Pumpkins

[CADplans]

Two grocery stores (national chains) put up HUGE signs when they manage to find something locally grown to sell,,

Pumpkins, squash, Christmas trees,,, yes,,
but,,
NEVER apples,, and our county produces a LOT of apples,, :confused2:

 

[CMV]

So all seeds have been in ground for 6 or 7 days. Seeds said 5-7 days germination. Probably half or so are up from the ones that went in last Friday, about 1/3 of the ones that went in Saturday. So by Sunday, if its not up, its not going to be and I should put a new seed there if needed? Or just be patient and they will eventually sprout?

How often should i water? Real hot here...upper 90s, no rain recently or high chance next several days. Plan is to water once per week, but for newly sprouted seedlings will they need more until they get some roots? I don't want to water too much and discourage deep roots and then need to water all the time, but don't want them to burn up either.

Watering with drip line I made from pvc. Does pretty good just soaking area right at plant. Plan is to use water soluble fertilizer (generic miracle grow) 24-8-16 every 2 weeks until they are blooming then switch to less N, more P. I spread 10-10-10 at about same rate you'd do your lawn then tilled that in prior to planting. When should they get first does of generic miracle grow? When the first true leaves are formed? Or any time?

Oh...did 4 different kinds in 4 separate patches. White boer ford, white new moon, orange field trip, orange Kratos f1 is what they were called. Each patch is 25-50 ft apart except the field trip which are about 200ft away from any others. Is that too close to save seeds and be pretty sure of having same things next year from them or is that close enough cross pollination is likely?

 

[Oldoak]

The good news with unsold pumpkins is that cows eat what won't sell or is damaged. It takes a while for the first bite but after that our adult Polled Herefords could eat a surprising amount.

When I used to raise a very large crop of pumpkins, I would always store some for the Winter and feed them to the deer. And the Gray Squirrels and Blue Jays snacked on the scraps and any seeds that the deer missed. I found the small sugar pumpkins kept best for Winter storage.

 

[MossRoad]

It said 5-7 and today is day 7.... be patient.

 

[cqaigy2]

We grow a few for our own use. My wife makes some nummy savory pumpkin soup, complex flavours and a real hit with our vegan/non-vegan guests.

 

[NTG]

I know 0 about growing pumpkins. Just till up some land, transplant seedlings into small mounds like I'd do any other kind of garden squash, and then just let em go? I have no delusion that we will grow 2,000 pumpkins. I would not be surprised if net result this fall is one pumpkin that ends up as our jack-o-lantern. But since I'm apparently going to have to put some time into this project, may as well try to make it work. Help me get started please!!!!

Ground is all Carolina red clay with no/very poor top soil. Very rocky.

My land is mostly clay also. So I built some big compost bins. Last year my son and I rode around some of the "nicer" neighborhoods around here looking for leaves for my compost bins because they usually bag their leaves in the "nicer" neighborhoods so all we'd have to do is throw them in the trailer. We picked up probably 20 pumpkins that had been thrown out also. I busted those up before I threw them in the compost bin because I thought that'd help them rot faster. Fast forward to this year..... LOL My compost bins are about 7' wide.



Don't know how things will turn out, but figured I'd just let them go and see. I obviously need to cut my grass there.

 

[NTG]

I forget how long they where there, but when it was over, they only made a couple hundred bucks and where left with hundreds of pumpkins to get rid of. I took dozens and fed them to my pig, but he just created a mess with them, so I stopped taking any more.

We were up in Indiana a few years ago for work and stopped at a little road-side convenience store. Locally owned and they sold all kinds of produce including pumpkins. They grew all this right across the road. It was late in the season and I guess time for the pumpkins to go. While I was waiting for my boss, they were loading left over pumpkins in an old manure spreader across the road and spreading them on the field..... you talk about spectacular! LOL I had never seen anything like that.

 

[NTG]

I agree with the guys about local grocery stores. I recently found out that our local Walmart buys something from a local farm, but can't remember what it was. My wife's shop is next door to a Piggly Wiggly and I've seen a truck from a local farm unloading cases and cases of tomatoes there, too. Don't be afraid to ask every grocery store and farmer's market in your area. You never know which ones will bite.