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Upa Creek, MO

This is for outside growing only, I am only naming a few from areas of growers consistently on here. Feel free to add your region and why. My list does not include Europe or the Southern Hemisphere.

1) **Alaska - could not grow big AG's outside, who could with moose and Grizzly's in the patch, temp swings etc... it's Alaska.

2) Anyone in the true Southeast United States - high heat and humidity they don't ever experience out west. I have lived in Iceland and Arizona, and I still think it would be harder to grow in Alabama.

3) Pacific Northwest - cloudy, rainy and need the perfect year or it could be a slow one.

4) **Nova Scotia - it's damn cold and windy... maybe could be higher on list but I am not "informed" according to Donkin.

5) You tell me


"**" many of us in the Midwest and any region south would make best of the extra light that region gets

9/19/2014 8:58:00 PM

Concord, CA.

Does trying to compete with the Napa growers at all the local weigh-offs count as a tough condition?

9/19/2014 9:15:07 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

You can take Nova Scotia off your list Luke. Coastal areas can be tricky but anywhere inland experiences long warm Summers and a gradual cool Fall, ideal for pumpkin growing. Average temps in central Nova Scotia range from high 70's to mid 90's. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland have it waaay worse for unpredictable weather.
Howard fared pretty well here :)

9/19/2014 9:18:21 PM

Whitehall Montana

Montana High desert north.Alkaline soil,1-2 inches rainfall all summer long,high altitude , it has snowed here on 4th july before,lotsa wind,snows sometimes into the first week of may,10-16 percent humidity and oh yes an occasional moose,wolf or mt lion.

9/19/2014 9:29:01 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Absolutely No Cal - best of the best there

Andy - anywhere that far up north seems tough

Slim - completely agree - was not intentional to leave the Rockies or any big ranges out. Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho etc all very tough conditions. Windy, animals, hail, extreme temp swings

It's a loaded question, but nice for folks to vent.

9/19/2014 9:42:49 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Santa Rosa and Napa by far the worst growing conditions and terrible soil too.

9/19/2014 10:27:22 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Growing in Iowa is no picnic at times. Cool springs with mid-May frosts are becoming the norm. We get a lot of wind, and not just when the presidential hopefuls are campaigning. Hail isn't as common as in the Denver area, but we get our share. We can have summers with 105 temps and no rain like 2012, or cool summers with just one day over 90 and tons of rain like this year. We have lots of deer, groundhogs, rabbits and other critters that attack our plants. Iowa is known for great soil, but it can be tough clay in the south, rocky in the north-east or sandy in a lot of areas. Still, I don't think we have it nearly as tough as the east slope of the Rockies. I don't know how guys like cojoe, SkyWhizzy and their buddies manage so well.

9/19/2014 11:01:07 PM

British Columbia, Canada

Alberta has my vote.

9/19/2014 11:12:51 PM

New Richmond WI

Huge wind, hail, heavy rain, extreme heat all have played a factor here. Lack of rain and lack of heat too. Makes one wonder and dream, with pristine weather conditions, what a grower could achieve.

9/20/2014 3:40:42 AM

Madisonville, TN

Tennessee is tough. The largest I've seen anyone get a watermelon here is 350.5 pounds. LOL. We may never get a 2000 pound kin in TN, but it is a place where a high school girl can grow 200 pound watermelons.

9/20/2014 8:34:40 AM

Bethlehem CT

I always have respected the Rocky mountain growers for dealing with so many different weather conditions. Hail, snow, frost, heat, high UV. I am sure I am missing some.

9/20/2014 9:18:39 AM

Georgia

The dirty south.

9/20/2014 10:13:05 AM

that way <<<<<<

Toughest conditions.....hmmmm.....have you met my wife?

9/20/2014 10:20:59 AM

Nova Scotia

Andy, I do believe there is a reason why the "Annapolis Valley " region of Nova Scotia is renown for its farming success. It is certainly a different micro climate zone than the rest of the province. You have greater heat units most of the season as you noted , and normally have a "spring" with a warm fall. These are not the typical conditions for most of the rest of Nova Scotia, particularly for those in the northern end.
There have been rare years when Mother Nature has blessed the rest of us with some of the weather the Valley growers experience yearly and the results on the scales proved that. I am not claiming N.S. should be on the top of the list but when you state it should be removed from the list I think it needs to be qualified as most growers in Nova Scotia are growing in the Valley Region, BUT not all. Those of us in the rest of the province would probably disagree with your claim that it is "ideal for pumpkin growing", perhaps you are only referring to the inland areas? I am sure my arch nemesis will agree...LOL

9/20/2014 10:30:03 AM

bliss,n.y.- heart of Wyoming County

This year- The rural hills of Western New York!

9/20/2014 11:10:02 AM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

I know CB has tough conditions, when I say the rest of the province I do mostly mean inlanders. It certainly isn't just
valley growers who have good weather. The south shore, Bridgewater area has produced more than it's share of winners. As the popularity increases, we have seen excellent results as far down as Shelburne County.

When I think of tough conditions places like Sweden, Finland, Holland, the Praries, the American south and Newfoundland come to mind. I still maintain that NS mainland has it better than many areas. Having said that it is also true than anyone on the coast or in high elevations face more challenges.

9/20/2014 11:11:50 AM

Valencia Spain

i think spain is tough for ags, every day 90f or above from june to sept

9/20/2014 2:00:46 PM

Valencia Spain

may be wrong didnt shade the plants with shade mesh

9/20/2014 2:02:41 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

nemesis...lol. That was not called for John..ahaa. You want to be the judge on harshest climate ? Check out my diary's from 2007 until 2012. I do believe this is a great climate for growing fps and i do believe it will become the Field Pumpkin Capital of the World very,very soon and remain that way for a long ,long time...ahahaaaa:)

9/20/2014 2:12:00 PM

Nottingham, UK

The UK!!....cold, grey and wet are the normal. In a rare but good year 1000lbs is possible, all other years and you don't reap what you sow

9/21/2014 9:37:12 AM

Nottingham, UK

On a positive, diseases and pests are not an issue

9/21/2014 9:37:58 AM

Deal With It

Oklahoma can be rough during a blistering summer, such as 2011 and 2012. In July 2012, we suffered so many consecutive days of 105ºF or higher that the plants burned up before the end of the month.

9/21/2014 2:38:41 PM

Home of happy lil plants

:). Still reinventing the wheel down here...

9/21/2014 11:03:27 PM

Utah

The South West US is VERY VERY tough ! Hot, Dry and high elevation ...

9/24/2014 8:07:58 PM