# 2013 Pumpkin Growers Thread



## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

Post your 2013 progress and pumpkin pics. Grow 'em if you got 'em!


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## SoCal Scare (Aug 3, 2007)

First year growing pumpkins so I'm hoping for the best. I planted about 150 seeds along with 300 corn seeds. My corn went in the ground July 6th and my pumpkins on the 8th. A little late but it's putting them at about 120 days so we will see. I have about 117 stalks of corn that's about 3-5" inches tall growing right now and expect the pumpkins to start popping up soon I hope. Luckily living in So. Cal means that comes Halloween it's usually still in the 80s so no worry of early frost.


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## Blackrose1978 (Aug 13, 2011)

Having a better year this year with our pumpkin plant. Already have a cute little pumpkin started


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

I got my pumpkins in the ground last Sunday. I started by seeds in their trays the week before. I usually put them in on the Fourth of July but time got away from me. I got the Big Max and heirloom ones. They are already six inches tall. Fingers crossed.


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## DandyBrit (May 23, 2013)

I have an accidental pumpkin that I will wait and see if it does anything worth reporting on


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## SPOOKY J (Nov 20, 2009)

Well despite 21 days of drenching rain and thunder storms we have 3 set out of 5 vines.


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

We got ours planted last week. At least half the seeds have sprouted and a couple Big Max vines are already going strong, thanks to several uncharacteristically rainy, non-scorching days in a row. Meanwhile some vines we planted last month are making progress.


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## SoCal Scare (Aug 3, 2007)

Well we now have about 70 pumpkin plants growing! They look good and we are hoping for some great results.


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## Moondusted (Jul 11, 2013)

We only had one vine sprout out of what we planted but we have a pumpkin on it.


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## Blackrose1978 (Aug 13, 2011)

We lost 2 to blossom rot but there are two more that are looking great


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

They have taken over my "vines" garden. Put in the fairy tale pumpkins this year and a few standard pumpkins. The leaves on these fairy tale plants are HUGE!!!
Probably should snap a shot huh?


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## Wispurs (Oct 9, 2012)

this is our first time growing pumpkins. they got it the ground a little late but they have their first set of full leaves. I;ve started surrounding them with egg shells cause of the nasty little slugs. Fingers crossed.


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## Georgeb68 (Mar 26, 2013)

Unfortunately, I have tried for the last 3 years to grow pumpkins....to no avail, they had a lot of blossoms but all they did was fall off......but living in NH , there are a bunch if farms hat grow them......an don't shoot me but its tough when you see Walmart that sells decent pumpkins for 4.99!


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

Our Big Max mound is exploding. I'll have to start clearing back our sweet potato vines to make room!


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## Blackrose1978 (Aug 13, 2011)

My pumpkins were doing great had 1 big 1 med 1small growing, went away for the weekend, came home and the pumpkin plants just keeled over. Nothing else in the garden died and it had been raining on and off all weekend so I don't know what happened. Now I got evil grubs eating my pumpkins. So I guess it will be off to our local pumpkin patch again this year.


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

So far so good with my pumpkins. I checked on the plants on Friday and the bees were in and out of the flowers helping with the polination. I thanked them and went my merry little way.


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

Something's up with my Big Max vines, which were growing like gangbusters just last week. My wife thinks she may have overwatered them. I hope they live; they're just about all we've got left.


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## DocK (Apr 1, 2013)

my atlantic giant is doing great, I only have room for one plant and there's 1 pumpkin growing on it... I will post pics asap


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## DocK (Apr 1, 2013)

Behold... my giant
And it needs two more months on the vine... 
Not bad for my first giant , too bad I only planted 1. (but we don't have room for more)


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

That's a gorgeous pumpkin, Doc


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Might as well get in on this thread. I put a couple of pumpkins in our side garden last fall and basically let them rot there. The seeds must have taken. This little bugger has been growing for some time now and just yesterday got the bloom on it. The vine looks healthy and is about 4 feet long. We have done nothing to it, except an occasional watering as it's been pretty dry here.




























I guess we'll see what happens.


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

I checked out my pumpkin plants last weekend and I have a lot of flowers but no pumpkins growing yet. Even if I don't get pumpkins this year I will continue to grow them every year because I love the big leaves and flowers.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Bees like the flowers, too


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

RoxyBlue said:


> Bees like the flowers, too


^Yep - I was hoping for the best when I saw them all over the flowers. However, I did get the plants in late and where they are planted might be a factor because of the trumphet vines and big oak tree.


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## ocalicreek (Aug 1, 2013)

Our preschoolers started pumpkins back in the Spring and the seedlings went into the ground about a month ago (church garden). Just checked again today and the largest pumpkin is well over basketball sized, with another not far behind, and many smaller ones ranging from golf ball to volley ball sized. 

The cool thing is, other than the good soaking rain we received last week, we haven't watered this garden. We use a no-till mulching method that really retains moisture which is very important in our dry summer. When I can post pictures I'll try to get a few and share them. Not sure of the variety, but so far so good! No signs of rot or infestation.

Galen


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## DandyBrit (May 23, 2013)

My "accidental pumpkins" are doing fine - I have two on that I am talking to and stroking every other day. When is the best time to take some of the foliage off? They are already yellow so I hope they don't actually peak before October 23rd which is when the first ghost walk is at work.


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

I checked the pumpkins yesterday and some of the vines have died back. I have one vine that is growing on the grape vine and is flourishing.


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

I planted seeds pretty late, so I wasn't sure if I was going to get any. I was happy when I saw the pie pumpkins and thrilled when I finally found one big one. It is just now starting to turn color. I'm hoping we won't get snow or frost early here this year. But you can never tell in Colorado. It was really hot last week and now it's cool and wet.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Our next-door-neighbor has a pumpkin vine that's growing along and over our shared fence. There's a nice little green pumpkin forming that we might just have to "accidentally" move to our side of the fence Or maybe we can get shared custody:jol:


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## Manon (Aug 2, 2011)

I've got 4 pumpkins already harvested and three more that will definitely be around for Hallowe'en. Yay!!! I'll take photos tonight!


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## tjc67 (Jul 28, 2013)

I had one pumpkin growing on our plant and a hailstorm came through and scarred the hell out of it. Unless we get another growing, we'll probably just let that one keep going to see what happens. Who knows it might make for an interesting jack 'o' lantern


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## Manon (Aug 2, 2011)

As promised, here is the photo of my first 4 pumpkins from Bluestocking Farm!

Yay!!!:jol:


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Those look lovely, Manon.


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## tpopcaz (Jan 9, 2013)

I planted some this year they were growing good but then the leaves where they sprouted are starting to die. They have a lot of flowers but no pumpkins


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## Copchick (Apr 10, 2012)

Manon - Those are some pretty pumpkins!


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## Blackrose1978 (Aug 13, 2011)

After loosing my pumpkins in Aug I just left the rotted pumpkin in the garden. Low and behold a bunch of new vines have sprouted but I doubt I will have pumpkins intime for Halloween lol


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## Hsnopi (Oct 26, 2012)

i should try this for next year. I know exactly nothing about growing pumpkins.


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

Big bust this year. Our only surviving flowers are all male.

Man, did we have beginners luck our first time out.


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## ATLfun (Oct 12, 2012)

I am in on pumpkins and corn for next year. I would like to give giant pumpkins a shot. And I would like to do a mini-corn maze and with corn like $5 for a few stalks, I need a less expensive supply.


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## CreeepyCathy (Mar 28, 2009)

ATLfun said:


> And I would like to do a mini-corn maze and with corn like $5 for a few stalks, I need a less expensive supply.
> 
> .


I hear ya! For years, I have been begging my hubby to allow me to plant a corn field in the yard. He always said NO! So, I compromised... and asked to plant one in the _back_ yard.  Still, he says NO! grrrr... I will find a way to get my way.. evil laugh..


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## ATLfun (Oct 12, 2012)

Cathy, just tell him you want to plant a hedge along the back property line and plant corn instead.

Some members posted about pumpkin vines sprouting from the pumpkins just tossed in the yard. We carved four pumpkins and they still had some seeds left in them. 

So, I just tossed all the pumpkins into one corner of the backyard. I must be the laziest pumpkin grower in the world. :zombie:


.


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## LittleBlueBMW (Nov 4, 2010)

austenandrews said:


> Big bust this year. Our only surviving flowers are all male.
> 
> Man, did we have beginners luck our first time out.


same here, massive vines though


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## Manon (Aug 2, 2011)

I'm amazed! I have a total of 17 pumpkins this year!!! A total bumper crop!


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## ATLfun (Oct 12, 2012)

I am so in on this next year. I am thinking about going with the Burpee Big Max pumpkin. I have no interest in a 300lb pumpkins, because how are you going to move them?

But if I could get a 5-6 100lb pumpkins, that would make some killer decoration. I think this project will be a nice way to kick off next year's drive to Halloween.

Here is a pic of the Big Max:


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## ATLfun (Oct 12, 2012)

I took the wheat straw bales from our display and spread them out over a corner of the backyard. Our backyard is essentially wooded and backs up to a civil war national park.

I am not sure if the straw will help anything, but it certainly helped put me in the farmer spirit and it marked the general pumpkin patch area for 2014. I have included a pic below. It does get full sun most of the day during the summer. The pic is from early morning.

I suppose this will be my last post to this thread, until the 2014 pumpkin thread is started. I already researched my grow zone region which is 7, and the ideal time to plant pumpkins is in May. So until then........


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## spideranne (Jul 17, 2006)

So I know I'm in the wrong season for this thread, but so are my pumpkins. I planted seeds for the first time in July. Got a lovely vine and multiple flowers but no fruit. I know there is the male/female flower thing and honestly I just didn't worry about it figured I'd try again this year. But I didn't tear out the vine. Of course I started getting fruit in December. I now have one pumpkin that is about melon size and multiple small guys just starting. So if we don't have a major freeze (I'm in Phoenix) I'll probably be able to carve pumpkins in March.?!?


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

spideranne said:


> So I know I'm in the wrong season for this thread, but so are my pumpkins. I planted seeds for the first time in July. Got a lovely vine and multiple flowers but no fruit. I know there is the male/female flower thing and honestly I just didn't worry about it figured I'd try again this year. But I didn't tear out the vine. Of course I started getting fruit in December. I now have one pumpkin that is about melon size and multiple small guys just starting. So if we don't have a major freeze (I'm in Phoenix) I'll probably be able to carve pumpkins in March.?!?


lol I had a pumpkin for the 4th of July one year. I stuck flags in it and put it out on the front porch. Maybe you can stick some shamrocks on yours.


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