May 2010 - Pumpkin Newsletter

Hi there pumpkin growers!!! Here is the first of our Pumpkin Grower Newsletters. These emails won’t be too long but will be packed with helpful information on growing your giant pumpkin.

Most of you probably already have your giant pumpkins in the ground, so we are going to start with early season care of your plant. The first 60 days of the plant's life are the most important; this is when the plant puts out most of their vine growth, when they start to bloom, and when they push their fruit. So…here we go!

Assuming you are a real pumpkin fanatic like me, you want to nurture your young prize producer in its toddler period. The most important thing to guard against is cold weather and frost. Frost will kill the plant and cold weather will slow its growth. Most people recognize the former, but are not as aware of the latter.

You should build a small cold frame or a simple hotcap to cover the plant on cold nights. It does not need to be large or elaborate as the plant is small, and you just need to maximize the overnight temperatures. A little scrap wood and plastic sheeting is all you need. Cover the plants on cool nights, even if there is no frost warning. Make sure to uncover them in the morning before or very shortly after the sun reaches them. If you forget and leave it on during a warm, sunny day, you will have some replanting to do when you get home from work.

As you surf the Internet you will find others who have gone to the extreme of providing small space heaters inside a hotcap or cold frame, this is a little more extreme measure for anyone who has the time or is willing to put in that extra effort. If you are in a northern climate with late springs (especially in Canada), you may need to consider this in order to provide the plant a long enough season to produce a monster pumpkin.

As I mentioned, surf the net! The internet is an incredibly powerful tool when it comes to finding tips and tricks for growing giant pumpkins. Utilize it, you will find many many different options, it's like giant pumpkin growing has a whole world of its own. And once you get the hang of it, this is a hobby you won’t want to quit any time soon!
Please feel free to email me with any questions that you come up with throughout your pumpkin growing season. You can also post questions on our facebook page designed specifically for the Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off. You will be hearing from me again in a few weeks! Until then good luck with your plants!

~The Pumpkin Grower