Giant Pumpkin!
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Now we must prepare the soil. Larger pumpkins are big eaters. We will
dig a 4x4 foot pit for each plant- remove all the soil and replace it with cow manure and compost. This will give the plant good nutrient and loose soil for good root development. Next we will put 6 inches of compost over the rest of the growing area and till it in. Our seeds have been growing in the greenhouse for about 6 weeks. Mid-May it’s time to plant them outside. How guard duty begins! Watch out for these deadly Canadian Geese, foraging deer and wee small insects not to mention rabbits and ground hogs. As it grows it sends out runners. Only the main runner will be allowed to grow. The runner can grow to 40 feet. Now comes the exciting part. Flowers start to appear. When they bloom we will hand pollinate each female flower with a male flower from our plant or the plant from Hershey. Within several days the pumpkin should start to grow. After several weeks, it’s selection time. Only one pumpkin will be allow to grow on each plant. This pumpkin now gets the spa treatment. It is given a soft-slick covered pallet to rest on, a small house to provide shade and protection from the elements, special feeding every week, lots of water, insect repellent, fungus protection, and lots of friend people cheering it on. Each Sunday at 1 pm we will foliar feed Mr. Big and measure its growth. You know what they say, “ Plants grow better if you talk to them.” So do your part. Come visit Mr. Big. Talk! Talk! Talk! Giant Pumpkin UpdateDate:06-14-06 Current Size:5 lbs |
