume a lot of the nutrients that the pumpkin itself wants. I heard that you pinch off the tips of the vines a few weeks after you have a set pumpkin. And don't let any more vines grow. This way all the energy is devoted to pumpkin growth. But the question is: how big should my vine be? Because I think that if the vine too big, it'll take energy and nutrients from the pumpkin. But if it is really small, it won't be able to get enough energy to support a large pumpkin? What is it?
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the man
still masked
Registered: 08/12/99
Posts: 6,697
Loc: C A N A D A
Last seen: 11 hours, 41 minutes
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: nitelife]
#12005471 - 02/10/10 09:26 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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"remember the name of the game is energy creation from leaves adn energy consumption by creating leaves and vines."
thats why i said that. haha
and thats why clipping flowers is important that takes alot of energy from them!! other then that just do what you read about the vines, and you will learn.. mayeb try one version on one and one version on another plant. horticulture can be only have so many rules of thumb, and its the art of using all of your certain variablities to make the biggest pumpkin tomato or whatever!
-------------------- And Moses Said "Let my mushrooms grow!"
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: the man]
#12007832 - 02/11/10 09:22 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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a pumpkin is a fruit not a vegetable
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Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 7,024
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: KBG1977]
#12007860 - 02/11/10 09:28 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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I don't think he ever stated that it was a vegetable.
Did he?
All I saw was him compare it to a Tomato which is also a fruit.
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: Cactusdan]
#12007908 - 02/11/10 09:37 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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You did Butthole
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Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 7,024
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: KBG1977]
#12007921 - 02/11/10 09:41 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quick reply then
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: Cactusdan]
#12007973 - 02/11/10 09:52 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Seriously though,I was just playing with yaHere are my Pumpkin seeds for this years planting.Are there any other uses for Pumpkins besides fall decorations???
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Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 7,024
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: KBG1977]
#12007985 - 02/11/10 09:54 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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PIE!
One of the only things I like about Fall/Winter is a slice of delicious pumpkin pie.
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: Cactusdan]
#12008034 - 02/11/10 10:04 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Yeah,I know,and I LOVE Pumpkin pie,but are there any other uses???
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Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 7,024
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: KBG1977]
#12008054 - 02/11/10 10:07 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: Cactusdan]
#12008086 - 02/11/10 10:12 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Hell yeah,just what I was looking for DanGot it bookmarked.My variety I'm growing are mini Pumpkins,which are indeed edible too
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Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 7,024
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: KBG1977]
#12008100 - 02/11/10 10:14 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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And you can sell them to kindergartners to decorate with googly eyes and sparkles
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: Cactusdan]
#12008606 - 02/11/10 11:51 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Yeah,I could just see myself at the local Elementary school selling pumpkinsI would be in jail before I knew it,hehehe
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ferrel_human
stone eater
Registered: 06/26/09
Posts: 16,437
Loc: Darkside of the moon
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: KBG1977]
#12008612 - 02/11/10 11:53 AM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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i love pumpkin pie. can you make it with pumpkins or is it just the stuff in cans used to make them. i never tasted real pumpking pie.
-------------------- Nature is my church and walking through it is gospel. It tells no lies and reveals all to those who look, and listen, closely. -Karode
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nitelife
Ethno Man
Registered: 09/26/09
Posts: 383
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: ferrel_human]
#12010444 - 02/11/10 04:47 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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So no one here has any clue about growing giant pumpkins? That is too unbelievable.
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DeeGee
Insert Title Here
Registered: 06/25/09
Posts: 1,436
Loc: Sunny Southern California
Last seen: 3 years, 24 days
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: nitelife]
#12010824 - 02/11/10 05:48 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Since this has progressed into some evolved pumpkin talk I'll share mine from last season
-------------------- DG
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bioBot
Registered: 05/02/09
Posts: 293
Last seen: 4 years, 6 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: DeeGee]
#12012994 - 02/11/10 10:49 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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I've grown a small number of pumpkin plants and failed horribly... clay soil... tiny fruits, huge vines.
The next time I grow one I'll try it in a planter with loamy soil and composted manure, then trim the tips after it gets maybe 3-4ft.
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RipvanBongBowl
Seeker
Registered: 01/21/10
Posts: 327
Loc: A Big Corn Field
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: bioBot]
#12015713 - 02/12/10 01:25 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Im pretty sure there is different variaties or "strains" of pumpkin. Im also pretty sure that for makin pie you need a certain strain...
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caricapapaya
Stranger
Registered: 04/10/06
Posts: 258
Last seen: 1 year, 10 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: RipvanBongBowl]
#12015801 - 02/12/10 01:37 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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There are probably 100s or more varieties of pumpkins, considering there are a few different species of Cucurbita that could be considered pumpkins.
I think Dills Atlantic Giant is C. maxima.
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nitelife
Ethno Man
Registered: 09/26/09
Posts: 383
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: caricapapaya]
#12017268 - 02/12/10 05:24 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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Yes, dills atlantic giant is said to be the largest variety. Still, I can't believe that no one on here knows how to grow a giant pumpkin
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woodylover
Stranger
Registered: 05/29/11
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: ferrel_human]
#18593452 - 07/22/13 08:41 AM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
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bump! i'm growind 2 atlantic giants atm..they're setting female flowers right now,i've pruned tertiary branches and i'll remove all the female flowers after the first pumpking has set! i'm fertilizing with PK atm at full dose..wish me the best! thank you! i'll post a pic this autumn if it's worth!
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grower182
Stranger
Registered: 01/11/13
Posts: 388
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: woodylover]
#18593951 - 07/22/13 11:15 AM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
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Whats the point of growing such large pumpkins other than to maybe take to a fair?
Im growing regular sized pumpkins. I'll roast the seeds and let my mom have the rest to make pies out of. First one of the year is just starting to turn orange.
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SmOakland
Registered: 02/26/13
Posts: 373
Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
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Re: Pruning rules to grow giant pumpkins? [Re: grower182]
#18593981 - 07/22/13 11:24 AM (10 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
grower182 said: Whats the point of growing such large pumpkins other than to maybe take to a fair?
Im growing regular sized pumpkins. I'll roast the seeds and let my mom have the rest to make pies out of. First one of the year is just starting to turn orange.
For fun. To see if one can. Maybe he wants a big ass jack-o-lantern. It would make a fun target to shoot at. Or a huge amount of chicken food. You could make a giant bong out of it. The seeds probably taste as good as any pumpkin seeds.
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