Bummed - Maybe Next Year - updated 08/03/18
What a disappointing growing season! I had looked forward to making a run at a REALLY giant pumpkin this year - way bigger than the 542 pounder that I took to the state fair last fall. I put forth a lot of effort in getting the soil right during the off-season (specific soil test from a company in Idaho specializing in giants), getting seeds with a lot of potential, and getting liquid amendments (micro-nutrients) to have a good chance of a REALLY big one.
However, there seemed to be way more problems this growing season. First, I started the seeds much later than I wanted and attended to. Second, the growing weather early on was brutal with high winds and high heat. Note: Next year I will have to build a substantial tent to shade young plants from the southwest Kansas sun, heat and wind. Third, we were on vacation to Colorado when the first pumpkin pollinated. I really need to know what the pollinator is for following years potential seeds. Plus, the pumpkins need to be pollinated before the 1st of July. The first one was on the 2nd (but has since been removed - see the previous post by clicking here). Fourth, there were insect problems early on that I normally have under control. Not this year (although they are under control now).
So, what has happened since the last post on the 18th? Well, the pumpkins I discussed in that post have all perished, except for a couple of them. We took a trip to San Diego and when we got back, I found the pumpkin with the most potential (the 1861x1733) completely gone! What? I couldn't tell if it just rotted away or a varmint destroyed it. There wasn't a trace of it after being gone 6 days!
Currently, the ONLY pumpkin with any size is the 1522 that pollinated on the 17th (WAY LATE) with the 1733. Not only did it pollinate late, but it's growth is NOT inspiring. At this point it's only gaining 5 pounds a day. It's at DAP17 and is at 40 pounds but should be gaining way more! In comparison, the 542 pound pumpkin that I took 2nd place with at the state fair last year was 76 pounds at DAP17. Here is the 1733 pumpkin...
The other pumpkin on the 1522 is 21 pounds (DAP16) so I'll remove that one this weekend.
The 1733 which had a decent pumpkin when we left for San Diego was around 22 pounds at DAP16 but it just flat out quit growing and then rotted! Several of the pumpkins have done that and I only suspect that it may be the micro-nutrients that I did a foliar spray with.
So now I'm left with the 40 pounder on the 1522 that is growing "slowly", a couple of open pollinated pumpkins on the 1861 (both pollinated on the 20th) and three candidates on the 1733 that all open pollinated between the 24th and 26th and are between 5 and 8 pounds.
The plants are VERY healthy! But the pumpkins - not so much.
The 1733
The 1522 (foreground) and 1861...
As for the fair - the minimum accepted weight is 400 pounds and the pumpkins have to be there in Hutch on the 6th of September. That is ONLY 34 more days. At the current rate of growth there is no way one will be that big. And with the slow growth so far this season, I'm not too excited about anything really that big by the end of the growing season either. I'll continue to water and feed them and give them a fighting chance.
However, there seemed to be way more problems this growing season. First, I started the seeds much later than I wanted and attended to. Second, the growing weather early on was brutal with high winds and high heat. Note: Next year I will have to build a substantial tent to shade young plants from the southwest Kansas sun, heat and wind. Third, we were on vacation to Colorado when the first pumpkin pollinated. I really need to know what the pollinator is for following years potential seeds. Plus, the pumpkins need to be pollinated before the 1st of July. The first one was on the 2nd (but has since been removed - see the previous post by clicking here). Fourth, there were insect problems early on that I normally have under control. Not this year (although they are under control now).
So, what has happened since the last post on the 18th? Well, the pumpkins I discussed in that post have all perished, except for a couple of them. We took a trip to San Diego and when we got back, I found the pumpkin with the most potential (the 1861x1733) completely gone! What? I couldn't tell if it just rotted away or a varmint destroyed it. There wasn't a trace of it after being gone 6 days!
Currently, the ONLY pumpkin with any size is the 1522 that pollinated on the 17th (WAY LATE) with the 1733. Not only did it pollinate late, but it's growth is NOT inspiring. At this point it's only gaining 5 pounds a day. It's at DAP17 and is at 40 pounds but should be gaining way more! In comparison, the 542 pound pumpkin that I took 2nd place with at the state fair last year was 76 pounds at DAP17. Here is the 1733 pumpkin...
The other pumpkin on the 1522 is 21 pounds (DAP16) so I'll remove that one this weekend.
The 1733 which had a decent pumpkin when we left for San Diego was around 22 pounds at DAP16 but it just flat out quit growing and then rotted! Several of the pumpkins have done that and I only suspect that it may be the micro-nutrients that I did a foliar spray with.
So now I'm left with the 40 pounder on the 1522 that is growing "slowly", a couple of open pollinated pumpkins on the 1861 (both pollinated on the 20th) and three candidates on the 1733 that all open pollinated between the 24th and 26th and are between 5 and 8 pounds.
The plants are VERY healthy! But the pumpkins - not so much.
The 1733
The 1522 (foreground) and 1861...
As for the fair - the minimum accepted weight is 400 pounds and the pumpkins have to be there in Hutch on the 6th of September. That is ONLY 34 more days. At the current rate of growth there is no way one will be that big. And with the slow growth so far this season, I'm not too excited about anything really that big by the end of the growing season either. I'll continue to water and feed them and give them a fighting chance.
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