2020 Season - Giving it another try!
Even with very cold (not quite record cold) weather for mid-April, I've started seedlings for this years go at a monster Atlantic Giant pumpkin. Last season was a disaster (click here for a discussion about the 2019 season) with many challenges.
During the winter I sent in a soil sample to the lab in Idaho that does a Atlantic Giant specific soil test. The results came back and I was able to add the suggested nutrients. If weather is favorable and I can control insects, I'm hoping that this season will end up producing a biggie, since I have seeds with great potential.
I purchased seeds again from Ron Wallace (Two-time world record holder and three-time world pumpkin champion). The two selections have tremendous potential, genetically.
Pumpkin Plant number 1 - I started two seeds from a Wallace 1257.5 pound pumpkin that was grown by Ron Wallace in 2018. That particular pumpkin grown came in third place at the 2018 Woodstock Fair. The genetics of this 1257.5 seed are tremendous! The parent plant of the 1257.5 was from the 2363 pound Holland 2017 North American Record and it was crossed with the 2145 pound McMullen plant as the pollinator. The 2145 is highly regarded as the best seed of all-time!
Pumpkin Plant number 2 - I started two seeds from the Wallace 250 pound pumpkin that was grown by Ron Wallace in 2019. You might wonder - only 250 pounds? That's what I thought too when I saw this seed for purchase. According to Wallace, this seed was grown for its powerful genetic potential. In other words, it was started late in the season and was not nurtured to produce a giant. The plant that produced the 250 pounder was grown from the Wallace 2114 seed and was pollinated with the 1911 Urena. The 1911 plant produced the 2528 pound NA record! The 2114 pounder is a direct descendent from the 2145 McMullen crossed with the world record 2624 Willemijns seed. As Ron puts it,
you simply can't get your hands on the 2114, 1911, or the 2624 seed!"
So, the seeds I started on the 12th should germinate within a week. BTW, they are under a grow light down in the basement if you're wondering. Once they start putting on a couple of "true" leaves, I will transplant them to bigger pots and start moving them outside (weather permitting) for a couple of hours a day to acclimate them. The plan is to plant them in the garden the first week of May. The challenge early on might be colder than normal soil temperatures. I will probably have to install some sort of small hoop house to get the plants going. And then? There will probably be lots of wind, hail and hot temperatures. That is usually the luck.
During the winter I sent in a soil sample to the lab in Idaho that does a Atlantic Giant specific soil test. The results came back and I was able to add the suggested nutrients. If weather is favorable and I can control insects, I'm hoping that this season will end up producing a biggie, since I have seeds with great potential.
I purchased seeds again from Ron Wallace (Two-time world record holder and three-time world pumpkin champion). The two selections have tremendous potential, genetically.
Pumpkin Plant number 1 - I started two seeds from a Wallace 1257.5 pound pumpkin that was grown by Ron Wallace in 2018. That particular pumpkin grown came in third place at the 2018 Woodstock Fair. The genetics of this 1257.5 seed are tremendous! The parent plant of the 1257.5 was from the 2363 pound Holland 2017 North American Record and it was crossed with the 2145 pound McMullen plant as the pollinator. The 2145 is highly regarded as the best seed of all-time!
Pumpkin Plant number 2 - I started two seeds from the Wallace 250 pound pumpkin that was grown by Ron Wallace in 2019. You might wonder - only 250 pounds? That's what I thought too when I saw this seed for purchase. According to Wallace, this seed was grown for its powerful genetic potential. In other words, it was started late in the season and was not nurtured to produce a giant. The plant that produced the 250 pounder was grown from the Wallace 2114 seed and was pollinated with the 1911 Urena. The 1911 plant produced the 2528 pound NA record! The 2114 pounder is a direct descendent from the 2145 McMullen crossed with the world record 2624 Willemijns seed. As Ron puts it,
you simply can't get your hands on the 2114, 1911, or the 2624 seed!"
So, the seeds I started on the 12th should germinate within a week. BTW, they are under a grow light down in the basement if you're wondering. Once they start putting on a couple of "true" leaves, I will transplant them to bigger pots and start moving them outside (weather permitting) for a couple of hours a day to acclimate them. The plan is to plant them in the garden the first week of May. The challenge early on might be colder than normal soil temperatures. I will probably have to install some sort of small hoop house to get the plants going. And then? There will probably be lots of wind, hail and hot temperatures. That is usually the luck.
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