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West Sussex, UK

Hi, I'm a training horticulturalist based in the South of England, and this year I've decided to bite the bullet and do what I've always wanted to, to give it a serious shot at growing a monster pumpkin! I've been doing lots of research, and I've bought some seeds with good genetics harvested from a pumpkin grown by the paton twins that reached over 1,200lbs (and toying with buying some seed from Ron Wallace). The top experts in the UK for growing giant pumpkins seem to recommend this site, so I was hoping you might be able to give me all (or at least some of) the top growing tips.

Cheers

3/18/2018 8:41:43 AM

Syracuse, NY

Go here, study---

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2017&grower=22075&action=L

from the front page, top-left menu, go to Grower Diaries, select a year, starting with 2018, pick one and study, pick another and study, etc. my belief is that there'll be a lot of them in '18 that are in the gearing-up phase of the new growing year, and as you work backward, full seasons appear.
If local, park outside of the Patons' facility and...study.

3/18/2018 10:28:36 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Get a Mentor....

3/19/2018 1:20:25 PM

Deer Park WA

Get your soil tested and adjust for a Ph level of 6.5 to 7. This is the optimum range that makes micro / macro nutriets available to the plant. A ton of other pruning, watering, disease, insect and fertilizer info in between but Ph level is (IMHO) the #1 thing you need to do to be competitive.

3/19/2018 10:38:49 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Great tip from Gad’s, PH is a very important factor and soil test is a must. To follow upon Linus’s advice, contact a grower near you and ask for some mentoring and advice, there really are no secrets, most Pumpkin growers freely share knowledge and advice.

So my advice, is to get a soil sample and seek advice. The best seeds in the world won’t grow well if the soil is not tuned up and ready to grow.

Best of luck, welcome to the madness.

3/19/2018 11:58:28 PM

Wisconsin

Run your own race, be proactive, take care of issues as they arise, focus on the basics, watering, burying and training vines, keeping pests and disease at bay, practice germinating and practice growing to your desired transplant size. Continue your research and find multiple answers to the same question. Make informed decisions on what you feel will work best for you. Have Fun

3/22/2018 10:11:13 AM

Pittsburgh, PA

My big tip is to not be a moron kinda person. Especially when it comes to insecticides and fungicides. More on is not always better and can negatively effect your plants. I found out the hard way last year when I od'd my plants with Eagle 20. Follow recommended dilution rates for what you are growing and if you can't find it on the package labeling, get on BP.com and ask the experts. Wish I would have.

3/22/2018 12:05:58 PM