The Season is DONE!

What a challenging growing season for the giant pumpkins!  I already know what I will do different next year to try and hopefully be more successful. Yesterday (the 6th) I harvested the pumpkins off of the Wallace 1257 and the Lancaster 1713.  For those that have been following along, the Lancaster 1713 was planted on a whim late in the season and I was not expecting much out of that one at all.  As it turns out, it was my biggest pumpkin.

The 1713 wasn't even planted until late May and in an area that had not been cultivated, other than growing daffodils and tulips. And, as I found out yesterday, the vine was split in half right at the stem of the pumpkin!  This limited the intake of water into the pumpkin so no doubt restricted the weight gain. Here is a closeup of that split...



The final tally on this pumpkin was 595 pounds!  I would wager that without the stem split it could have been closer to 800 pounds.  Next season I believe I will grow a plant off of the seed from this one.



The other pumpkin grown off the 1257 Wallace plant slowed way down in weight gain during the season.  I found that it was actually growing on top of the vine near the stem which probably restricted the gain.  It ended up at 505 pounds.




Next season will hopefully be better (weather permitting).  I will be adding tons of sand this month plus will grow a cover crop to be tilled in during the early spring.  I also will be using a different (and much improved) delivery system of nutrients along with a different drip irrigation setup. 

Some have wondered how I got these out of the garden area.  It was challenging.  I built a tripod and used a chain hoist to lift the pumpkins.  I then set the pumpkin down on a garden cart, but that was risky as the cart and tires are only rated at 560 pounds.  Yikes! 


The 1257 (505 pounds)


The 1713 (595 pounds)











After taking them out on the cart,  I had to lift again and then lower into the pickup to get them weighed.  That meant I had to disassemble and then reassemble the tripod.  I need a tractor with a bucket!  Maybe some day.



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