Pumpkin growing challenge 2017

Pumpkin Challenge.2017​

A fun challenge (and GC's seventh), no prizes, no classes no restrictions just grow it yourself!

The best seed variety for this challenge is called "Dill's Atlantic Giant" and can be bought relatively cheaply from most seed suppliers.

This is a for fun challenge, to grow the heaviest/biggest pumpkin . The really massive pumpkins can take up a fair ammount of space but it's vines can be trained, cut back or removed to suit your growing space. A couple of years ago I grew one to 119lb in a space 15 foot by around 6 foot, so not too bad really. At Halloween other topics pop up asking for your carved pumpkins, rather than dilute that and ask for them here, this is now just a grow challenge.

Weights can be determined as it grows by using the "Over the top" measurement described here and it adds to the interest if you post photo's too as it's growing, suggest weekly....

Some great pumpkin growing info can be found here.

And I have produced a growing guide of my own that contains some of the tips I have picked up over the years here

When harvested, you can weigh or estimate its weight using the method above at the Pumpkin Nook and I suggest we do that the week before Haloween, then if you like we could all carve them and post photo's whereupon GC members could vote for their favourite.

ALL members are welcome to take part just by growing it yourself and showing us a few photo's along the way.

With the right seeds you can grow a pumpkin between 30-100lb in very little space, with not much care and attention and it will look fabulous carved on your doorstep at Halloween or be a great talking point on your plot or in your garden.

Steve...

 

Thanks John, edited..

This is my last year of trying to grow these big ones, although we will see how that works out..lol

I'll be growing 2 plants outside this time around as I think growing inside they just go bonkers and become difficult to get in and control correctly, leading to yet more problems.

If any of you have seen how the Paton boys grow their pumpkins inside, they have the space to grow big plants...and they can still drive a tractor around it too.

Steve...

 

Oh and a very happy birthday John !!

Steve...

 

I'm in again boys praying for a 500lb this year

 

OK, but just "one more last time" for me as I really want to concentrate on a 100 lb+ Marrow and they take up a lot less space.

 

The British, European and World record where all broken last year. The new world record was grown from a seed that I grew from last year.....but I failed miserably...lol

Steve...

 

From the 2016 thread

I read this in December's 'The Garden'



T&M's Giant Pumpkin Archives | Blog at Thompson & Morgan

But no seeds from it on T&M's website yet? Hope the seeds harvested were viable, although T&M did state that their Pumpkin was going to be the "the Red Rum of Pumpkins" and Red Rum was a gelding. I'll be seeing one of their managers in a couple of weeks time and will ask what's happening.

 

It was seeing a "Pumpkin boat race" on you tube a few years back that first got me interested in growing giants. To enter you had to grow a 500lb+ pumpkin and row it across the lake.So I wanted to have a go at that, and it set my 500lb target that I would like to grow.

I cannot imagine that the seeds from Mr Olivers kin will be cheap to purchase though....so I will pass on buying one.

Steve...

 

@Steve R How about £2.99 for 3 seeds? See my P.S.


T&M now have them in stock Pumpkin 'Matt's Monster' - Pumpkin, Squash & Courgette Seeds - Thompson & Morgan £7.99 for 3 seeds.

There's free P&P at T&M until midnight tonight using code TWEB139YZ, saving the £1.95 P&P. EDIT Extended to midnight Monday 30th

If anybody's got a £5 voucher/code from the T&M Spring Catalogue, they can be purchased for £4.94 including P&P. (£7.99 + £1.95 = £9.94 - £5 = £4.94). You may need to change the code to TMWEBDF to get the voucher to voucher to work until the free P&P's expired.



P.S. My voucher code from the mag didn't work, so after 'phoning they gave me free P&P plus £5 off the seeds, so I'm getting them for only £2.99 delivered!

 

Thanks for letting us know scrungee I ordered a packet arrived at the weekend the seed came they are small seed I wonder if they truly are from that pumpkin I might message them

 

Mine were also smaller than expected, plus 2 of the 3 seeds were broken! Have emailed them a.. photo requesting replacement.

@Richard360 Have you compared size of seeds sent against those in their image?





And the seed it was grown from

 

T and m seed compared to giant seed of similar size

 

I hope it's reassuring that everybody's seeds appear to be the same size. As 2 of my seeds were broken, T&M are sending me another 'packet of three' If they're all OK I should have 4 good seeds (for £2.99 deliv.) 2 for this year and 2 for next maybe.

Maybe this year I 'll manage to be around on the day they need pollinating. I've read that even if growing using seeds all from the same pumpkin/marrow/etc. it's best to pollinate using pollen from one of the other plants, even though they should have identical genetics.