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Vancouver Washington

Here are my issues. I have two pumpkins growing. One of them is about 400 pounds. It has consistently been putting on about 10 to fifteen pounds a day for the last three weeks. It is on my smaller plant about 300 sq ft. It has been changing color for awhile and the surface is starting to get bulges and such. It looks like it could keep growing for a couple more weeks at least, maybe more, but all my leaves are starting to get pretty tired looking. I assume as long as the fruit is gaining, I should leave it on the vine. I have continued spraying the leaves with seaweed and fish emulsion 5-1-1, and have continued to feed the plants with compost tea which also has some - Manure, fish emulsion, seaweed and worm casting.

My smaller fruit is about 300 pounds, but it is a couple weeks younger and on a bigger plant (about 750sq ft.). Same treatment of feeding. The leaves on this plant are really struggling with fungus and insects or something. I have been spraying with Neems oil, daconil, Serenade, Sevin, etc. These leaves look like they will have a hard time being very productive after a couple more weeks.

I am tempted to try to push the fruit with a foliar application of Miracle growth 20-20-20, followed by a drench of the same a couple days later. My gains are pretty small...10-15 pounds daily. Seems like if i am going to try this, I need to do it before the leaves become even less effective. But the leaves are stressed already...from all the treatments i have been applying to try to stave off problems.

How long can these pumpkins hang on without much leaf support. I am hoping to get one of these to the Canby Oct. 7th. I might get some better gains with a push, but i might pretty much kill the plant too. I am willing to risk the health of the leaves and the plant with the 20-20-20, only if the fruit can hang on with minimal leave support for a three or four weeks...

What do you think?

9/4/2006 2:25:29 AM

Ohio

10 to 15 lbs a day is still pretty good growth for this time of the season in my opinion,Id hold off a bit longer if it was me before I would try pushing it. My leaves still looked fair to good on my 1068 Wallace when it hit about 5 lbs a day before I took the chance and used the 0-0-50 on the outside edges of the plant area only.(I swore a couple years back I would never use this again,lol). It did pick it up ALOT, almost to much realy,this pumpkin started bulging out in certain spots that it looked like it was going to split any second. But so far so good though, since then I havnt hit this plant with nothing eles but water because it just looks to close to splitting.

Brooks

9/4/2006 5:21:52 AM

Mocksville, NC

They will grow as long as main vine is still healthy. One last year gained 200lbs with 3 leafs, true , and 9 people seen it, when i say healthy i dont mean pretty, i mean it's not mush!!

9/4/2006 6:11:02 AM

Unknown

agree with brooks . because the plants are small only use two lbs of 0-0-50 per plant ( once, then watered in should help growth till weigh off time ) plus its not effecting the leafs like a foliar spray would
tug

9/4/2006 6:23:15 AM