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Southern Indiana

Just wondering if anyone has ever considered growing to completion a giant pumpkin indoors in a perfectly controlled environment using like hydro or even aeroponics and an array of 1000w metal halide or hps lamps, maybe even co2. I used to grow "other stuff" indoors using these methods and growth rates can be phenomenal, plus controlling the hours of light given like 24/0 to 12/12 I would think you could theoretically make it grow twice as long or longer. Anyone ever contemplated this? Would this disqualify your pumpkin from contests and records? Main problem I see is having to remove some exterior walls on the house to get the pumpkin out!! 😬😬

5/7/2016 11:18:16 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I have a large commercial warehouse I have pondered it.. However nope never have .. I would need a big door to remove the kin though or a hole in the wall.. Plus I feel it would be very expensive due to the amount of ferts needed for a full on indoor grow op... I know a guy who has done a hydro outdoor kin.... Corn husk ...

5/8/2016 12:24:12 AM

Nampa

My understanding is anything and everything is game for growing a giant. An indoor grow would take a lot of lights (hard to compete with the sun) and cooling. I built a greenhouse last winter to try to control the environment. I can build up CO2 great until the fans kick on for cooling. Western Labs does a soil solution test combined with petiole samples that give a close reading on nutrition. As growing improves, we are moving closer to controlling what can be controlled. Nothing overcomes the basics though. There are guys growing in huge commercial greenhouses that haven't done any better than the outdoor guys. It helps if you have perfect outdoor weather. I really like looking at my PPM of CO2 though. It makes me feel good. :)

5/8/2016 12:47:27 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I have contemplated turning one of my garages into a winter indoor garden. There would be about 600 sq feet of available grow space.

I would use LED lighting as compared to metal halide or hps. The cost to acquire the amount of lights necessary to equal the sun would be very high. Two advantages of LED is more efficient usage of electricity (spectrum more focused for the colors that plants want) and also less heat generated by the light.

Over the last winter, i went obsessive with indoor growing. My little basement grow room now has 9 LED lights totaling 2000 watts. I also have metal halide and hps lights. And I still think I dont have enough lights available to attempt the sunless pumpkin challenge.

5/8/2016 5:52:00 AM

Rhode Island

a subject i have also pondered many times.

always tweeking the hobby is what keeps the things interesting.

when you think about it look at how much different the traditional plant patterns are today vs twenty five years ago.

i will say though that greenhouse growing has gained a lot of interest over the past five or so years however to grow hydroponic or aeroponic? would be quite expensive considering we are hobby growers.

id like to try on a smaller scale first like giant tomato growing???

stay well
pap

5/8/2016 10:25:32 AM

Rhode Island

a subject i have also pondered many times.

always tweeking the hobby is what keeps the things interesting.

when you think about it look at how much different the traditional plant patterns are today vs twenty five years ago.

i will say though that greenhouse growing has gained a lot of interest over the past five or so years however to grow hydroponic or aeroponic? would be quite expensive considering we are hobby growers.

id like to try on a smaller scale first like giant tomato growing???

stay well
pap

5/8/2016 10:25:52 AM

Central Illinois

you would only need about 80% of the suns energy I think, but thats still high, but indoor gardens have been pretty large for the "other" crop.

Have a large pool of water covered by reinforcement wire for the vines to lay on, have a platform for the pumpkin to sit on

5/8/2016 10:50:34 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

go for it Pap. I havent started any of wixom-growers super winter tomato crosses yet. I dont know if he has any more but, if you would like, I can part with one of the ones I have. I think it could be fun to have you in the slammer contest this year.

5/8/2016 11:00:52 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I have done alot of research on lighting this winter. Many emails back and forth with the manufacturer of LED grow lights. So far, i am concentrating on PAR numbers (Photosynthetically active radiation) and DLI (Daily light integral). My indoor carrot is the experiment. Right now, It is responding well to light stronger than the sun. Next step will be to modify the spectrum. This manufacturer has told me that he will make me any ratio of the spectrum that i desire. He currently has 12 bands of the light spectrum available. But he also has said...he isnt going to do the research. So, now I need to figure out to utilize light better.

5/8/2016 11:11:07 AM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Hey topconsurveyor,
I have an agreement with a couple of other growers that if one of us ever win a big lottery we will be growing that way.
Someone undoubtedly will grow this way soon, whether they absorb the costs themselves or are "sponsored" either way I feel its just a matter of time. An automatic World Record? no. Potential WR technique? Yes,..... I think there are hundreds of growers smart and ambitious enough to accomplish competitive giant pumpkin growing this way. Good Luck....dream BIG!!

5/8/2016 2:40:49 PM

sevierville, Tn

i feel all it takes is money, space and knowledge. It can be done, no doubt in my mind I did a hydro melon in 2011. Got it to 170 lbs but the heat here in the south got it, or i should say the roots. Up till then it was the prettiest, best growing plant i had.

5/8/2016 2:51:39 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

re: tomatoes
it was told to me once there have been some tomatoes weighing over __________ pounds grown aeroponically. I argued no way, the World Record was only 8 pounds. The person told me face to face that they had seen them, but the grower (of course) did not want any attention bought to their growing stage :) Whether that's true or not, it causes one to consider aeroponics as a unique growing technique possible of unique growth?

5/8/2016 2:54:58 PM

Nottingham, UK

We grew inside last year on rockwool in a research lab. Great results and very little root mass. Kind of have to see it to believe it. I learned that if the roots are getting what they need where they are, then the plant will not waste energy creating more root mass to go searching for water and nutrients. That saved energy goes to pumpkin production.

Rockwool, hydroponics/aeroponics, yeah, it does take money and space but it does give the grower complete control. It's also a new way of growing for most and therefore something you have to learn and master for a few years for an individual to get the most out of it.

Email me if you need more info as I'm not often on BP.

Cheers, Peter

5/14/2016 5:19:02 AM