BEGINNER’S SEMINAR

1. BEGINNER’S SEMINAR

2. SITE SELECTION SOIL SEEDS TRANSPLANTING PLANT CARE FRUIT CARE PUMPKINVILLE CONTEST Today’s course topics:

3. SITE SELECTION • AMOUNT OF SUN • ELEVATION: DRAINAGE • AVAILABILTY TO WATER • SPACE REQUIRED

4. Space RequiredPatch Patterns 30’ X 50’ = 1500 sq.ft. (675 sq.ft./plant) 25’ X 30’ = 750 sq.ft

5. Soil Amendments • Manure. (Cow, Horse, Rabbit, ect.) • Leaves – not too many. • Green manure. • Your compost mix. • As much as 5 cu.yards per plant. A pick up truck load is approximately 3 cu.yards. Apply in the fall. Spring applied needs to be composted or aged.

6. Fall Preparations Apply bulk amendments Apply lime Why? Allow to break down. Lime takes 3-4 months to help soil. Plant cover crop. Rye or wheat. Help stop erosion. Provides N in spring. Add OM. Lack of a cover crop can allow earlier drying in a wet spring. Spring Preparations Covered next. SCHEDULING YOUR AMMENDMENTSYour Plan of Attack

7. Mow cover crop. Amendments: Gypsum Lime (if needed) Minerals (Azomite, Ironite, ect.) Fertilizers: Compost Manure Powdered Kelp (Seaweed) Fish Work up the ground while tilling in amendments & cover crop/green manure. Till too early – mud & clumps. (know your soil) Till too late - cover crop too big, hard to till. SPRING PREPARATIONSPre-planting preparations

8. SPRING PREPARATIONS1 week before planting preparations • Pre-warm soil • Should be over 60 degrees. • Plastic sheeting flat on the ground. • Huts covered with plastic sheeting (mini-greenhouses)

10. SPRING PREPARATIONSbefore planting Simplest Extravagant • Mini-greenhouses can be extremely simple, to the middle-of-the-road, to the more extravagant. Even 4 bales of hay & an old pane of glass can work just fine. Middle of the road

11. When do I plant? • May 1st to May 10th -- Keep from freezing. • The entire growth cycle takes about 120 days, 60 for plant and 60 for pumpkin. • Allows for: • Large plant size at pollination time. • Fastest growth at warmest part of summer. • Last 2-3 weeks in Sept, growth slows down.

12. SEEDSPicking the Right Seeds • Dill’s Atlantic Giant Variety. • As a beginner, use the best, but cheap seeds. • DO NOT use store bought seeds. • Great genetics available from other pumpkin growers for FREE.

13. Genetics – Understanding them. • Broken down: • 1082.4 Stelts 05 • 1082.4 = Weight • Stelts = Grower’s Last Name • 05 = Year (2005) • F = Female (seed it was grown from) • 968 Razo 04 • M = Male (pollinator plant) • 723.5 Stelts 04

14. Seed PreparationFor Planting • Sand the edges – not the tip. • Use emery board. • Sand edge to show light brown line. • Helps crack the seed coat. • Soak in warm water for 1 hour.

15. Germination • And if all goes right, after 4-7 days, the seed sprouts. • The seedlings can become root-bound in around a week. • This is usually about the time the 1st true leaf appears.

16. TRANSPLANTINGThe day of planting that seedling • Transplant in the mini-greenhouse. • Ensure good ventilation, avoid overheating. • DO NOT use a pit. • A raised bed or small mound is better. • Quicker to warm up. • Better drainage.

17. TRANSPLANTINGThe day of planting that seedling • Setting the plant. • Main vine opposite 1st true leaf. • Transplant solution – 1 gallon of warm water with light fertilizers. • Protect plant on cold nights with cheap styrofoam cooler. • Spray for bugs!

18. BETWEEN TRANSPLANT AND POLLINATION • The first waiting period. • In the next series of slides we will cover some things that will need to be done after transplant and while waiting for pollination time.

19. Avoid Soil Compaction • Daily foot travel compacts the soil. • Stepping stones or walk boards should be used. • Wet ground will become as hard as concrete. • Loose soil helps proper O2 exchange & root spreading.

20. INSECTS & DISEASE • Insects: • Cucumber beetle • Squash Vine Borer • Aphids Cucumber Beetle

21. Squash Vine Borer & Aphid

22. InsecticidesContact or Systemic?

23. Vines & Wind • Vines grow as much as a foot a day. • Leaf stems can be 2-3 feet tall. • Vines should be staked down and buried. • Helps prevent vine splits & breaks during winds.

24. Train vines in X-mas tree pattern. Moves vines late in the day, warmer. AM they are cold & brittle. Never move more than a few inches/day Takes a few days to complete a vine move. Till ahead of vine growth. Don’t get too close, white root filaments= too close. To stretch root growth, water some at the stump and some around the root-zone perimeter. Red line growth in next slides. Vine Training & Watering

26. Irrigation • Remember, this plant will need the equivalent of over 1” of rain per week. • 623 gallons for 1000 sq. ft/ week. • 89 gallons for 1000 sq. ft/ day. • Should reach this point around 4th week of July to 1st week of August. • Optional - cooling/shading as temperatures go above 85 degrees.

27. Now it’s “Pumpkin Time”POLLINATION • All pumpkins start with a bloom. • As is common with most plant reproduction, there is a male and female bloom. • Both on the same plant. • Usually around the last week of June. Female Male

28. POLLINATION MALES • Male Flowers • Long, thin stem • No “mini-pumpkin” under flower • Usually 1st to arrive, 5 to 7 days before a female. • Pollen

29. POLLINATIONFEMALES • Female Flowers • Short, sturdy stem • Marble size ball under flower. • Can be seen in vine tips. • Opens 7-10 days after 1st appearing

30. POLLINATION2 Ways to Pollinate Pumpkins – By Hand or Bees • Hand Pollination • Must be controlled or protected to maintain genetics. • Insures thorough distribution of pollen to all segments. • Use multiple male flowers. • Record pollination date and male plant used.

31. OPEN POLLINATION • Bees & insects • Uncontrolled for genetics • Considered “open” pollinated. • May be unreliable with a low bee population or bad weather. • Seeds from open pollinated pumpkins rarely planted.

32. POLLINATIONWhich one(s) to pollinate • Deformities – seeds. • Visualize the larger fruit. • Stem stress • “S” bend for shoulders • Vine height as fruit height increases • On top of vine • Vine & stem splits • Shoulders grow off vine • Pollinate many on main vine – 10’ out & greater.

33. Which One(s) To Keep • 1st – decide how many you want on a plant. • Small plant – 1 • Large plant – 2 (?) • 1 pumpkin per plant will consistently yield the largest. • Circumference measurement benchmarks: • 14 day – 40” • 21 day – 70” • 30 day – 100” • Must know pollination date.

34. Which One(s) To Keep • The size of the fruit is an important factor, but consider others: • Feet out on the vine (pollination date). • Shape of the fruit. • Position on the vine. • Before August 1st, cull down to only fruit you are going to grow. • Don’t keep too many.

35. Other Things to Consider • Working on the underside of fruit. • Continue vine burying • Prune/ terminate at patch edge. • Discontinue ALL vine growth during 1st week of August. • Fruit sliding – adjusting the position • Sand/ mill fabric • Possibly styrofoam

36. Other Things To Remember • Once fruit is “set”/ pollinated for sure, usually 30” – 50” circ., begin fertilizing again. • Read your plant. • Lime green vs. Blue green • Fertilize entire root system.

37. SHADING THE PUMPKINWhat is it & When to use it • Keeps fruit from scalding • Keeps fruit from internal heating • Keeps skin softer • Fewer splits • 5” growth/ day circumference • White sheet –easiest • Make it large enough. • 5’ X 5’ • Keep the neighbors talking.

38. More things to RememberAgain, while all this is going on…. • Maintain weekly insecticide & fungicide applications. • Keep plants pest free. • Remember – the Cuke Beetle bacterial wilt takes 30-45 days to appear. • And again, no vine growth after 1st week of August.

39. The Last Things to Do Are… • Hope it doesn’t explode. • Hope you don’t run out of water. • Keep the fruit clean

40. The Last Things to Do Are… • Worry about how big it is really going to get. • Estimate with 3-way measurement called Over-The-Top (OTT) • Circumference. • Stem to blossom. • Side to side.

41. The Last Things to Do Are… • Add the 3 together. • Go to the OTT chart. • Circumference. • Stem to blossom. • Side to side.

42. OTT Chart

43. Slow & Steady Wins the Race • Remember: • Do everything gradually • Too much fertilizer will end your season faster than too little. • Pre-season ground prep is essential.

44. Other Info Sources • How To Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins (1,2, and 3), by Don Langevin • Bigpumpkins.com • ANDYW1407@GMAIL.COM

45. Be Kind to Your Neighbors & … • The day before the weigh-off you’ll need lots of help to load this monster. • One of the best ways is a tarp & 10 strong backs. • Another is a front end loader and a strap lifting device.

46. You Too Could Be Here.