2012 TEG Giant Pumpkin Contest - weigh in by 15 October

897tgigvib

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Recomended for growing giant anythings:

Mega Gro
This is a natural growth stimulant quite concentrated. The trick is, first, it is diluted and SPRAYED onto the plant. At young stages of the Pumpkin plant you want the plant to grow huge, so spray it onto the whole plant.
As the plant begins to make female flowers, spray it only on the leaves. At that point you want the plant to make huge leaves.
After you are certain a female flower has set, and that can take 20 days with a true Giant variety, begin spraying the fruit all over it, but also spray the entire plant again. Spray that Pumpkin until you pick it. Its handle too.
At that stage you want every leaf node to set roots. Spray extra near them.
As the plant matures begin spraying the growing tip to encourage its continued growth. Stop spraying the growing tip when it is showing signs of being done.

Bio Weed
This is another liquid product made of cold pressed Seaweed. It can be diluted and mixed with your Mega Gro. It has a more complete blend of natural supplements and growth hormones.

Root hormones
A lot of different brands are all good. There are 2 major kinds of different formulations. Dash a small amount on the nodes to root them.

Liquid fertilizers such as Bio Thrive, or Dutch Master brand.
These are excellent products mainly made for hydroponics, but are great for soil growing too. They come in a GROW formula generally higher in Nitrogen, and they come in a BLOOM formula generally highest in Phosphorus. Brands that are real good contain mostly natural ingredients. There are some organic brands also. The GROW formulations are used until the male flowers start. The BLOOM formulations are used during the blooming phase of the plant's growth. Hopefully your bloom formula has at least some nitrogen.

These are some supplements. Hopefully the soil was well prepared for Gigantic growth.

Never ever overdose a plant with enthusiasm!!!

Much better to OVERDILUTE and use MORE OFTEN than to overdose with a strong mix even one time.

Think of it like this: A person could use fertilizer to kill weeds if they use it right. :th
 

SuperChemicalGirl

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marshallsmyth Never ever overdose a plant with enthusiasm!!! [b said:
Much better to OVERDILUTE and use MORE OFTEN than to overdose with a strong mix even one time. [/b]

Think of it like this: A person could use fertilizer to kill weeds if they use it right. :th
This one is hard for me.

I'm using duck poo water, think I should dilute it even more?
 

897tgigvib

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I have never used Duck Poo water, so I don't know.

(I just now lost the top of one of my 23 teeth. Need to make a dentist appointment soon!)
 

SuperChemicalGirl

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My hopes for a giant pumpkin are dimming. We had such cold weather 2 weeks ago, and about 9 inches of rain... now it's 95 degrees... despite being in a hoop house... they're not growing so well. :rant

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Collector

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I started with 7 giant pumpkin seeds, all have died but one and it is still a sprout. So I may be standing on the sidelines soon, hope not but hope doesn't seem to work with pumpkins.
 

desertlady

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My nephew saved two white pumpkin seeds from last Halloween, I got one Huge pumpkin plant growing with some flowers !! They are about 8 weeks old, I will post the pics when I can ! Does anyone knows how many pumpkins grow on one vine?
 

momofdrew

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if you want a giant pumpkin you have to remove all but one fruit from the vine...otherwise it depends on the plant how many you'll get per plant...
 

SuperChemicalGirl

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I think you let 1 or 2 fruits start to form. Once one starts to take off better - better shape, better growth, you pinch the other one off. After that you focus all your attention on that one fruit, and pinch everything else that forms later off.
 

catjac1975

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You are hoping for too much too soon. Be patient-especially in Maine. I am in Massachusetts and my plants are very small still. I used an organic liquid fertilizer when my squash seemed stunted and within a week they perked up and started growing. Your plants will suddenly take off and take over your garden. I have seen the professional pumpkin growers around here start there plants much later in the season. Of course they are not growing giants for competition.The little pumpkin will form before the blossom opens so you will be able to tell the female blooms . Watch out for striped cucumber beetles and squash bugs. Rotenone and pyrethrum are organ insecticides which will kill those bugs. It is not too late to start more seeds in a deferent area. Those plants are too close for a giant pumpkin. I think you need to remove 2 at some point.
SuperChemicalGirl said:
My hopes for a giant pumpkin are dimming. We had such cold weather 2 weeks ago, and about 9 inches of rain... now it's 95 degrees... despite being in a hoop house... they're not growing so well. :rant

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