Big Pumpkins

[TylerTNT]

Does anyone here have any experience growing the Howard Dill Atlantic Giant pumpkins? I'm thinking about growing them for competition next year. I've got to work on building up my garden soil and doing some pest prevention with regards to vine borers and squash bugs (I hate them!). I'm planning on having a fire to burn some wood and nasty garden debris and digging that in. I'm going to try and get some pig or chicken manure also. I'm thinking about a soil test but not super worried about it. Opinions and advice please?

Edit: I wrote "vibe borers" the first time, had to fix that!

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[PanhandleID]

Your on the right track with pest prevention. That soil test is extremely important the good news is your at the perfect time of year to start approaching preperation. I would start out by heading over to Western Labs in Idaho (They are the Logan Labs of AG's). Recommended sample depth is 6". They seem to be the preferred lab for Atlantic Giants. These things suck nutrients like no tomorrow! Also contact Tom from the extreme pumpkin store. He's a good guy and is usually quite willing to assist with reading soil test results. By the way we pumpkin guys are insane and do a soil test in Fall/Spring to make any possible soil ammendments to our soil.

I'd start by using the seed exchange program over at bigpumpkins.com. They have far better genetics then what you can buy in a garden center. Get some good seeds many are given free with a self addressed envelope. Without these you are basically growing a K31 when you could be growing a newer elite cultivar.

Just like anything else reading is no substitute for experience. You'll see hot seeds that have proven genetics with a track record similiar to what ntep uses. However until you get a couple years depending on dedication under your belt I'd save your cash. Learning how to train the vine, pruning, foliar sprays, etc is far more important. Money is better served on soil improvements as long as you've got seed from decent stock. Like a seed decended from great genetics. A 1161 Rodonis as the grandparent fas an example.

Next I would start building your soil by selecting a good cover crop like Winter Rye/Hairy Vetch if you get snowfall. August is about optimal time to throw that down. A word of caution vetch/Winter Rye make for a great cover crop but rye can impact growth and germination. So depending upon how early your going to start next year you might want something that winter kills in your area instead but gets enough root mass to prevent soil erosion.

If you do go Rye/Vetch get legume innoculant for nitrogen fixation for vetch. The idea of the rye is it grows a great root system, is a nitrogen scavenger (add compost it'll retain it), and adds organic matter when tilled or used in a no till scenario. If you go the no till route you have two options. Some people will turn the rye under lightly when it is still young and succulent and the crowns haven't yet formed. The reason for doing this is you get the most nitrogen return from what the rye retained in the past winter, most people growing a pure rye stand do this. As well you could do a spring cover crop if you were fallowing for disease purposes that year. When doing a no till system usually rye/hairy vetch you wait for it the rye to get the beginnings of seed heads and the vetch to get little purple/blue flowers. At this point immediately mow, thresh, or cut down and leave the remains on the soil. By waiting for maturity you have kept the rye/hairy vetch from growing back and have the benefit of nitrogen fixation/organic matter/ and nitrogen storage from the rye.

I then usually add a fresh layer of compost and water it to help it biodegrade. It is suggested to let rye biodegrade for three to four weeks before planting to reduce the allopathic effect it has on crops. This whole process can be called using green manure. This also only one example of a cover crop combo. Their are many more!

All this being said while your waiting now or this winter check the guides of bigpumpkins.com and read their forums. Getting yourself as informed as possible will help you avoid future dissapointment and hopefully enjoy your newfound hobby. As that website will contain everything I said and more. Make sure to read anything by Pap he is a treasure trove of knowledge akin to some who grace this site. Hopefully I didn't scare you off with any of this and look forward to seeing a thread on you growing one of these next year!

Good luck!

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[TylerTNT]

What are your thoughts about getting seed from Howard Dill's website?

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