Ken D.: Joe should be in soon....if you have not seen the article our patch tour please check it out Ken D.: Hello Joe, welcome! PumpkiNut: Hello all Ken D.: more people should be rolling in about now.... Ken D.: What year did you start growing AG's? PumpkiNut: 1996 Ken D.: And how big was your first one? PumpkiNut: My first fruit was about 450 Ken D.: everybody, feel free to lob them out to Joe jeff352: hi everyone Ken D.: Joe is PumpkiNut for those who don't know Ken D.: what seed did you grow the 450 on in 1996? steelydave: Joe, how large of a growing area do you use, per pumpkin? PumpkiNut: I have no idea, it was mail order PumpkiNut: Most of my plants take up 900 sq. ft. jeff352: Joe,,,how long have you been growing? PumpkiNut: My 1061 this year was grown in 550 sq ft PumpkiNut: I have grown since 1996 Bruiser: Hi Joe, Congratulations on the 1061 this year. I see several people talk about digging enormous holes where they start the plant. Do you do this? How deep do you go? PumpkiNut: I have never done that, but a lot of successful growers try it and have had good results

steelydave: I've heard that you should fertilize hard first, switch to hi phosphorous to get female buds then to hi potassium for fruit growth. Do you do that? PumpkiNut: I hit it real hard in the spring and then go almost all organic after fruit is set jeff352: did you do anything special on the 1061 that you didnt do on your others? PumpkiNut: By organic I mean lots of liquid kelp and fish emulsion steelydave: Thanks... PumpkiNut: I did the same to the 1061 as the others Ken D.: Joe, when do you plant your seeds and do you start them inside first? duff: what, for instance, is "lots" Bruiser: Wow, thats interesting. Do you foliar feed? jeff352: How often do you apply fish emulision and liquid seaweed? Bruiser: lol..the floodgates are opening! jeff352: sorry Ken D.: sorry Joe! PumpkiNut: I put one pint of kelp and one pint of fish emulsion on per week duff: sorry here too PumpkiNut: I do not foliar feed more like a drench duff: per plant ? john boy: how about liquid tea Bruiser: thx PumpkiNut: No liquid tea here

PumpkiNut: Yes that amount is per plant Ken D.: Joe, when do you plant your seeds and do you start them inside first? duff: thanks joe PumpkiNut: I started this years seeds inside on May 6 PumpkiNut: I set them out about a week after germination jeff352: Do you bury your vines? PumpkiNut: I bury every vine Bruiser: Do you bury the stump? jeff352: thanks john boy: What state are you from pumpkinut PumpkiNut: I bury the stump early and sometimes it works it's way to the top and I don PumpkiNut: If it comes to the top, I do not bury it again Bruiser: Ahh...ok..thanks! duff: any growth hormones or "other " steroids in your regimen ? PumpkiNut: No none of that (yet?) jeff352: Do you plant in full sun? Ken D.: Are you strictly a one fruit per plant guy? PumpkiNut: Yes, full sun Tim459: Hi All..... jeff352: What if anything do you use for insects and powerdy midew?

PumpkiNut: I had just one fruit per plant this year. Last year my 1096.8 also had a 585 sister on a side vine john boy: how about 3 fruits to a vine PumpkiNut: Liquid seven and daconil PumpkiNut: 3 fruits per vine, I believe would give you 3 little pumpkins Ken D.: Do you use any systemic insecticides? john boy: ok thanks PumpkiNut: No I don't LIpumpkin: Joe..in the picture of the 805 plant, it looks like there's very little plant AFTER the fruit. Do you believe all the fruit growth is from before the fruit and not after? is f PumpkiNut: The main on that plant did go about 9 feet past the fruit but I believe most growth comes from the stump area Bruiser: When you grow 1 per plant, do you allow just the one primary vine? PumpkiNut: yes just one main vine per plant. John D.: Do you water primarily from your water tower? Would you recomend one to other growers? PumpkiNut: I use the towers a lot, but I can not get enough water to the plants with them, so I overhead spray as well duff: ru watering overhead, soaker, underground, other ??? Aggrower_99: Are the towers hooked to soaker hoses alone? PumpkiNut: Yes mark(3): how many sq feet per plant ? PumpkiNut: 900 Aggrower_99: around what date do you "close down" the plant? PumpkiNut: about 14 hours before the weighoff

Aggrower_99: LOL.... jeff352: Do you put the stems in water before weigh off to prevent weight loss? Ken D.: don't be shy folks, this is supposed to be fun. :-) PumpkiNut: yes I do Aggrower_99: I meant by that....do you have a set time where you terminate all vines or do they grow until the alloted spaces have been filled? mark(3): do you think if you enclosed your plant at night it would help add weight to your pumpkins PumpkiNut: No, not the plant, but perhaps closing in the fruit might help PumpkiNut: Sorry Rock, I terminate all the vines by aug. 15 Aggrower_99: no problem....:) thnx jeff352: What is the best thing to put under your pumpkin to keep it from rotting? Aggrower_99: do you terminate the MV as well? PumpkiNut: I don't put anything under my pumpkins, but I try to keep that area very dry LIpumpkin: i see straw on the ground...do you use straw as mulch to prevent weeds? jeff352: would sand help keep it dry? PumpkiNut: My mains are terminated at 27-30 feet Aggrower_99: ok PumpkiNut: I used straw this year and it worked okay, I did have a few mice in the patch and that may have been why PumpkiNut: Sand is a very good idea and I may use some next year Aggrower_99: what do you use for vine burying? The dirt in the patch, compost? john boy: how about plastic under the pumpkins

PumpkiNut: I use the dirt in my patch PumpkiNut: I don't think plastic would work well under the fruit jeff352: I would like to grow a large pumpkin for my kids next year. If I sit the plant on end and prop up the stems will it make it have a good shape for carving? jeff352: and will it grow as well? PumpkiNut: maybe, never tried that Bruiser: Jeff, if it grows like a pancake, just prop it up. They look bigger that way anyhow. :) duff: do u use any systemic or foliar fungicides ? Bruiser: Sorry if this was already asked, but I didn't see it. How long do you let your secondaries grow? PumpkiNut: to about 15 feet PumpkiNut: which is the edge of my patch jeff352: My biggest had a flat side,,anything I can do to make it round?Or is this in the genetics? PumpkiNut: When they get big, they tend to get flat too Ken D.: This ain't no beauty contest! Aggrower_99: Joe, what did you use for fert in the last stages (sept) of the season? Bruiser: LOL---Of course you'd say that Ken! PumpkiNut: In sept, I put on small amounts of kelp and fish fertilizer Aggrower_99: foliar? LIpumpkin: Joe...the new york state squash record is only 821 lbs....you have the State pumpkin record now....could the squash record be next?...lol PumpkiNut: about one half pint per plant per week jeff352: so you reduce fish and kelp in sept.?

PumpkiNut: My 1061 was getting a little on the green side and would have been the record in about 2 weeks john boy: is this true milk feeding them Aggrower_99: Joe....the 1061 was a sibbed 805....k-rect? What did the other 805 produce? PumpkiNut: No, milk feeding would not work Ken D.: I am pretty sure the milk goes in the coffe and on the ceral only Bruiser: ...Or if ALUN was here it would go in Tea. PumpkiNut: about a 650 pounder that split in the blossom in August jeff352: Do you use manure? john boy: that what i thought to jeff352: and how much? PumpkiNut: Yes I put it on in the fall Tim459: how about wind protection? PumpkiNut: I put it on about 2-3 inches deep across my entire patch and till it in Tim459: anything special? PumpkiNut: I keep wind protection up until the middle of july mark(3): how often do you spray joe do you have vine borers PumpkiNut: Liquid sevin does not control vine borers, so I bury the vines extensively in an attempt to control them PumpkiNut: I lost one secondary this year to a vine borer jeff352: how deep do you bury your vines>? PumpkiNut: Just enough to cover the entire vine

Ken D.: Joe, did you use any Ironite? PumpkiNut: Yes, I put on 10 pounds of ironite per planting site in the spring Aggrower_99: ok folks...buy some Ironite stock...it will go up tomorrow. jeff352: Joe,,do you measure your pumpkin,,and if so,,how often? Ken D.: LOL! PumpkiNut: I measure about every 3 days LIpumpkin: joe...whats the biggest, most important difference in your cultivation practices between 1999 and now? mark(3): do you have problems with stump rot PumpkiNut: no problems with stump rot Bruiser: Do you grow multiple fruits & cull? If so, when do you cull to one? PumpkiNut: Glenn, I bury the my vines extensively now and never did before PumpkiNut: I pollinate as many fruit as I can and then start culling when they get basketball size jeff352: Do you keep records on each pumpkin? PumpkiNut: yes mark(3): how many plants did you have this season jeff352: How do you determine which pumpkin to cull? PumpkiNut: I started with 5 and ended up with 4. I pulled my 1096.8 plant because it kept aborting fruit PumpkiNut: I culled the fruit that were growing the slowest Ken D.: How many hours per day do you spend in the patch? PumpkiNut: I spend about 2-3 hours per day in the middle of the summer

Brian C.: joe , as I came late did already talk about your pruning style? Bruiser: Joe- What's your high temp in the summer? (average) PumpkiNut: The high temp's this summer were 97F, but the average is usually about 82 jeff352: I hear the north a callin me,,cant grow nothing like Joes down here PumpkiNut: Brian, I prune off all the third vines and cut off all small fruit duff: on average, weather dependant, what's your watering schedule like ? jeff352: very humid Joe? Brian C.: Christmas tree or other PumpkiNut: During the middle of July I put on 100 gallons per day per plant PumpkiNut: We have many humid days jeff352: Do you water at one time,,or thru the day? PumpkiNut: I grow all of my plants in the Christmas tree shape Farmer Scott: dont know if this was covered before, but what do you strive for in your soil as far as N,P,K levels, organic matter, etc? Brian C.: How close the the edge of the patch do you plant? PumpkiNut: Usually I water once per day but during our hot days I watered 3 times per day PumpkiNut: My organic matter is around 10% Farmer Scott: what kind of soil prep do you do in the spring? fall? PumpkiNut: My plants are in about 6 feet from the edge of the patch Brian C.: Are you limited in space, I think you said you grew one of your big ones on 500 sq ft. is that by choice? PumpkiNut: Fall is all about bringing in leaves and cow manure In the spring, I add 30 pounds of 12-12-12 and 8 pounds of calcium nitrate per site

Farmer Scott: on average, how much manure would you say you use per plant in the spring? and is it fresh, aged, or pretty well composted? PumpkiNut: In my main garden my plants take up 900 sq ft I have a smaller garden and each plant there was 550 PumpkiNut: I do not put any manure on in the spring. If I did, it would have to be well composted duff: in your experience, do bigger plants make bigger pumpkins ? Farmer Scott: i read it wrong.....oops! :) okay how much cow manure in the fall? PumpkiNut: I thought so until this year PumpkiNut: I bring in about 5-7 pickup loads for the whole 2700 sq ft patch duff: gives us patch size challenged growers some hope !!! Brian C.: is it fresh or aged? PumpkiNut: Gary Burkes world record 1092 was grown in 400 sq ft Farmer Scott: ken.....did you get that! LOL PumpkiNut: All of the manure I being in is well aged Ken D.: yeah, baby!!!!! Farmer Scott: when your vines start to run, do you stake them at all? if so, what is your stake of choice? PumpkiNut: It's called a Len stake John D.: Do you have any favorite tools of the trade? Aggrower_99: computer! Ken D.: it hard to get the dirt out of the keyboard though Brian C.: Joe, do you use heating cables? PumpkiNut: No I don't

Brian C.: I did once but they were a pain Farmer Scott: when do you usually start your seeds? direct or indirect? peat pots or a different method? PumpkiNut: I start my seeds inside in 4" peatpots jeff352: Do you use anything to keep rodents away? Farmer Scott: how long do you wait before you put them out? PumpkiNut: I started this years seeds on May 6 PumpkiNut: I put them out one week after germination Tim459: Joe .. I only see one other 805 listed this year... both being 100 over the charts.... I'm sure you've heard more on this,,,,, does this weight or percentage seem reasonable or average for the seed? jeff352: Do you soak your seed before you plant? Bruiser: File the edges? PumpkiNut: Yes I soak them in a kelp solution for 2 hours or so John D.: Do you set you seed in point down or on its side? PumpkiNut: Yes I file the edges PumpkiNut: I plant them point down kilrpumpkins: Great to be here guys! john boy: why point down PumpkiNut: That's where the little root comes out john boy: ok duff: ever have need to use fungicides in your area ? PumpkiNut: Yes, I spray Daconil on once per week

kilrpumpkins: I think if you plant them on their side, like nature would do, it's easier for them to shed their casing. steve(3): Joe, how much water per day ? overhead or at stump? jeff352: Do you use a pump sprayer to put daconil on the plants? PumpkiNut: Planting them on the sides works well too PumpkiNut: 100 gallons per day on the whole plant John D.: Joe, how much media attention did you get from your repeat win? Do people that don't know you ever say "So you're the pumpkin guy!" PumpkiNut: Yes I use a pump sprayer Bruiser: So what's become of the 1061? On display? carved? gutted?? Rotted??? PumpkiNut: yes, I talked to many different news people and I just love doing that LOL PumpkiNut: the 1061 has been cut up and is no more Bruiser: :( PumpkiNut: The walls were 8-10 inches thick at the stem area Brian C.: wasted no time! duff: what r u thinkin' about planting next year... Water: Joe do you mix firtizler in with the 100 Gallons Brian C.: Do you overhead or drip water? PumpkiNut: I am not sure yet what I will plant kilrpumpkins: I just LOVE Neptune's Harvest! (Plugging for tonights' prize!) PumpkiNut: I overhead spray and have a drip system too. I use them both duff: lotta data to tabulate yet...mmmmmmmm

Ken D.: Your in the drawing Kilr! John D.: Do you use a timer? if so, what brand? PumpkiNut: No timers, but I think I may add one next year Brian C.: where is your water from well, city, ditch? do you try to heat it? PumpkiNut: My water is municipal and I do try to let it get warm in my barrells before putting in on Brian C.: Explain the barrrels if you will PumpkiNut: I have 6 barrells on a 7 foot high elevated platform and run that water into drip tubing John D.: Joe, what do you consider when selecting seeds. Size only? Brian C.: do you sprinkle out of these as well PumpkiNut: Not out of the barrells, I have separate sprinklers for my spraying Brian C.: what kind of drip tubing do you have? PumpkiNut: I use a tubing called Irrigro out of Niagara Falls, Ont Brian C.: how many feet per plant PumpkiNut: about 300 feet per plant Brian C.: so the drip is just gravity feed Bruiser: Joe- how many seeds did you get from the 1061 ? Ken D.: Joe what are your picks for next season? Brian C.: any kelp, fish, miracle grow? PumpkiNut: Yes the drip is gravity John D.: Well, I would like to thank Joe for doing a fine job!

Farmer Scott: great job joe......thanks! jeff352: Great job Joe Ken D.: Yes, very nice Joe. Thanks. duff: i'll second that Tim459: Fine job Joe... thanks for sharing.... Bruiser: Yes, Joe, thanks for the advice. Aggrower_99: Great job Joe...thnx for sharing jeff352: Now if I can just get one half your size,,, Brian C.: thanks for your time!!!! john boy: thanks joe Gourd Grower: Nice job PumpkiNut!! Aggrower_99: Thank you Joe. PumpkiNut: Thanks and best of luck to everyone next year PumpkiNut: If I can do it anyone in the world can too! John D.: Thanks guys Bruiser: