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Cincinnati,OH

Anyone have a clue of what the largest pumpkin grown hydroponically is ?

3/6/2017 7:49:01 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

I am interested too...I think John Barlow might have the record right now. As I have become more involved with hydro...i can see in a year or two of attempting one in the 150 sq ft contest. Hopefully someday I will be able to grow a full size one. 800 sq ft times 2 ft deep is a big pool....12,000 gallons. With the nutrient solution I am using now..it would cost a fortune just in nutrient solution alone to charge that much fluid. With nutrient changes every two weeks...it would cost $12,500 at my current level for a full size plant.

3/6/2017 7:58:25 PM

Western NY

probably this one:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2014&grower=69838&action=L

3/7/2017 8:06:54 AM

Wixom MI.

Bnot its only money!!! do you plan on putting your pumpkin on a raft ? LOL...(0:

3/7/2017 12:47:27 PM

Torrance, Ca.

After seeing bobs indoor grow room Chris, money's not an issue ;)

3/7/2017 1:41:55 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

My indoor grow area was not that much...not compared to all these outdoor growers with their fancy greenhouses. Looking at you So Cal..with jealousy. Divide the cost of what I invested for indoors by a 10 year lifespan...it is cheap to be able to grow year round. If I can bring my indoor spending up to match that of the outdoor spending...i think i might actually have something good. I am really starting to learn the nuances of hydro using the indoor setup.

3/7/2017 4:31:32 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

The link you posted Andy was a pumpkin grown hydro that weighed 641 pounds. Here is a link to John Barlows that weighed 956 pounds.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=226891

3/7/2017 4:35:21 PM

Cincinnati,OH

Thanks for the posts. I know a grower in Australia who has one taping 660.

3/7/2017 6:21:15 PM

Torrance, Ca.

True Bob,,, I was just sharing today how much the greenhouse growing and Irragation costs with a local grower. All I can really say is,,,, don't tell my wife.:) The money spending part is done now and it's all about sweat and tears!

3/7/2017 6:49:17 PM

Central Illinois

I dont see how they can be called hydro if the secondaries are rooted down, if I cut the stump off mine is it hydro

3/8/2017 8:55:40 AM

Australia

If the secondary roots and stump are rooted in a hydroponic system, its hydroponic for sure.

this is how I had two of my secondaries and part of the main vine. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/Rollux/P1060185_zpsegxv3fx4.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/Rollux/P1060184_zpspvoaaijn.jpg

3/8/2017 3:11:11 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

thanks for the pictures...that is definitely a hydro setup. Plant will not be getting any nutrients from the clay pebbles. What kind of hydro system are you using. I am not seeing any drip lines so I am wondering if it is a modified NFT system. Ideally when i give hydro pumpkins a try it will be in a recirculating DWC system.

3/8/2017 4:17:44 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

John has an amazing set up I think he has the biggest for sure

3/8/2017 9:20:48 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=246847
this one finished at 363 OTT" estimated, waan't weighed because that darker area below the blossom started to get soft and I harvested the seeds I called it Rocky2 and its seed grew my 1929.5 last year
Grown on a bed of pearock, recirculation system, vines covered with pearock allowed rooting

3/8/2017 11:54:06 PM

Australia

Bnot, that is expanded clay, the clay does soak up the nutrients and water, the roots latch on to each and everyone of those clay balls.

At the beginning of the system I have an old bath tub full of expanded clay for the stump, that sits above a 200ltr reservoir and the the water gravity drains to the reservoir.
The other channels I have are 1.8 meter long and are also full of expanded clay. I do not have drip lines running along the length of the channels. I only have one 4mm line at the beginning of the channel and that runs on the same theory, its above the height of the reservoir so I have piping to let it run back to the reservoir.
You'll find that even without running nutrients top to bottom over the length of the channel that its always wet just below the surface. Thats what gets the roots started and once the roots get large enough they tap into the nutrients flowing below. The channels would be NFT or a version of it anyway. The bath tub I dont know that it would be classified as NFT.
I've done a bit of growing in Deepwater, my first giant pumpkin vine was DWC with no secondaries and I wasn't a fan of it, it was too hard to fill and maintain the reservoir once the root system got big, and trying to pump air through the water was another challenge. DWC is cheaper for sure, but so much harder for maintenance. I much prefer the idea of channels running the length of the secondaries and just running water through that. Rather than trying to place dwc pots at every node and then to maintain each pot at every node....
My system does require 200 ltr reservoir atleast and I have a float valve on that running to another tank to keep my original reservoir topped up. Its all reverse osmosis too. In the peak of summer I was running my reverse osmosis 24/7 just to keep up with the amount of water 2 secondary vines, the stump and part of the main vine could drink. Next season I will double the amount of channels I will have.

3/9/2017 12:34:16 AM

Australia

This is the bathtub running dropping nutrients back into the reservoir.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwYzQFYHLzm7bDh2cWdfYXJRN2c/view?usp=sharing

These are the lines running out of the reservoir to the secondary channels.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwYzQFYHLzm7ZXI0aHNBWHNvbGM/view?usp=sharing

Line running into channel
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwYzQFYHLzm7QW5FUGF6b2VzTXM/view?usp=sharing

Drainage piping from channels
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwYzQFYHLzm7RE9ab0lSQXJldHM/view?usp=sharing

Drainage piping running back to reservoir
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwYzQFYHLzm7cTJVYkRkVW5ZdDg/view?usp=sharing

3/9/2017 12:50:54 AM

Australia

Better picture of Bathtub on the reservoir, I've cut the main stump out now, growing a tomato in its place, but the setup is how it was.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwYzQFYHLzm7Mkt3SmdtUHhyRXM/view?usp=sharing

overall view of channels how they are now.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwYzQFYHLzm7NW1YZWV1RVNBVVU/view?usp=sharing

I'm certain you'll get more roots with a system like this rather than DWC.

3/9/2017 1:06:50 AM