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Corvallis, OR

Last year I used a sheet of 6-mil clear plastic from the hardware store, stapled over a piece of 4x4' plywood on a pallet to support my 600# fruit. Seemed to work fine with no underside concavity, and was easy to move with the pallet already under it.

Wondering if anybody else has done this, and if it still works with the really big fruits. Do you need bigger than 4x4 ft support?

7/26/2014 5:18:40 PM

Honesdale Pa USA

I would worry about drainage.

7/27/2014 9:40:10 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Plain landscape fabric works

7/27/2014 11:44:28 AM

BC, Canada

I've come to using a piece of plywood with a LOT of holes drilled in for drainage and then a good covering of fine sand that I sift to remove any stones or lumps. Fortunately that is what my yard has so the sand cost nothing. I mix sulfur and copper in it as anti-fungal and then I let it get a little damp on occasion. I don't know that it is any better then any other way but it has work well for the last couple of years.
Why damp? read this link
http://phys.org/news/2014-04-ancient-egyptians-pyramid-stones-sand.html
And, possibly I am too cheap to invest in mill fabric.

7/27/2014 2:20:30 PM

Hanover,Ontario,Canada

For years I have used a section cut from the filter cloth used in an automotive paint spray booth. It is free and porous so no problem with drainage. It provides a very soft cushion when you move the pumpkin onto the skid.

7/30/2014 2:53:52 PM