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Deer Park, WI

If you followed the link in Wizzy's big announcement: www.gpc1.org/images/AGENDA_2018_11-30_1.pdf

you saw that I've been given the honor of taking the stage at the big show in Portland. And it looks like the GPC wants me to present on this top of "barriers to success", based on the input I'm gathering from you, the giant pumpkin growing community.

Having compiled the contributions in the initial post, I have 25 entries, some full, many partial.

Its a great start and I can pull together some insightful conclusions but I'd really like more input.

If you did not contribute to the original post, I am asking for you to list 5-10 of the biggest hurdles to success in the patch. Rank them with 1 being the biggest hurdle, 10 being the least of your concern. Common themes are bugs, disease, time, money, location, etc.

To avoid duplication, I'd ask that those who contributed already watch from the sidelines. I surmise that more than 25 individuals frequent this website, so I respectfully ask those who havent contributed to offer their perspective. Your contributions will culminate in a presentation to the crowd at the big show and a write-up that will be shared for the entire pumpkin community to read and learn from. Thank you!

12/2/2017 8:41:51 AM

Deer Park, WI

Bonus Incentives!

I am going to randomly select a contributor to the original post who will win their choice of a 1918.5 Qualley 2016 MN state record pumpkin seed OR an 1109 Borgers 2016 HarvestFest Howard Dill award winner (356 Borgers x self, it produces beautiful orange fruit).

I will do the same for all NEW contributors to this post. Your choice of one of the above seeds. If we get 10 or more new entries in this post, I will send both winners both seeds.

12/2/2017 9:16:46 AM

Peosta, Iowa

Time
Weather
Disease
Knowledge
Bugs
Money

12/2/2017 9:21:28 AM

Griffith, In

Pete sure hit the big ones,,,How about out side people and/ or animals that come into your patch,,,i.e. mice, raccoons, deer, ground hogs, and humans (parents or grand parents with kids wanting pictures next to the big pumpkin)or vandals thinking it will make them be cool to destroy your hard work.

12/2/2017 10:14:53 AM

Griffith, In

Another is getting your soil balanced and in sync with your soil test and reading and understanding your soil or tissue test,,,I guess that would fall into the knowledge category, but something specific.

12/2/2017 10:19:42 AM

Central Illinois

weather
uncontrollable (animals 24D vandalism)
poor observation (not seeing problems soon enough)
improper use of chemicals (leaf burn etc)
unbalanced soil
not spending enough efficient time in the garden

12/2/2017 10:23:07 AM

Eddyz@efirehose.net

location, if you want to be a top contender
weather, goes with location
commitment
time
time
time yup 3 of them, cause with time you can eradicate bugs, weeds, disease management, etc
soil
soil twice, without soil being spot on you can spend all the time you want but still spin your wheels
knowledge. you need the fundamentals for sure
money

12/2/2017 10:28:36 AM

nOVA sCOTIA

Money..in order to be competative growers need to spend a small fortune and getting worse every year

Knowledge..would love to have access to these seminars or see them shared on BP.

Geographical location..getting through spring weather in this area without freezing is a miracle

Seed...the best genetics are becoming out of reach especially for Canadian growers. Exchange rates are killing us and no discount at all at auctions to help out

12/2/2017 10:55:38 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Location - Weather/local,Wind,Hail,Snow,HEAT,Rain. Critters.
Ease of Accessibility > Early Spring Access
SOIL> Next to Most Important, ties with Location
Grower Knowledge - Best soil in the world wont help a grower that has poor knowledge, S- Curves, Pollination, Protection,Fertilzation, Disease prevention and cure.
Equipment - Tractors? Tillers, BP SPrayers,
Luck.....

12/2/2017 11:07:11 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Oh and add Spousal Support.

12/2/2017 11:07:56 AM

Nd

Time
Money
weather
disease
insects
reading the plant
fertilizer when and how much

12/2/2017 11:11:59 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Physical properties of soil: slope, too sandy, too much clay, poor surface or internal drainage, high water table, rocks, etc.
Herbicide drift or runoff from neighboring properties
Micro climate conditions: deep valleys with less sun, cold air sinking in at night, higher humidity.
Space limitations

12/2/2017 12:00:55 PM

SW Ohio

Being reactive instead of proactive
Working harder instead of smarter
Rushing thru jobs instead of taking your time (grower error)
Not reading labels
Putting off treating problems

12/2/2017 3:02:50 PM

Jericho Vermont

All of the above but needs to include a total commitment of hard work needed throughout the whole season.

12/2/2017 3:22:25 PM

Not having plant available nutrients in soil

12/2/2017 5:17:25 PM

Cincinnati,OH

For me.
location, too much shade to little space.
money, not enough for a better location lol.
desire, how much time and money am I willing to spend to correct the following.
fertility issues
disease issues
insect issues
critter issues

12/2/2017 6:27:51 PM

Thomas wv

Soil test adjust.Cover crop.Choosing seed.Soil test again.good weather.Take your time patch. Inspection of plants daily.fertilizing.make sure your kin is not setting in water.incecticides.burying vines

12/2/2017 6:39:57 PM

Thomas wv

I am a new grower so that's my main concerns first year so don't judge lol

12/2/2017 6:40:53 PM

visting those successful( patch) in your area to see what there doing you might not be

using wi fi or blue tooth yet? times are changing

theres timing to most everything, phenology

12/2/2017 7:03:09 PM

Colorado

Convincing spouse to give more room for plants
Feeding schedule
watering schedule
being ahead of disease
pushing the plant
Money, getting more bang for the buck
The rest has been covered above.

12/2/2017 7:43:03 PM

Long Island,New York

summer vacation
work
wife
kids
relatives

12/2/2017 7:43:37 PM

Ontario

Commitment, access to the products we need, watering system,time time and more time,weather and optimism

12/2/2017 8:36:39 PM

Westmoreland, KS

1) Knowledge - until you understand your environment you'll never be able to compete with the big boys.
2) Being able to fail - I think in our hobby a lot of the new people give up the first time they fail. This hobby is not forgiving and for those that aren't able to fail and keep going, they just quit.
3) Disease - To many different diseases and not enough knowledge.
4) Time - I think it really helps you out in this hobby if you can dedicate several hours a day to your patch. A missed day can mean the end of the season.
5) Yourself - I think we sometimes get in the way of success, changing to often, not changing enough or not willing to learn from past mistakes can be a big issue for us during the season.
6) Life - People with kids, traveling requirements get in the way...why can't we just grow pumpkins and worry about everything else later.
7) Money - I honestly don't think where you live would make one bit of difference if you were willing to spend the money on the perfect greenhouse to make the perfect pumpkin environment.
8) Crazy - This is a barrier to me because if you aren't a bit nuts you won't be able to continue with this hobby!

12/2/2017 9:45:58 PM

Grittyville, WA

lol Jake yes sanity could be a barrier to success ...ha ha i like that one

12/2/2017 10:13:40 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

1) Motivation. You have to want it
2) knowledge
3) weather
4) time
5) money, the ol mighty dollar
6) disease
7) poor planning
8) outside influences
9) other interest
10) fear

12/2/2017 10:20:41 PM

Whidbey Island

I grow in the same spot year after year. I believe "tired" soil may be an issue. Also, for me the cold weather I have to put up with is a problem.

12/2/2017 10:21:25 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

And for some of us this year a firestorm

12/2/2017 10:22:12 PM

Cheyenne,WY

1. Weather--Especially sustained high winds and average nightly lows that are in the low 50s during primetime.
2. Just having enough time, I've tried to automate many things, but are there areas that are easier to automate that I should be doing?
3. Knowledge sharing--I wish there were more growers that lived within 20 miles.
4. Learning to apply the correct amount of nutrients and the timing when to apply.
5. Folliar feeding vs root feeding and best practices.

12/2/2017 10:35:06 PM

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Genetics
Genetics
Genetics
Genetics
Genetics - the only thing you can't spend time or money in a given year to fix. A nice 4000lb x 4000lb cross would be handy!

Time/Other Commitments and Obligations
Time/Other Commitments and Obligations
Time/Other Commitments and Obligations
Time/Other Commitments and Obligations

Money - to set up electricity at the patch and buy soil heating cables and other night time heating. And a fully automated temperature and lighting controlled greenhouse.

12/2/2017 10:42:30 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Guessing that this falls under what I seem to think as the Knowledge catagory! When? do I start spraying for bugs? When do I start treating for fungus type problems? When do I start adding fert's, after starting the plant? & what type, and (again when)? Peace, Wayne

12/3/2017 1:59:52 AM

Ontario, Canada

Sounds like we got everything covered other that a satellite falling out of the sky. LOL.

12/3/2017 9:32:06 AM

Plainville, Connecticut 06062

Here is my opinion not necessarily in order for the most important but close.
1. First a good place to grow with enough sunlight.
2. A knowledgeable Mentor with years of experience.
3. Good Genetic proven seeds.
4. Good decent soil with a soil test balanced with professional help.
5. Watering needs to be just right. To much rot appears to Little hurts growth. This is a very important segment of growing.
6. Disease control an easy chart to follow proven tactics.
7. Insect control proven products easy chart to follow with directions.
8. Weed control hurts growth retards health of plant not enough info on this subject how others do it?
9. Enough good amendments. They are expensive and some growers can not afford what they really need to go big.
10. Weather how to handle different weather conditions. Wind,rain,no rain not enough sun.
11. Time tenacity never give up go to the end. Make a commitment and stick with it! More hard work brings more luck to the grower.

So there you have my quick thought out things that I think every grower especially new growers need to think about. I am sure I left out a few key topics, one thing for sure is are you ready to handle big disappointments, because in this hobby they seem sometimes to appear around every corner.

12/3/2017 7:10:52 PM

Rhode Island

I agree with Pooh- Bear Great Answers.

12/3/2017 8:02:43 PM

NE Wisconsin

1. Money - This is high on my list because I'm a new grower, and it's not a cheap endeavor. Think of everything that you have slowly accumulated over the years, new growers need to purchase a bulk of it in the first year. This is probably the biggest limiting factor to new growers. Tools, containers, seeds, fertilizers, sprayers, seed starting equipment, lights, fans, heaters, water system, tanks, fence, hoop houses, green houses, the list could go on and on.

2. Knowledge
3. Weather
4. Time
5. Insects/disease
6. Critters
7. Luck

12/3/2017 8:40:00 PM

Michigan,up North

yep ,money ,trying two raise 4 kids in this f up world ,have 2 get a plate for the van ,was 80 last time now up to 156 weres that money going ,roads r still full of pot holes , life ,boo hoo

12/3/2017 10:19:37 PM

South East

Every southern grower knows its location, location, location. Everything else can be solved with money providing you have the motivation, (or are obsessed enough) to go all the way.


1 good soil. Takes the most time and money to start off with here in our sandy hills
2 irrigation. Proper watering is underrated I never been satisfied. We left hundreds of lbs in patch due to watering
3 disease control. Southern heat and humidity can be deadly for getting soil and leaf issues.
4 pest control. With good weather come many bugs
5 shade; because its to hot to max out here without a shade net
6 wind protection: One storm can end you season if your not carefull
7 fertilizing: The easiest to do, very hard to get the desired effect.
8 weed control. Untill day 50 or so.
9 fruit protection: a nice tarp to protect from sun and rain, a nice base of sand under it and mousse traps in late season.
10 Lifting the fruit.

12/3/2017 11:03:29 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Summer vacation. All is good before. All is bad after. But time with my family is far more important.

12/3/2017 11:05:04 PM

Netherlands

In my case:
1. personal health
2. climate
3. building restrictions/lack of electricity at community garden
4. money
5. knowledge

12/4/2017 4:10:08 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

1) Timing- the critical time of watching your plant to make the best decision to feed what the plant is telling you
2) Making great friends with great growers - Learn that they do and apply what you have learned from them
3) Motivation - Nothing can be done without Confidence in yourself to make yourself a better grow
4) Building your soil - More Humus in your soil-rotate cover crops several times in the Spring and Summer in the patch not being used that year
5)Learn all you can from growers in the off season - ask questions
6) Take notes - write a journal and compare season to season what you learned and what works best for your climate
5)

12/4/2017 8:04:39 AM

Eugene,OR

Sorry Joe, I know that I already posted on the previous thread, but I recently found something that I think is interesting...so here it is.

I was looking at the TED Talks web site & found a presentation made my Tony Robbins which is listed as one of the 25 most popular TED talks ever. It is entitled "Why We Do What We Do". In it he lists the most common things which people believe limit success. They are: Time, Money, Technology, Contacts, Experience, and Management. When I saw this I was amazed at how similar it was to all of our list of things which limit our ability to grow giant pumpkins. He went on to say that he doesn't believe that these "resources" are the limiting factors, rather it is our "resourcefulness" which truly limits each of us. He believes that: Creativity, Determination, Love/Caring, Curiosity, Passion, & Resolve limit our ability to achieve things.

I think this is interesting and hope that it is worth a second post from me. After all, it is sourced from a man who has spoken to more than 3 million people over the last 30 years.

12/4/2017 8:15:16 AM

Partlow,Va

Great post Vineman

12/4/2017 9:04:54 AM

Deer Park, WI

Vineman- Priceless contribution. My personal opinion aligns perfectly with Mr. Robbin's message and it is both surprising and unsurprising how barriers to success in the patch align with barriers to success in most other aspects of life.

12/4/2017 9:26:03 AM

Petersburg, Mi

Sick soil
Identifying sick plants before it is to late
Pest controls, both chemical and organic

12/4/2017 10:17:48 AM

Centerburg, OH

1) battling the crazy summer heat and humidity in sourthren climates. I’m talking about 100 degrees or over

2) not having aggressive roots. Use Mykos, water far out. Have loose soil etc... can’t figure out

3) lack of knowledge. I had no idea how the plants were suppose to look, referring to leaf size, greeness of leaves until I went on a patch tour. After being able to see all that, I was able to see what I was doing wrong. After talking to growers I still find things I can do better.

4)growing in small shaded areas is hard. It’s defintely been a hurdle to grow in only a couple hours of sun, and combined with space restrictions it is hard to come up with ways to maximize potential

5)disease control has been hard, I finally got it down, but when I was just starting, there is so many fungicides, contact, systemic etc... knowing what to rotate and why and when took me 2 years to get right. I think a genreal guide of what difffent sprays you can use, amounts per a gallon, a example of a rotation would help new growers.

6)fertilizing was also just mastered, so many things like what NPK to use at different times. Also depends on soil, for the first three years, I had the most deficient plants. Also telling growers to water the whole patch is a big thing, and not just the stump.

7)soil compaction is hard in silt based soils, seems like every time a rain comes the soil recompacts, not to mention even using walking boards only helps a little as the soil is that sensitive to compaction.

8)getting a pollination to take has been a challenge if it is extremely hot, even with ice. Now I found a cooler trick that works. But before it was near impossible

9)some seeds seem to only do well in certain areas, from what I observed in my patch. I could have the hottest seed, and that doesn’t mean it will do well, while a unproven seed could do way better in my patch.

That’s all I got, hope that helps - Zach

12/4/2017 3:16:40 PM

Cheyenne, Wyoming

1. Wind
2. Hail
3. Freezing temps/night time temps maxing at 52 degrees mid summer.
4. Chlorine from our city water supply
5. Neighbors aspen tree roots constantly growing into the patch
6. Going on Vacation
7. Improper use of powdery mildew control chemical
8. Not being able to see in far corners of greenhouse so fifteen 40-60 pound pumpkins grow there unknowingly.

12/4/2017 9:37:44 PM

That State Up North

Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
Money
Money
Money
Money
Money

12/6/2017 2:04:30 PM

Vernal, Ut

how about myself.. Every year I do something dumb thinking it will help or just hurrying and then tell myself that was really stupid and I can see how it hurt my growth.

12/6/2017 3:14:47 PM

Sharon, MA

disease
bugs
soil
water
sun (too much)
plant space
wind damage
heat
frost

12/6/2017 10:04:36 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I know a lot of these have been stated already but I have done a power point on growing kins and I believe we mess up our season before it starts
So my list would be
Seed starting... yes #1 you can trash you season as soon as the tap root gets burned on the bottom of the peat pot...
root ryzoshere #2...... I’m sure that’s spelled wrong but cold wet soil doesn’t have a lot going for it...
Micro climate.#3....hoop house ... if things ain’t right you again just threw away that expensive seed and trashed your season... a healthy plant will grow a bigger kin than a non healthy one
Soil health #4 healthy soil aka micro organisms steril soil won’t grow much of anything
Proper moisture#5
A wife who knows your goals and aspirations #6 if my wife hasn’t backed me up I would have been done along time ago
Time #7 I don’t waste time on just going to look at the plants if I go out I am going to do something... also I feel less is more let the plant be a plant.. after all there genetic make up tells them they want to be a giant pumpkin
#8 figure out your specific limiting factors... I mean I have to use 500 ft of extension cord and hoses to water and such I could have grown larger kins if I had more water and less hose ..
#9 money figure out what you need and don’t just buy something to buy it.. plus I buy in bulk yes bulk it saves a lot of $ that allows for more stuff.. also wholesale accounts save $ ****(site one landscape supply )***has a giant pumpkin grower account don’t believe me go and check out one of there stores... I bet you won’t pay retail anymore....they used to be John deer landscapes...
#10 mental/ physical drive get your head in the game don’t be a part time grower plants need attention when they need attention just not on Saturday evening bugs don’t just wait for you to do something.. proactive and reactive in the same time span.... it only takes a few minutes to spray and kill

12/8/2017 10:20:29 AM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

Lol joe I don’t need anymore seeds FYI.... but I can always use another drink...lol

12/8/2017 10:21:37 AM

People not absorbing the hints being given in some HH diaries such as Ron and Pumpconn

12/9/2017 7:08:55 AM

Muddy Waters

1.Thinking outside of the box(old school methods are not ALL proven facts. Just theories.some wrong.
Like Russ says be creative & try new things.Bubbas dirty (socks lol)
2.Weather
3.Money if I had bottomless pockets could build a 2 million dollar greenhouse & be in the top 3 every year regardless of weather.
4.Time is money & vice versa
5.soil/balanced & loose

12/9/2017 7:09:47 PM

Muddy Waters

6. I learned from Pap Wallace Focus on your grow (no one elses)
7.Heat= beating the heat by shading the plants
8.Micro feeding plants
9.watering to much to little its a roller coaster
10.Buy a Blower= Disease & insects go hand in hand

12/9/2017 7:16:27 PM