Giant pumpkin

[Peteyd]

Just had a look at Matt's Monster. That fella could get quite big! Found it on T&M website are you going to enter yours in their autumn pumpkin festival?
https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/pu...ster/tm78011TM

Perhaps I should have researched it a little before accepting it so eagerly...

Never mind, I'm sure it'll be fine.. :S

I might enter if it actually gets to anything worthwhile...

[Small pumpkin]

Very sad news........
Humphreys first born has flower end rot !! Looks like I didn't get it off the ground onto the pallet quick enough. Luckily I haven't removed any of the female flowers so here is hoping I can have another go in the next couple of days.
The next bu@@er is getting a rain canopy over it as well as the pallet & straw under it and a wind brake all round it.

[damian1225]

I now have a PB pumpkin, anything from here will be a record pumpkin for me lol, I just turned up at the plot after a few days and spotted it already done for me will keep you posted but it wont be a whopper

[Small pumpkin]

Wow that's brilliant Damian I'm a little bit jealous!
Mine is about that size but with a septic flower end .

I removed 11 female flowers today, leaving 3 on 3 different stems. Two are in the tunnel and looking quite good and poor little septic still out side. I can't remove it, it's still my biggest pumpkin

[damian1225]

thats a total pain in the bum, it wasnt meant to be, but the next one will be!! keep the faith! the pumpkins are just a giggle for me, there was three given to me in a little tray like a raw chicken comes in and I just put them in together in a lump lol, what will be will be.. let the plant decide this year


My marrows on the other hand are serious business! got plenty of females on it but I was told for the best chance of a whopper it needs to be set at least 10ft along the vine, currently only 6ft so still a few more weeks/days until its time to set one, im getting excited though lol

[Mr Bones]

Just catching back up with this thread. Of our three plants one was a non-starter, the second is sitting patiently (waiting to be told it can get growing I think) and the third is finding its' legs but no fruit as yet. The third one is planted in a compost heap that was completely emptied over the winter so it's not really compost yet.

[Mr Bones]

Took a photo two days ago after turning the heap (sad, I know), didn't realise the pumpkin plant had sneaked into frame or that it had an embryonic fruit. Game on.. I've got to have a look at it tomorrow now.

[Small pumpkin]

Looking good Mr Bones.
Now young Humphreys leaves are starting to go a bit yellow. I'm feeding every other day with 500ml of home made plant food ( seaweed, nettles, borage. Very dark green in colour, stinks to high heaven! ) mix into 5lt of water. Days he's not fed, he's watered.
So what would you recommend?
Options I've come up with are: put a little more well rotted manure in his pot ( but not a huge amount would fit ).
A good sprinkling of chicken manure pellets.
A good sprinkling of fish, blood and bone.
Up the Quantity of home made feed.
Change to tomato feed.

Would you go with any of those options or do you have a better idea?

[Penellype]

Bigger pot?

[Mr Bones]

Bigger pot?

I'd agree with that, and mix feed/manure in with the top up compost.

[Small pumpkin]

Bigger pot?

I'd agree with that, and mix feed/manure in with the top up compost.

Well that's not the answer I was after
Unfortunately bigger pot is impossible for several reasons
1 I don't have a bigger pot
2 Humphrey has a 6ft spread either side of the pot ( some going through a small hole in the door and he's grown to big to bring back though)
3 I'm a wimp and couldn't lift him out even if 1&2 weren't an issue

So I'll have to try a combination of feeds and fertilisers
The pot he's in is 57cm/22 1/2in wide and 33cm/13in deep ( straight sides, not plant pot shaped). If anyone is good at maths and can work out how many litres that is, I'd be very impressed and grateful . I thought it was about a 100lt, but that's just a guess.

[vixylix]

I've no idea SP, but just thinking out loud, could you be overfeeding? I know they're hungry plants but a strong feed every other day seems like a lot!

[Snoop Puss]

The volume is 85 litres, SP, according to an online calculator I used (can't claim any credit for the calculation!).

Is he getting five litres (of feed or water) every day? That sounds like quite a lot, if so. Agree with vixylix that you could be feeding him too much. Plus, you might need to alter the balance: less N and more P and K. Possibly add some calcium if you think the fruit had blossom end rot (I have to say, I didn't know that could happen to pumpkins). To add calcium, if you're not using 'artificial' fertilisers, try some hardwood ash if you have some from a fireplace or woodburning stove.

[Penellype]

Well that's not the answer I was after
Unfortunately bigger pot is impossible for several reasons
1 I don't have a bigger pot
2 Humphrey has a 6ft spread either side of the pot ( some going through a small hole in the door and he's grown to big to bring back though)
3 I'm a wimp and couldn't lift him out even if 1&2 weren't an issue

So I'll have to try a combination of feeds and fertilisers
The pot he's in is 57cm/22 1/2in wide and 33cm/13in deep ( straight sides, not plant pot shaped). If anyone is good at maths and can work out how many litres that is, I'd be very impressed and grateful . I thought it was about a 100lt, but that's just a guess.

That's a very large pot

Volume of cylinder = pi x r squared x h

Assuming the sides are vertical and the pot is full

V = 3.142 x 28.5 x 28.5 x 33 ccs = 84218.95 (say 84219) [r = 1/2 diameter, 28.5 = 57/2]

1 litre = 1000 ccs so your pot is 84.219 litres.

[Small pumpkin]

Wow Penellype thank you so much, that's brilliant
Yes it has vertical sides and not quite full ( water catchment area ) so probably around 77/78lt.

This afternoon I put a generous layer of blood,fish & bone, followed by a generous layer of chicken manure pellets. Then a fresh layer of MPC ( to stop the other two getting washed away at the first watering as much as anything)
Also going to up the liquid feed to 200ml per litre. Fingers crossed.