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Minnesota

I'm curious, is there a chart for blowing pumpkins? Maybe a heavy hitter or someone with experience can weigh-in. If I have a 20dap pumpkin, and I give it 500 gallons will it blow? or can I give a 30 dap a thousand gallons without worrying about blowing it up? so I guess I am asking is there a limit what you might give a pumpkin, 10dap 20-75 gallons? any suggestions would be helpful. per day. Thanks

8/1/2015 5:26:24 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

It depends on the size of the patch, temperature, soil moisture, etc. The main thing is to keep the soil uniformly moist and avoid letting it get dry then dumping on a lot of water. It is the dry spell followed by too much water too fast that can blow them up.

8/1/2015 5:42:01 PM

Minnesota

Ok, still looking for, if conditions were average to normal, what you might expect, could you say don't give a 20 dap 100 gallons or it will blow, any info like that??

8/1/2015 6:15:07 PM

Rudolph

My plants are 750 square feet, on a hot day they get 75 gallons each on a cloudy day 50 gallons each, as long as my plant is full at day 20 that's what they'll get right up to the weigh off.

8/1/2015 7:11:33 PM

Buffalo, MN (Billsbigpumpkins@hotmail.com)

Rich reread what Iowegian posted there are two may variables. There is no magic number. We were getting 2 - 3 inches of rain twice a week, Now it hasn't rained for a while and I'm putting on 600 gallons daily on four plants all around day 35-45 Dap. No blows yet. Patch size is 60 x 60 and is a foot of black loam than gravel.

8/1/2015 7:16:32 PM

Upa Creek, MO

If you ask a question at least read the responses. Do you think you give a 30 DAP pkn in 100 sq feet the same as a 30 DAP in a 1000 sq feet? And what is normal conditions? Normal "somewhere up by Canada" is not normal in California nor is that normal in Wisconsin. More info needed.

8/1/2015 7:26:00 PM

Rudolph

My sub soil is clay by the way, just another variable. also my garden is right next to our pond this keeps the soil moist,,, if I were in the city where they have sandy sub soil I'd probably water over a 100 gallons on a hot day.

8/1/2015 8:41:14 PM

Minnesota

I have 800 or so feet. I do read the answers and I understand what Iowegian said. I was looking for a answer like MellowPumpkin gave, thanks. Somewhere up by Canada is from what someone said when they were asked where Minnesota was located, I thought it was funny!

8/1/2015 9:38:52 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

volume of the pumpkin will allow larger gains....if you have a bowling ball trying to put on forty pounds you're asking it to split...get it ready to grow and then water it until it has the the volume to take the growth spurt..adjust your watering to what you feel comfortable with in weight gains. if you ain't blowin you ain't growin! but you can't do that with one pumpkin.

8/2/2015 5:41:07 AM

Mtn. Green, Utah

With total respect to all growers, I would like to bring up at least the possibility that this whole concept of excessive water (or fertilizer for that matter) causing splits MIGHT be a myth? My viewpoint is that the maximum fruit growth occurs when both food, water, are all at "optimum" levels. Which would mean more water (or food) would slow the fruit growth, assuming it was optimum to begin with. If 500 gal/day of water did cause a surge, I would start watering more tomorrow, and the next day, and the next! My pumpkins don't make it to 2323 lbs, so I know they could handle more pounds than they're currently getting. I have had two occasions where sprinkler valves have malfunctioned remaining on for DAYS unattended. In both instances, growth slowed slightly, not increased. Then again, maybe that's just my experience and others see it differently.

8/3/2015 3:01:45 AM