RDY-B grows GIANT PUMPKIN

[rdy-b]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/1000239c.jpg/

  atlantic giant whieghing in at 1245 lbs 10th place elkgrove ca   RDY-B

[lenape13]

That would make one big pie!  Let me know when it's ready.... I LOVE pumpkin pie....

[Francus]

I remember when I was 11 and sent off for some giant pumpkin seeds from an ad in the back of Boy's Life magazine. I got a pumkin around 700 lbs and won first place in the county fair.

Then the evil started....

My mother turned the whole thing into pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread. She made them and froze them. We ate pumpkin pies for dessert for almost a year until my dad mercifully stepped in and put a stop to the insanity.

It was 30+ years later that I actually sat down and ate a slice of pumkin pie. That slice will probably do me for another 10 years or so.

 

[VolunteerK9]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/1000239c.jpg/

  atlantic giant whieghing in at 1245 lbs 10th place elkgrove ca    RDY-B

10th at 1245 lbs? What in the world did First weigh?

[Riggs]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/1000239c.jpg/

  atlantic giant whieghing in at 1245 lbs 10th place elkgrove ca    RDY-B

10th at 1245 lbs? What in the world did First weigh?

That's what I'm wondering

[rdy-b]

 1st place went to Leonard urena -weighing in at 1684.5 lbs -which set a new state record
 in california -there are two more competitions this week end in ca there is still a chance to break
 the world record of 1810 lbs--last weekend there was a grower in PA that weighed in at 1807
missing the record by 3lbs-on columbus day california has the world famous Halfmoon bay competition
 and they say the world record may go down this year--I have a was to go--RDY-B

[BlueBee]

Wow!  That is an IMPRESSIVE pumpkin!  Congratulations.

I planted some Atlantic Giants this year (3rd year with them) and I thought I did great to get one up to 350lbs.  Sadly it has now contracted some sort of fungus/rot

Can you pass along any good tips for those of use whom are struggling to get the AGs over 500lbs?

[rdy-b]

 the best tip would be pruning-set fruit only on main vine-secondary vines run off the main-tetary  vines are the third stage growth that runs off the secondary vine--prune all tetary (third stage growth) it is the third stage growth that is robing your growth power-you prune these when they are very small-by pinching them off so they dont grow-now your plant is secondary growth and main vine-if you bury the secondary vines they will send a tap root and feeder roots at each leaf axle along the vine
 so now you have a huge food factory to feed the pumpkin-   RDY-B

[JP]

When I was a kid my Dad bought dome Big Mac seeds. It grew to around 30lbs before bugs ate the bottom out. I remember how excited we were that we were gonna get this gigantic pumpkin, then there was just disappointment.

What's the trick to getting them that big? I guess you have to use some pesticides to keep the bugs at bay right?


...JP

[rdy-b]

When I was a kid my Dad bought dome Big Mac seeds. It grew to around 30lbs before bugs ate the bottom out. I remember how excited we were that we were gonna get this gigantic pumpkin, then there was just disappointment.

What's the trick to getting them that big? I guess you have to use some pesticides to keep the bugs at bay right?


...JP

 
 gota put something under it - like plywood or mill fabric-gophers are the worst-pesticide not required
 but a little systemic will save alot of problems -weather in the ground(granular) or foliar --RDY-B

[BlueBee]

Thanks for the tip about pruning Rdy-B.  I have noticed the tap roots forming along the vines at the leaf axis like you mentioned.  I figured that was a good thing, but I didn’t actually cover the vines with compost.  Do you think hilling those vines up like potatoes would be a good idea?

I pruned off all but one pumpkin, but I did not prune the third stage vine growth.  Will have to remember that for next year. 

What about water?  Do you use drippers?  Misters?  Is your watering on a timer? 

How big was your 2nd biggest?

[rdy-b]

  you need to bury the secondary about two -three inches under the top soil-fluffy soil in the patch helps with root development and fast growth-when i bury my vines i add a little organic granular fert-4-3-3 with 7% calcium
 also in the trench i add MYCORIZA fungi-this year i hand watered -but i am switching to drip tape next year
 but i do use a fertilizer injection system much like a green house system to regulate my ferts- i also used a rizo sphere bacteria inaculant for soil born pathogens-if you want to
 be consistent you will need to get soil samples done -then adjust your soil to proper base saturation for extreme gardening -but if you master pruning techniques and vine burying-with some added ferts you will get up to 800lbs
and then you can try some more advanced methods -as long as you keep increasing in size you are improving
dont try to much to fast or the fruit will split-my pumpkin was pushing over 20lbs growth a day for 60 days
and gains of 35lbs a day are not unheard of-keep at it --   RDY-B

[AliciaH]

WOW!  Great picture!  What're the genetics, if I may ask?  And, what do you use to keep cucumber beetles down?

Our family record is 759.5 and we won't break that record this year, but there's always next year.....

[rdy-b]

 the seed that grew my pumpkin was the 1470 urena (991 urena X 1142 vankooten )
 I crossed it withe a 1205 Holland--it was cool because leanardo gave me the seed himself and
 he is the grower to break state record this year-I will grow the 1470 again-only problem i had
 was there was a seed in the blosom-and that was my second set on the main trying to get the set
 the furthiest out as to have more plant pushing the fruit-when there is a seed in the blosom that small
 part of the fruit dosent grow-so there was a dent or defect in the shape and it probly cost several hundred
 pounds-such is life -there was not enough time to get another chance at a main vine set- RDY-B

[AliciaH]

That'll teach me not to check in more often!  Those guys were up here yesterday for the Central Market weigh-off, would have been fun to talk to them about your pumpkin! 

Congratulations!