Pumpkin growing and carving challenge 2016

When I bought the tunnel last Autumn my initial thought was "I can grow a cracking Pumpkin in that" but it was just a thought as after that my thoughts where of food production and initially for tomatoes, melons and starting a grapevine off.

It was probably only the day before I planted it that I decided I might as well grow a pumpkin in it this year, and it was late going in too then I snapped the vine on it and replaced with another pot bound backup. So no real thought or care went into it.

I have drip irrigation I should of setup from an IBC tank that could of been positioned inside the tunnel to warm the water before use.

So I am watering direct with a hose, switching it on and laying it at the planting pit and leaving for 10-15 mins, then I come back and water the node areas. I'm doing this every 2 days at present.

However, from previous years on outside plants and at this stage (start of fruit growing) I was giving each plant a min of 20 galls every 2 days and as much as 40 at drier times. Determined by weekly checks to the soil around the plants. Given that my soil was well cultivated and not trodden down by using walk boards it was relatively easy to dig down with hands to see how damp the soil was at several places around the plant and I always found plant roots upto 4 feet beyond the plant.

When I first started growing these giants and as that was outdoors I was advised to cover my fruit at night with a blanket or old duvet to keep it warm and shade material during the day and I have seen photo's pf growers doing that even when grown indoors. I have never done either, but then again I have only ever had fruit to a small 300lb+.

Steve...

 

WOW John, it's really going for it now! Is that 40 inches girth or an OTT 40 inches?

It actually looks every bit of 40lb..lol

Steve...

 

It will be, OTT is "over the top" three measurements totalled.

"This requires adding Circumference to the two Over-the-Top measurements taken from ground-to-ground from side-to-side and end-to-end."

I'm guesstimating as you have 40" girth, that your two OTT measurements will also be 40" giving a total of 120", so 42lb...

Steve...

 

If a 40" girth pumpkin was perfectly spherical it would be about 33lbs, so I'd guess less than 30lbs.

Estimating the weight of my 1" diameter pumpkin would be a lot more tricky.

 

Maybe I am tempting fate, but what the hell...


In plain sight - 28th July 2016.








One female flower on the secondary.


Two females further along on the main vine.



This is the first time in the Community Garden that there has been enough space to attempt a giant pumpkin.

It's a Dill's Atlantic Giant which was propagated from seed (two sown in a pot, one germinated) and planted outside on 10th May 2016 under a plastic bottle cloche.

Only in the last three days has the elusive female flowers made an appearance.

 

And, last month:


28th June 2016

 

My pumpkin plant is still growing only growing very slowing, one 50mm diameter pollinated female on a secondary vine about 8 foot from planting station, plus a female flower about 10 feet along the main vine that should open tomorrow morning.

Compare the pathetic pumpkin plant (right) with a marrow (left), both the same length now and I reckon the marrow's got more leaf, is growing much faster and will be double the size in a week or two.

 

No photo's today, I did not take my camera with me.

I have pumpkins set and starting to grow on my outside plants, about the size of a large grapefruit. But the plants now look quite awful.

My plant growing in the tunnel is going bonkers and has completely outgrown the space and I have had 3 failed attempts at setting a fruit so far. I am going to have to do some major pruning in there to position the end of the main vine for a fourth attempt. But it is getting late in the season now. This plant did go in late though so no surprise really.

Steve...

 

It appears to have stopped growing, the main vine has maybe grown 2 or 3 inches and that pumpkin has increased in diameter by 12mm, but with the same feeding and watering my marrows have grown up to several feet longer on all vines.

 

The coiling dragon taking shape.


Three more females on the main vine.


The initial one of the two remaining on the main vine.


The secondary vine seems to be the most productive.


The biggest so far on the secondary.




This goes against conventional wisdom but I may well opt to keep the pumpkin on the secondary. But, its placement is not ideal for it to grow and to expand in size so I will wait until Monday to see if one of the three new females will set properly.


In the mean time, a small cull:

 

Here is where mine is got some horrible marks on it as something has been climbing on it and has scratched the hell out of it