Giant pumpkin contest!!

[Bigred]

stillman i was going to put auto pots at the nodes and maybe a grow wool slab i have some triacontanal and iba naa mix

and was thinking the best time to induce the fruiting i have a few flowers and since using a big pot the branches have collapsed

so bit worried there . will get some pictures up next couple of days

[Stillman]

For all the Brisbane peeps heres the EKKA giant pumpkin details.I'm thinking March start will be about right.

Entry Fees: $5 per entry for class 1 and 3; Class 2 - $10 per school (max 10 entries per school).

GIANT PUMPKIN COMPETITION

Class 1 Pillow Talk Heaviest Pumpkin – Open

Open to exhibitors 19 years and over as of Friday 11 April, 2014. Minimum weight of entries in this class must be over 70kg. Any entry under 70kg is not eligible to compete

First prize $200, Ribbon, Certificate;

Second $185, Ribbon, Certificate;

Third $170, Ribbon, Certificate

Class 2 Pillow Talk Heaviest Pumpkin – Schools

Open to students 18 years and under as of Friday 11 April, 2014 where the pumpkin is harvested in the school garden. Prize monies will be awarded to the school. The entry is to be submitted under the school name. Minimum weight of entries in this class must be over 50kg. Any entry under 50kg is ineligible to compete.

First prize $165, Ribbon, Certificate;

Second $150, Ribbon, Certificate;

Third $85, Ribbon, Certificate

Class 3 Pillow Talk Heaviest Pumpkin – Youth

Open to individual students 18 years and under as of Thursday 11 April, 2014 where pumpkin has not been harvested in a school garden environment. Minimum weight of entries in this class must be over 50kg. Any entry under 50kg is ineligible to compete.

First prize $165, Ribbon, Certificate;

Second $150, Ribbon, Certificate;

Third $85, Ribbon, Certificate

CHAMPION HEAVIEST PUMPKIN OF SHOW sponsored by Pillow Talk

Entries weighing 80kg or more are only eligible to compete.

$700, Banner, Certificate

[Bigred]

my stems are breaking as the leaves are getting to big is this a deficincey of some sorts or am

i pumpinkining them to hard . with all the canna and crap i give them

[waterboy 2.0]

WB has decloched...have frostcloth at hand as sunday may bring more cold. Pics to come.

Too much feeding will make them soft.

[Bigred]

stillman when you spray your leaves for mildew etc do you use milk

[Stillman]

yep milk 1 : 9 it seems to work but you gotta spray regular its probably a better preventative. And molasses dude add that to everything. its the shiz. I dunno if its making this thing grow big but the Americans swear by it.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Stillman

[Stillman]

10 days old

has a sting from some sort of wasp which was there from the beginning so have sulphured dunno how it will go.

Raised the vine and everything just in case it really wants to get big

I really think it will get too humid and hot here to grow a really big one over Summer it spends most of the day wilting regardless of how much water I put on it. And I think Powdery mildew will become a big problem very soon.

[Stillman]

I have set a back up pumpkin just incase that sting mark rots out

I'll leave it until day 16 or so if its still shiny and growing well then I will cut this one off and let the plant concentrate on the one fruit.

I have buried and watered a lot of th evine so big root base to pull from. Could be my undoing if we get early flooding.

[bogfrog]

Well its pretty clear you've got the cracken-pumpkin Stillman. That thing is one hell of a beast.

Mine is only just starting to vine.. :[

I think i have been underwatering.

[Stillman]

its a lot hotter here then in NZ when it warms up over there yours will go mental. In the US they keep them in hot houses and put heat cords in the soil and all sorts of over the top stuff for the first month or so. Its been in the high twenties for nearly 2 months now lows of about 16.

[bogfrog]

I wont give up hope just yet then, our good weather is only just starting, although its been a bit of a tease really. One or two nice days dotted amoung many rainy days.

Just a note to say i was recently informed the self proclaimed "pumpking" mr incognito has not even germinated a seed! Shame on him.

I should have known.

[waterboy 2.0]

This two pumpkins. Still working out which one is going to make room for the other.

I think its gunna be this one...to me I am thinking it has a virus. Has showed this trait from the start...but no sign of lack of vigour in comparrison.

Don't stress Ceres its still a long season to come..... Once I start getting running 20 degree days one of these is going to go boom.

I am not giving much water..... yet....

Edited November 1, 2013 by waterboy

[Stillman]

Hey Waterboy mine has that weird variegation on the stem and the leaf too. I'm not sure its a virus as much as a chloroplast mutation, it doesn't seem to have any negative impact on how mine grow. From doing a lot of internet reading the yellow vines seem to be a trait of the very big.

[waterboy 2.0]

Its got a bit more grunt than the other. I am trying to see If I can find images of the parents for comparison.

Its interesting as a potential trait, lol.... its not on deathwatch as the primary now....its back to even.

EDIT - previous deathrow pumpkin interesting enough has an all yellow vine, with only 2 inch or so of green stump. The other one is mottled green/yellow.

Edited November 1, 2013 by waterboy

[Stillman]

Here's some pics of the variegated vine and leaves.

[at0m]

"My friend's dad grows giant pumpkins and I just found this one on Facebook" (via Reddit)

I hope we can expect some poses like this when your monsters are finished.

[gilligan]

That's some BAAAAAD elephantitis of the balls

[Bigred]

i am yet to solve my brittle vines maybe some silica its starting to loose vital leaves

also yet to polinate i have had heaps of veg but little flowers heaps of small male flowers buds

but no ladies yet the story of my life

so cant wait to get a female so i can get my stamata wet

give you my word its a beast of a plant need a fucking camera

im to drunk im going to bed

[Justin Credible]

Hasn't died yet.

[Justin Credible]

I'll leave it until day 16 or so if its still shiny and growing well then I will cut this one off and let the plant concentrate on the one fruit.

I have buried and watered a lot of th evine so big root base to pull from. Could be my undoing if we get early flooding.

Cmon summer rains Just kidding cant wait to see the size of that beast and scab some seeds so I can beat ya at next years RNA

[Bigred]

can we cross pollinate pumpking's to make better seed. How long would the pollen be viable for ie postable ?

also im worried about the brittle stems what would be the best way to correct this ?

i was thinking silica as it improves the cell walls of plants but really messes with the ph sometimes

and

stilman seeing a bit of mildew popping up can i spray milk on the leaves with pumpkin's in a greenhouse

do you have a method for look like powdery mildew

[Stillman]

yeah spray milk early in morning. top and bottom, once a week.

breeding programs exist, I believe pollen will last in the fridge for a couple days. I'm taking cutting of my pumpkin your welcome to a clone down the track if you like.

[Stillman]

14 days set and its starting to pump.

If the weather doesn't stitch me up I reckon this one will go large. The stems on the plant are really thick and the stump is about as thick as my wrist.. I have buried the vines and am watering the whole area to increase water uptake. Now just gotta keep it up for the next 50 days or so.

[bogfrog]

Is variegation common in atlantic giants? Cause my stem is starting to look striped with yellow, and its perfectly healthy.

I have never grown a leafy plant with so much care before. Its actually a very beautiful being, i like watching its movements throughout the days and admiring the cute fluffy new leaves, soft like a teddy

I might have some wee buds developing, and its finally vining.

[Stillman]

I think due to the intense inbreeding for specific traits variegation appears to be prevalent in a lot of the big competition plants. Varieagation can be caused through mitochondrial DNA and the genome DNA so makes sense if they are focusing in on a small pocket of genetics that certain faults appear. The variegation doesn't appear to make them any less vigorous though which is interesting.