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Minnesota

Has anybody grown a hydroponic grown giant pumpkin, whats the heaviest? (thought I would ask a dumb question)

3/4/2014 10:52:05 PM

Concord, CA.

Ha! I did give that some thought one afternoon last summer when I had way too much time and several cold beers.
After playing out several scenarios in my mind, I came to the realization that a floating pumpkin could possibly become a perfect shape and probably unblemished skin. This wouldn't exactly be hydroponics as the only part of the plant to be in water is the fruit. The end of the mental exercise arrived when I came to the conclusion that if all went well, and the (very large) fruit was removed from the water bath and set on something solid, it would probably collapse under its own weight. Lesson learned, don't stop burying vines and have a cold beer, it turns out that I should have better things to do!

3/4/2014 11:36:53 PM

Minnesota

hmmmph, ok,,,,I mean the roots growing in only water, is'nt that called hydroponically.

3/5/2014 3:03:47 AM

Central Illinois

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q48CLJRgucU

its been tried by this guy I think there are other people who have tried it, I dont know if a true pumpkin grower as given it a go

3/5/2014 8:31:52 AM

Johnston, Iowa

Sometime during the last few years I remember a grower diary by "Pumpkin 420" or something like that was the start of a hydroponically grown AG. If my memory serves me correctly the grower never finished the diary. I could be wrong. I just searched, but couldn't find it.

3/5/2014 9:52:25 AM

Hinckley MN

It would be easy to grow an AG hydroponically. all gardening is hydroponic gardening as it is the water that transportts the nutrients. Getting a respectable fruit,in a soilless system, now that would be more difficult.

First you would need automatic watering. lets face it a 2000 lb fruit that is 90% water is alot of water. That doesn't even consider the roots and vines or evapotranspiration.

Second, you need alot of space for roots that will feed the 2000 lb fruit. Many growers get 2-4 lbs of fruit per square foot of plant. If most roots are in the top 1ft you can convert to cubic feet. Even at a 10:1 reduction in root area going from soil to hydroponic you need a really big system to feed the plant.

Third, you still need the same leaf area as a soil grown plant to convert sunlight into energy to grow the fruit. Do you grow it on the lawn? Do you grow it on a roof? Do you want a 1 ton pumpkin on your roof?

Just think through how you will expand the system as the plant grows from a seedling to a 500-1000 sqft monster. How will you monitor the nutrient levels as the plant sucks the resevoir dry on a sunny day? How will you adjust the system for fruit placement/support/removal? there are lots of things to consider.

3/5/2014 10:54:26 AM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Get a Hydro Company to offer $5000 first place prize and it'd happen :)

3/5/2014 11:42:53 AM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Nor-cal i got laughed at with the thought of growing in water for the reasons you mention.i bet you could set the pumpkin down in a box full packing styrofoam.
but the hydro pumpkin could might be grown in a redneck swimming pool.hay bales in a sqaure with tarp for lining only set back would be roots growing threw tarp.but if you want a controlled nutrient balance hydroponicaly the way to go

3/5/2014 11:56:18 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Imagine that, a grower named "pumpkingrower 420" of all things who grows hydroponically and didn't have the motivation to finish the project lol.

In case you missed the joke, 4:20 is the universal time of day to smoke weed. 4/20 is the date that smoke outs are held.

3/5/2014 12:12:17 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Epcot Disney.

http://news.cnet.com/2300-13576_3-6241440-9.html

3/5/2014 1:39:19 PM

Central Illinois

I think it can be done supplying enough water would just require a large resovour that Would auto feed the main tank.

High discharge lighting if its done indoors,tissue samples taken regularly.

Small rooting containers at each node, it could be grown out on a lawn but indoors would probably be best the main rootball wouldn't need to grow as large as it would in soil.

If you can grow hundreds of plants indoors then just one large one shouldn't be to tough

3/5/2014 8:59:40 PM

Wixom MI.

Hey richard from some people that I have talked to about hydroponics is that it is very difficult to do out doors in full sun ! One big problem is that you need to keep the water temp no warmer than 72 and outdoors in the summer that is very difficult to do. I havnt heard anyone that can do hydroponics outdoors. If you are to try this be sure to ask a hydroponic supplier of all the problems that can happen doing this outdoors ?

3/5/2014 11:16:46 PM

Wixom MI.

What I would recomend is trying something smaller. Like a giant watermellon and see how that works. I have thought about placing a garbage can size container in the ground to help keep the water insolated, but once again ask some one hoo is experianced in hydroponics and find out why they can't. Do it out doors

3/5/2014 11:30:57 PM

Central Illinois

if money is no problem you could have a system that cools down the growing medium if it is too hot

3/6/2014 8:09:45 AM

Corbin, KY

Chris Kent has grown a watermelon hydrponically. He could give you some insight if its possible or not.

3/6/2014 9:59:57 AM

Concord, CA.

BatCaveN8's diary post shows an interesting hydroponics setup for pumpkins. He put a lot of thought into it. Cooling seems to be the biggest issue for this approach to grow an AG. Is it possible to grow the vine roots in a hydroponic solution too. how could the plant be braced so that the leaves and stems wouldn't just fall over from their own weight? This brings up more questions as the discussion progresses.

3/6/2014 10:00:24 AM

Albert County, New Brunswick,CANADA

Once someone breaks the world record this way, the debate alone will probably ruin it for some people. Up-sized, it should work quite well.

3/6/2014 10:31:35 AM

Minnesota

Thanks for all the answers

3/6/2014 10:40:38 AM

Muddy Waters

Yes Chris kent grew a 170 lb watermelon that way. My fear is the disease presure is much higher in water. If you get the funk it's all over real fast.

3/6/2014 12:40:32 PM

Alaska

Dave Iles of Fairbanks grew a 752 pounder hydroponically.

3/6/2014 12:42:43 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

If there was enough money to be made it probably wouldn't take long for the WR to get smashed.Some of these pot growers are highly intelligent!!!

3/6/2014 1:01:28 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Another problem with outdoors is keeping the rain& dust out. Those will throw ph off.you also need to recycle your ph solution. Plants arent sitting in water the hole time. The water just moves nutrients then water is drain out,unless you have it on a drip system that just puts enough water on so not to get root rot

3/7/2014 9:13:28 AM

Central Illinois

The method where they use 4" pvc pipe might work the best ,you would lay out the pipe in the pattern you want to grow the plant. Then you could bury half the pipe and drill holes where the each leaf node will be.

The vine could be buried between the leaves for more support, have the main rooting tank buried to help with the heat and also the main reservoir.

A water chiller would cool the reservoir, probably be about $1000 for it, white plastic over the pvc pipe to reflect some heat away from the pipe.

I guess instead of drilling the holes for the nodes a TEE could be installed to raise the opening above the soil line. Ph always was to be tested everyday I believe with any system.

I have never used Hydro just thought it was cool how it was done. They set up a plant (huge greenhouse) about 8 miles from me to commercially grow peppers. It only lasted 2 maybe 3 years and shut it down , they couldnt make a profit.

ADM has a plant close by and had hydro for many years as a experiment,they may still have it, I saw it in person some 20 years ago.

Some plants where grown in a ferris wheel, it would rotate the plants roots down into the solution then back around for air then another dip.

Another way was to drag long troughs of plants across tanks, the roots would drop into the solution of a tank then be dragged out to a drain tank where they got their air and excess solution would drain off, it was for lettice by the time the plants had been pulled across the factory one time they would be fully grown.

There are many whys to do hydro, I havent looked at systems for many years.

3/7/2014 12:20:24 PM

Albert County, New Brunswick,CANADA

A hockey rink style flood and drain comes to mind first.The first year, expensive.

3/7/2014 5:01:19 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

and i mean HIGHLY INTELLIGENT!!!!inquisitive people.

3/7/2014 7:25:20 PM

lancaster ohio

I was thinking about trying this out this year. What first came to mined was to build a aeroponic system that would involve building a 1000sqft box out of pvc that sits about a foot off the ground. I would then install misters in the pvc frame, cover the whole thige with a light ristant poly white side out black side in. The main res would be buried and use the kratky method. The main would be guided out acroos the top of the plastic and then any time a root tryied to develope at the nodes a small hole could be made to allow that root under the plastic.

Another thought was being that the 2 ton pumpkin would flote on a lake full of fish, well then they could act as a flotation bloon for the plant. the leafs would flot like lilly pads. and the pond could also be pumped with air or a fountin could be installed to keep the water moving and allow oxigen into the water. the fish would feed the plants nuts also. Any thoughts?

3/14/2014 1:55:33 PM