Giant Pumpkins - bigskypumpkingrowers.com

Giant Pumpkins
Emmett May, Polson, MT
Jim West, Hamilton, MT
Rene Kittle, MSU Extension, Polson, MT
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Why Grow a Giant Pumpkin
Happiness is spending hundreds of dollars to win a $5.00 ribbon. My wife colored her hair orange so I would pay more attention to her.
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History of the Giant Pumpkin
1847 large Hubbards were called Mammoths
1883 Burpee selling Mammoth seeds
1857‐1906 Weights recorded at 245 to 322 lbs
20th Century ushered in by William Warnock with Giant Squash and Pumpkin devotion
• 1906 A.W. Roel reaches 322.5 lbs
• 1976 Bob Ford started crossing varieties, using different fertility rates and raised the bar to 451 lbs.
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Pictures: Steve Connolly’s Dill’s AG GIANT PUMPKIN ROOTS – Is the Mammoth Really Extinct?
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History of the Giant Pumpkin
• 1976‐1981 Howard Dill created something new
– The Atlantic Giant (AG)!
– Breeding for color, shape and SIZE
• 1981 Howard Dill sets record at 493.5
• 1984 the Dill AG seed produced first 600 pounder (612 Gallagher 84)
• So begins a new era!
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On The Web:
• Great Pumpkin Commonwealth
• http://greatpumpkincommonwealth.com/
• International
• NA Weigh‐in • Big Pumpkins
– www.bigpumpkins.com
• Big Sky Pumpkin Growers
– http://www.bigskypumpkingrowers.com/Ho
me_Page.html
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History of the Montana GPC
• Ravalli County
– Hamilton Farmers Market – First weigh‐in _____
• Lake County
– Ronan Harvest Festival
– Big Sky Pumpkin Growers
– First weigh‐in 2011
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So you’d like to grow a giant pumpkin. . .
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Fall Chores
• Soil – Till, Test & Amend
• Collect composite sample
• Option: Western Laboratories, Inc. – http://www.westernlaboratories.com/
• P.O. Box 1020, Pharma, ID 83660
– Atlantic Giant Pumpkin Soil Test, $47.50
– AG Pumpkin monitoring Program, $515
• Option: UMassAmherst
– http://soiltest.umass.edu/ $15.00
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Pictures: Kuenzie Turf and Nursery
Monty’s Soil and Plant Products
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Sample
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MSU Home Garden Soil Testing & Fertilizer Guidelines
AGP Grower Soil Test Comparison
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Don Chambers contacted 397 growers over 7 years (compared 221 tests)
Collected their test results 11
Western Laboratories Nutrient Levels for Giant Pumpkins
AGP Grower Soil Test Comparison
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Don Chambers contacted 397 growers over 7 years (compared 221 tests)
Collected their test results 12
Common Sense Fertilization
• Do not apply large quantities of N in the fall
– Protect soils and ground water from N contamination
– Wet soils leach and produce runoff • Apply fertilizers over growing season
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Cation Exchange
Capacity
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Positively charged nutrient
Nitrogen: NH4+ N03-
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Ammonium v. Nitrate
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Negatively charged
soil particle
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Negatively charged
soil particle
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Negatively charged
soil particle
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Compost Happens
• Aged manure compost
– Rather than fresh
• Plant compost
– Adds micronutrients
• Herbicide carryover
– http://msuextension.org/publications/
AgandNaturalResources/MT201008AG.
pdf
– Run bioassay
– Tomato or bean
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Plan ahead for Space
• Emmett’s High tunnel
– 2 Atlantic Giant Pumpkin
– 2 Giant Watermelon
• Outdoors
– Typical 600 to 700 square feet
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Seeds
• Genetics
– http://greatpumpkincommonwealth.com/
– www.bigpumpkins.com
• When to plant
– 4‐6 weeks before transplanting in a high tunnel or outdoors
– NOTE: Pollinate on or before July 10
• Planting preparation
– Scarification
– Imbibe water (5 ‐ 24 hours)
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Planting Seeds
• Pumpkins
– Warm season, tender crops
• Germination requires 80‐95 F • Germination 3‐5 days on heat mat
• After 1 week transfer to 1 gallon pot
• Planting medium
– Moist sphagnum peat / perlite mix (shouldn’t drain water when you squeeze)
• Insert seed ½ to 1 inch in soil
• Provide light – 16 hours
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Container
• Begin with a 4 inch container
• At 2 true leaves (about a week)
– Transplant to gallon container
– Pre‐slice container / seal with duct
tape
• Ease of transplanting later
• Reduce root disturbancce
– Initiate hardening process
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Season Extension
• Cold Frame
– Small heater, heat cable or gallon jugs
of warm water to prevent freezing 11/21/2012
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Planting
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Planting Outdoors
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Planting in the greenhouse
• ~
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Mycorrhizae (soil‐fungus‐plant)
• Several Types – Two common:
– Ecto (outside cell)
– Endo (inside cell)
• Glomus intraradices
• Associates with Giant
– Microscopic cellular level:
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Mycorrhizae
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Pollination
• Video
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REMEMBER: Pollinate on or before July 10
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Recordkeeping
• YOU WILL NEED THIS INFORMATION TO ENTER AND WEIGH YOUR PUMPKIN!
• Date of Planting
– Seed ‐> Container
– Seedling ‐> Soil
• Genetics (i.e. 893 May)
– Seed ‐ Mother (i.e. 1303 Sweet)
– Pollinator ‐ Father (i.e. 1663 Zollener)
• Date of Pollination
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Patch
Edge
Vine Training
First True Leaf Points out of Patch
Second True Leaf begins the Main Vine
10-15 feet
Cut all Tertiary Vines,
Tendrils, flowers/fruit
Bury Secondary Vines
Bury leaf axils
Add Myco
Don’t Bury Main Vines
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Vine Notes
• Roots appear at each leaf axil
– Bury secondary vines to support pumpkin growth
• Moving vines
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– Small movements in warm weather
– Otherwise vines will break!
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Training
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Vine Training – High Tunnel
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Watering
• Depends on soil
– Clay soil
– Sandy soil – Loamy soil
• Temperature
• Amount
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Summer Care
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Harvest Equipment
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Harvest Day 2012
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Some Pumpkins Make the Cut Some Do Not
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GPC Weigh‐In
• Certified Scales
• September 11/21/2012
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Weigh‐In 11/21/2012
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Seed Harvest & Celebration
Squash have a
greater number of
viable seeds when cut
from the vine and left
to sit for three weeks
or longer
Wash to remove pulp
Air dry – seeds will
not survive temps
over 95 F (no oven)
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After Weigh‐in
The many uses of a giant pumpkin
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2013 Convention
• February 22‐24
– http://greatpumpkincommonwealth.com/index.p
hp/news‐events/blogs/112‐the‐big‐show
• Join Big Sky Pumpkin Growers
– http://www.bigskypumpkingrowers.com/Member
ship.html
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Contact Information
• Emmett May: [email protected]
• Club: [email protected]
• Rene Kittle: [email protected]
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