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Deer Park, WI

Pumpkin growers-

waaaaaaaaaaay back in 2003 I wrote one of my first articles on giant pumpkin growing called "Top Ten Pests" where I surveyed growers here on BP.com and the Mallorn mailing list (how's that for throw-back?) to share their top nemeses in the garden.

You can find the original article on the SCGA homepage: www.stcroixgrowers.org

I'd like to do a rewrite of this article and capture a new dataset in the process. I need your help to do it tho. There's power in numbers and crowd sourcing from this esteemed group is how we can get there.

Rather than focusing on pests, I'd like to broaden the survey to "obstacles to success" The word "pests" tends to imply bugs. I'd rather not limit the scope, and include non-bug stressors like lack of time, soil disease, disgruntled neighbors, hail, or any other thing that caps upside patch potential.

So I am humbly asking for your help to contribute to a survey that seeks to identify the primary factors that limit your ability in the patch. Please reply to this thread and provide 5-10 obstacles to success. Rank them in order, with #1 being the worst and so on.

I'd love for this thread to set a record for most replies. (I think the "seed auction code of ethics" topic currently holds that record, and we shouldnt let a political issue take that cake. I know, I know, guilty as charged:) So I am asking the quiet lurkers to engage your keyboard on this one and help make a data-driven contribution to an article that could help many future growers jumping into the hobby.

Once activity on this thread dies down, I'll compile the stats and create a summary article to share with all.

Thanks for participating!!

11/13/2017 9:36:14 PM

Eugene,OR

1. The individual grower having a lack of science-based horticultural knowledge.
2. Making stupid fatal errors (for example- breaking off your main vine just before your set pumpkin). Pete Glasier calls this "Grower Error."
3. Going on vacation & having a "qualified person" take care of your patch in your absence.
4. Rogue hot days that happen unexpectedly.
5. Thinking that you know all of the answers and are not willing to learn from others because you think you have it all figured out.
6. Being lazy.
7. Automated systems which unexpectedly fail.
8. Weather
9. Mis-interpreting a soil test & applying the wrong quantities of amendments.
10. Random disasters which are centered on your patch (birds attacking your newly pollinated fruit, broken water lines, power outages, etc.)

11/13/2017 10:09:06 PM

Eugene,OR

Oh yeah, the things listed above aren't ALL mistakes I've made...only most of them.

11/13/2017 10:10:16 PM

On a cliff in the desert

1. Designated patch area in yard is in worst area because of lack of sunlight and weed problem. Flower garden is in best/most sunlight, weed free.
2. Neighbors that won't take care of their creeping charlie, dandelions, and other weeds, and it ends up in my patch. Tired of fighting a battle I can't win.
3. Low budget. Having to find low cost solutions to things I need like using southern exposure egress windows with a blue plastic cover as a spring greenhouse.
4. Patchwork lowest in priority of things to do around the house.
5. Having to figure out what works best in a bad designated patch area.
6. Making stupid errors like not paying attention when watering plants and uprooting vines when carrying the hose around.
7. Not enough water pressure for my watering system of hoses and sprinklers. I use several faucet splitters.
8. Critters that mark around/in the patch with urine, and then my dog starts a peeing contest with the critter to see whose mark is supreme. Critters also take bites out pumpkins.
9. Not paying attention to female flowers ready to bloom. Sometimes one blooms that I was unaware of, open pollinates, and sets while the one I hand pollinate doesn't set.

11/13/2017 11:26:05 PM

nowthen

1. Time
2. Inexperience
3. Weeds
4. Weather
5. Time
6. Bears

11/13/2017 11:31:37 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Lol Russ, sounds like a few growers we all know...

11/13/2017 11:54:17 PM

Zimmerman, Minnesota

1.Time
2. Money
3. Bugs
4. Soil
5. Weather
6. Disease
7. Stupid mistakes (stepping on a vine)
8. Vacation
9. Getting the right seed
10. Deer/rabbit

11/13/2017 11:57:08 PM

Walhalla, ND.

1. Lack of knowledge on how to bring soil to optimum levels based on soil sample. I.E. how much of this and that to add.
2. Weeds
3. Wind- I set up several wind breaks but in doing so it creates wind turbulences that I just can't seem to control.

11/13/2017 11:59:16 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

1. Taking valuable time away from family by being in the garden all the time along with their lack of support and interest.
2. Various combinations from the lists above.

11/14/2017 1:09:50 AM

Ohio

1) tree cover & lack of direct sun
2) non-arable land
3) knowledge of small engine repair
4) vehicle access to patch for transport

11/14/2017 3:30:23 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

space
money
woodchucks

11/14/2017 7:16:33 AM

Dillonvale, Ohio

1. Lack of experience, time will give it to me, but patience is not my virtue.
2. Knowledge of pests and disease
3. Squash bugs
4. Time in the patch
5. Squash bugs
6. Friends to call with problems, a mentor. I have 1, more would be nice, I also need to have the willingness to call.
7. Squash bugs
8. Money
9. If I didn't mention it, squash bugs

11/14/2017 7:25:26 AM

50 Acres

Provincial regulations that prohibit you buying pestisides in your local hardware or farm store.

11/14/2017 8:59:50 AM

Bethlehem CT

1. Murphy's law
2. YVD
3. Lack of time
4. Lack of money
5. Lack of effort (not giving it your all)
6. The Pumpkin rotting in the patch before it is done growing.
7 Getting a seed with genetic issues. i.e. ribbon vines, aborting fruit etc.
8. Poor weather, too wet, too cold, too hot, wind, hail etc.
9. Getting discouraged. (not believing and ultimately quitting.)
10. Not having space for patch rotation. New soil is important.

11/14/2017 9:03:26 AM

Johnston, Iowa

1. Increasing frequency of extreme weather
2. Lack of space for patch
3. Lack of time
4. Going on frequent trips for work & needing a "qualified person" who actually cares take care of your patch in your absence.
5. Pumpkin rotting in patch a couple of weeks prior to my fall weigh-off

11/14/2017 10:02:34 AM

Mn

1. Over thinking
2. Under thinking
3. too much water
4. not enough water
5. weather too cold
6. weather too hot
7. too much nitrogen
8. not enough nitrogen
9. new ott chart
10. old ott chart

11/14/2017 12:35:14 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Co2 at 1000ppm's

Or


Co2 at 1500ppm's

?

And everything Q said.

11/14/2017 5:46:35 PM

Woodward, Oklahoma

1 Hail/wind/weather all in all.
2 Money
3 Over watering o keep my plants cool on the 100+ days
4 squash bugs
5 not really knowing what todo as it was my first year.
6 The wife about to much time in the patch
7 The kids wanting to help and wanting me to teach them but I didn’t really even know what I was doing.
8 The heart break every time I would lose a 200 or 300lber it would bring me down.
9 not paying enough attention to my stumps and not keeping them dry enough.
10. The hot sun!

11/14/2017 6:51:24 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

1.Neighbors who spray Weed and Feed
2.A little is good, a lot is better
3.A Jealous wife, is an angry pumpkin grower. Every once in a while go see her when you get home from work, before you check on the pumpkins
4. I'll get those weeds next week. Weeds grow 100 times faster than pumpkins
5. I need to adjust the vine and stem just a little bit. CRACK!!! @#$%#@

11/15/2017 7:32:17 AM

Buffalo, MN (Billsbigpumpkins@hotmail.com)

Weeds, weeds, weeds and more weeds.
It is too cold.
It is too hot.
It is too windy.
It is too wet.
I hate the sleepless nights.
I hate spraying the cides.
I’m getting older.
I’m getting slower.
I’m getting clumsy.
I’ll do it tomorrow.
Can’t wait for tomorrow.
And all the above

11/15/2017 10:07:46 AM

Lexington, Ky

I wouldn't mind adding to this potentially long running thread if you'd answer a question in the Field Pumpkin forum...lol.

11/15/2017 7:22:16 PM

North Smithfield, RI

1. too proud to ask for help & advice
2. work conflicts
3. physical limitations in later yrs
4. squash bugs
5. soil disease
6. weather ( hot, cold , rainy )
7. laziness
8. mucho weeds
9. woodchucks & mice
10 $$$$$$$

11/15/2017 8:40:37 PM

Deer Park, WI

I responded to your thread, Wexler

11/16/2017 8:18:31 AM

Lexington, Ky

Ph too high
High humidity
SVB pressure
Vine growth in front of fruit stalls after fruit set
Weeds
Powdery Mildew

11/16/2017 9:44:21 AM

Pittsburgh, PA

1. Lack of sufficient sunlight
2. Bad soil
3. $$$ to correct bad soil
4. Not enough space to grow
5. Patch too wet most of the time
6. Lack of knowledge for mixing insecticides and fungicides when they are not meant for AG plants and therefore not listed in instructions for use
7. Weeds
8. Bugs (especially cucumber beetles)
9. Powdery Mildew
10. Lack patience and try to rush things which take more time (for instance, getting vines to lay down, S bend main at fruit)
11. Overthinking every detail - A. Should I water today or not? B. It rained yesterday, should I apply more fungicides? C. Is my wind break doing more harm then good by reducing airflow to my plants? D. Tree, Flag or Spider Web pattern? E. How can I fit 4 plants in 2500 sqft? F. What seed should I plant? It goes on and on and on and keeps me up at night. haha

11/16/2017 12:35:33 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

For the new Jareds Patch.
1) No Water close by, and when moved will have pressure issues.
2) No electricity close by.
3) New soil is filled with rocks, sticks in Clay, years to improve, $$$ to fix, tractors and time.
4) No wind protection, out in wind tunnel now. What topsoil we do make will blow away.
5) Wont have bug pressure, nothing grows in current soil, and they will never be able to hold on. See comment 4
6) Out in middle, no control over who gets to visit the pumpkin from visitors.
7) Patch will be wet since its in the middle of a drainage area...
7a) During wet times will be very difficult to access. Getting there down hill, getting out not good.
8) We are screwed. Blessed to have grown where we were but thats over now. Was a fun ride while it lasted.

11/16/2017 12:56:12 PM

Deer Park WA

1) Time in the patch to maximize plant and fruit growth (work 60 hrs per week).
2) Neighbor complains when mist blowing after 8:00 PM when stoma open.
3) Neighbor complains when I bring in 30 yards of chicken manure to compost (wind blows towards their property)
4) Neighbor complains when I garden on "Naked Gardening" day...
5) Really don't have anything holding our weight back other than time to dedicate.

11/16/2017 6:58:57 PM

Grittyville, WA

1 greenhouse or lower elevation / more moderate night temps
2 lack of knowledge about fertilizer, too much guessing
3 soil health/ph/myco/soil pests & disease
4 luck / picking the right seed
5 more sunlight
6 time / money

11/18/2017 2:43:18 AM

Princeville, IL

1. Time
2. Disease
3. Insects
4. Watering
5. Proper feeding
6. Vine positioning
7. Weeds- probably should be higher up
8. Adverse weather
9. Proper shading
10. Vertebrate animals

11/18/2017 10:16:59 AM

Vancouver, WA

1. Understanding and implementing soil recommendations from soil tests.
2. Understanding the importance and or need of tissue tests.
3. Understanding in what order it takes for an individuals success for personal success. Example would be: why am I trying to get a 2145 seed when my soil is out of wack and there's a tree shading my patch.
4.Like Hobbit and Q said in my words, how muck of what, when.
Thanks for your efforts Joe. Maybe this could be a topic for discussion at Portland spring seminar.

11/18/2017 1:13:25 PM

Vancouver, WA

Oops what the muck.

11/18/2017 1:17:59 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Joe, did you or did you not request a list of 10 from each person posting replies on this forum?
Some have 10 & some have less than 10. Do I need 10 reasons to officially enter this list? Peace, Wayne

11/23/2017 12:08:53 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Just re-read post & saw 5-10 reasons...& best reason listed so far is "Bears"!!! Peace, Wayne

11/23/2017 12:12:27 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

So, if I reply one more time...will we set a new record? Let me know? Peace, Wayne

11/23/2017 12:14:44 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Joe, did you or did you not request a list of 10 from each person posting replies on this forum?
Some have 10 & some have less than 10. Do I need 10 reasons to officially enter this list? Peace, Wayne

11/23/2017 12:15:22 AM

Deer Park, WI

I asked for 10. If one or five or seven were given, its no biggie. I use a weighted rating system such that the first answer given carries more weight than the second and so on.

its gonna be quite a ride to sort thru all these unique answers and try to bucket them into some semblance of order, but I look forward to the challenge.

Need more contributions tho! If you havent contributed yet, please do so!

11/23/2017 7:29:12 AM

Grittyville, WA

@agteacher...Weeds-probably should be higher up... lol how high do you figure :)

11/25/2017 5:00:26 AM

Grittyville, WA

Be careful what you wish for agteacher...? (ha ha)

11/25/2017 5:06:17 AM

Partlow,Va

1.Humidity, its 95% almost every night in July & Aug from 9pm to 9am
2.Other weather related things like too much rain from thunderstorms, having to use shade
3.Not living in a pumpkin growing area. No patch tours, growers or weigh-offs nearby
4.Disease and Mildews
5.Keeping out numerous hungry vertebrate animals
6.Keeping myself motivated to work on the hot days
7.Spraying. I don't like spraying, and also having to convert, figure out spray rates/gallon, what to use and when.
8.Time. The time growing takes to do it right, but also using all my spare time for growing and not anything else like coming home early from vacations or not going at all
9.Bugs esp cuc beetles
10.Weeds

11/25/2017 2:15:24 PM