Gardening

[Pumpkinman]

You can get Atlantic giants in Canada, the biggest problem is that most seeds that are found in stores or online are open pollinated, and really do not seem to grow more than 2-300 lbs, when you get them from a grower, we take a lot of care to make sure that we have pure controlled genetic crosses, we do not let the bees pollinate any of the competition fruit, we breed them for cell wall thickness, color, and based upon what both sides of the lineage has done several steps down the genetic history. We try to breed away imperfections such as dill rings caused by inferior wall thickness where the pumpkin basically splits under its own weight, color (there's nothing like a day glo orange fruit) and so on.
My kids use to get very embarrassed when it was pollinating day, I'd announce that dad was going to go have pumpkin sex...lol...yep, my kids wouldn't talk to me for days...and they begged me to NOT say a word to their friends...lol.

Believe it or not, every winter the growing clubs have auctions to support their weigh off payouts which can range from $1000.00 to $15000.00 for 1st place, I remember one year when the most sought after seed went for over $850.00....for one seed!
I refuse to sell mine, I got my first seeds for free so I give mine away for free as well.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Wow! Just never knew how deep giant pumpkin growing really went! Your passion is refreshing! So when you meant competition fruit you meant other flowers on the same pumpkin plants right not all the surrounding non-pumpkin plants as well? The pumpkin sex thing is funny! Sounds like something I would have done to my kids! They're too old now abs would just think it's funny their moms crazy lol


Carolyn

 

[Pumpkinman]

We will pollinate 3-6 females on one plant and then cull down to one per plant, this is where it becomes a crap shot, all of our eggs in one basket. Any fruit bound for competition is usually controlled, those that sell their fruit to buyers can allow 2 or three to grow per plant as they won't be competition fruit.
Most growers want to see the genetic "family" tree of each pumpkin before deciding if they will grow the seed.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Ya that's what I thought. It's a gamble on which ones you pinch and which one you keep!


Carolyn

 

[jamesngalveston]

garden plot 2 and 3, before tilling..i did manage to de gras and partially fence plot 1....today..

 

[Pumpkinman]

Carolyn, we will take measurements over a 10 day period, the fastest is the keeper.

 

[jamesngalveston]

thats not fair...maybe she can not read a measuring tape...
well its, 5 foot and 11 little marks...lol
and she will be metric and you will be standard us....

 

[ckvchestnut]

Aha! Lol so in 10 days you could probably get a typical Halloween sized pumpkin I bet! I don't mean from pollination day or anything!


Carolyn