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03/26/02 Featured Grower Chat - Jerry Rose

 

Jerry Rose of Huntsburg, Ohio stopped by to talk to us one night in Late March.

Jerry is a Heavy Hitter with a Personal Best of 960 lbs (pictured here by joshj16). What is more interesting though, is that he "taught Dave Stelts everything he knows"...

Jerry reveals his top 8 tips for new growers in the transcript below. By the way, can you tell who Ohio Rose is?

 
Ken D.: Are you ready for some chatting?
SherryG: hey Jerry
LIpumpkin: Why did you let your plants die of disease Jerry?
John G: LOL
Ken D.: Going right for the green eh Glenn?
pumpkin kid: I didn't like them Glenn.
LIpumpkin: (sorry)
pumpkin kid: I'm ready. Not too lengthy of questions though.
Ken D.: Lets rock and roll!
Ken D.: What is your seed line up for this year?
pumpkin kid: 712,846,801,723,611, 900,my 736,my 693,my960,my 924, and 2 more to be determined.
Andrew Papez: What!!! no 1020???? LOL
Ken D.: Wow 12 plants! Do you work?
pumpkin kid: 7 till 3:30.
pumpkin kid: Luckily I have the equipment to do it.
Thomas: What got you started into growing Pumkins Jerry?
pumpkin kid: Our hometown has a little festival.
riki: Jerry, what seeds do you see as the next hot seeds?
pumpkin kid: I haven't really studied them to close. I always plant proven seed.
pumpkin kid: Let everybody else try them first.
Andrew Papez: What size are you going to grow your plants this year?
Pumpkinpicker: How many sqft. per plant?
pumpkin kid: After visiting your patch, about 25 long by 30 wide.
pumpkin kid: back to back.
Dr. Bob: If only overhead watering is used, how do you get the fungacides & insecticides to stay on the leaf surfaces or do you use only systemics?
pumpkin kid: Systemics plus spreader sticker.
Ken D.: Do you prune every other secondary or leave them all like Dave?
pumpkin kid: All except right at the pumpkin.
pumpkin kid: Now and then if it's a tight plant I'll trim a secondary for some room.
john boy: Jerry, are you going to try the flag style this year?
pumpkin kid: I might with my seeds just so I can test them. I don't think you'll get full potential with the flag.
Andrew Papez: Jerry what is flag style?
pumpkin kid: The way I understand it you put 2 or in my case 4 plants about 3 or 4 ft apart and let them grow the same way and trim all secondaries off of 1 side of the plant and let the pumpkin set on the side with the vines.
DJK: Jerry, Any advice to a first time grower?
Ken D.: Do you bury vines? Mains, secondaries or both? Complete vine or just leaf junction?
pumpkin kid: Bury side vines only. I don't trench, I just bury and I mean deep.
THE BORER: deep? 6 inches?
pumpkin kid: Probably 6 inches.
John Mc: What kind of soil preparation have you done in your patch?
pumpkin kid: 1st year 50 yards of manure on each 2 plant site, last fall about 20 yards per site.
pumpkin kid: Plus winter rye.
Bart: Jerry, how many fruit per plant do you grow?
pumpkin kid: 1 last year 2 all previous years.
Dr. Bob: Are copper based fungacides systemic or do they need spreader sticker?
pumpkin kid: I don't think copper based are systemic and I think they might burn the plant.
john boy: Why not bury the main vine Jerry?
pumpkin kid: I want to be able to move it and keep a eye on it.
Carts: Jerry I missed your answer to how many sqft. per plant do you average?
bocky: Is it ok to plant about 4 plants in a 1000 square foot garden?
pumpkin kid: Every 2 back to back plants get roughly 2400 sqft.
Pumpkinpicker: What do you use to cover blossoms before and after pollination?
pumpkin kid: I tie them shut or last year on the hot days I put a cooler over them with ice in it to keep it cool.
pumpkin kid: the pollinated fruit.
TomMan: Jerry, how do you think Dave will do with his Basamid application based on what the BASF scientist said at the seminar?...LOL
pumpkin kid: He'll be OK. I don't know if he put it on heavy enough.
john boy: Jerry, why not bury the main vine?
pumpkin kid: I want to move it and keep a eye on it.
THE BORER: Jerry do you apply calcium or gypsum?
pumpkin kid: Calcium nitrate and foli-cal.
Pumpkinpicker: Why did your pumpkins weights go up so much last year?
pumpkin kid: I think the new ground plus having them at my house for the first time and they were my number 1 hobby instead of sharing it with my other favorite hobby truck pulling.
THE BORER: Jerry, well water or municipal?
pumpkin kid: Creek water last year and pond this year.
Carts: What is foli-cal?
pumpkin kid: Foliar calcium aplied through sprinklers or directly to the fruit.
pumpkin kid: ,
Pumpkinpicker: Which is your favorite "Rose" stock seed?
pumpkin kid: Proably my 93 658 grew my 719 in 94 picked August 26 big pumpkin at that time, then my 93 673, this years seeds 960 and 693, 770
pinenut: Say Jerry, do you grow ROSES too?
kilrpumpkins: He never promised you a rose garden!
pumpkin kid: No roses.
Carts: What is a Buckeye?
pumpkin kid: a nut
Ohio Rose: Jerry, I'm 14 and would like advice on growing a big pumpkin for my school. Where do you get good seeds?
pumpkin kid: I know you can get them off this site. Most growers will give them to you. Also OVGPG have a good selection for sale.
Kurt: Jerry, what's the theory behind applying calcium to the fruit?
pumpkin kid: Suppose to make cell walls stronger and help on splitage and make fruit heavy.
Kurt: How often, and what kind of calcium product?
pumpkin kid: Foli-cal. I sprayed plants every other day later in the season. I only toweled them a couple times. Dave did it very often.
Polka Dot: Do you use fish fertilizer?
pumpkin kid: I use Neptunes Harvest fish and seaweed mix. I went through about 8 gallons last year. I also sprayed it foliar everyday for a while.
huffs pumpkins: I just came in so sorry if I'm repeating something, a follow up to Kurt's question on the calcium, do you keep it soaked on towels all the time?
Ohio Rose: Jerry, my dad took me on the OVGPG tour a few years ago to your place. What were all those white plastic things all over the ground?
pumpkin kid: Those little white things...I never could figure that out myself. I think they were part of a bomb or something.
pumpkin kid: None of them in my new patch.
Ohio Rose: They were in the dirt and laying everywhere?
pumpkin kid: Ohio Rose come over and we'll do some research on those white things and see if we can figure it out.
huffs pumpkins: So Jerry, you sprayed the whole plant as well as the fruit?
Jim(8): What seed starting method do you use?
pumpkin kid: File them and I have a incubator box I keep at 85.
Dr. Bob: Do you use an injector in the system for foliar or a hand sprayer?
pumpkin kid: I mix up 25 gallons at a time and put it through my sprinklers before I go to work.
Ohio Rose: Jerry, have you ever used milk?
pumpkin kid: In my cereal every morning.
THE BORER: That milk thing just won't go away!
pumpkin kid: Next.
Ohio Rose: Sorry if you think my question is dumb.
Jim(8): How do you file a seed? I never have before.
pumpkin kid: I did try to inject fertilizer into the vine 1 time.
pumpkin kid: I actually use sandpaper and run it over the seed. You have to experiment with some junk seeds.
ahab: Is your sprinkler on a timer? How often?
pumpkin kid: My timer is my arm. When it starts the pump.
Pumpkinpicker: How long have you been growing AG's?
pumpkin kid: 20 years.
steve(3): How much water per day, per plant?
pumpkin kid: I put it on till the ground is moist.
huffs pumpkins: What seeds are you planning to put out this year?
Heidi: How often do you soil test, what pH do you shoot for?
Ohio Rose: Do you hand pollinate or let the bees do it for you?
pumpkin kid: Let the bees. Why monkey with mother nature-right?
Desnowskeer: How often do you measure the fruit and what is the biggest weight gain you have seen in a day and week?
pumpkin kid: Every Monday total measurtement and on Thursday circumference.
pumpkin kid: Let me get my records...
Desnowskeer: Sorry to make you work, just guess.
pumpkin kid: 160 lbs in 1 week.
Water: Do you run the sandpaper over all of the seed or just on the edges?
Water: Do you plant on a hill or flat ground?
pumpkin kid: A mound.
Water: What is the diameter of the mound?
pumpkin kid: A big mound.
pumpkin kid: Proably 20 x 40.
Ohio Rose: Do you put manure in your mounds?
pumpkin kid: I got ditch dirt last year and built each site up.
pumpkin kid: Also have 1000 ft of drain tile and put through patch 1.
THE BORER: Ditch dirt?
pumpkin kid: Dirt when we ditch the roads.
Bantam: Would the ditch dirt have oils from cars and salt from the salt trucks?
pumpkin kid: Not enough oil to matter. You ever see them put salt on dirt roads?
pumpkin kid: My pH came up though and I think it was from the limestone we use on the roads.
Ohio Rose: I heard ostrich manure is best, have you ever heard such a thing? I live next to a zoo and could have access.
pumpkin kid: Ohio Rose, great stuff. I have wild turkeys out in my patch all the time crapping, basically the same thing.
Dr. Bob: It's a fact white rhino manure is best.
pumpkin kid: Occasional rhino too!!!
Heidi: How often do you soil test & what pH do you shoot for?
pumpkin kid: In spring 6.8 to 7.
kilrpumpkins: I think the secret is those white plastic things!
pumpkin kid: I don't know kilr, their not in my new patch.
pumpkin kid: Will be building patch 2 this summer.
Water: Do you use the christmas tree method?
pumpkin kid: Yes, christmas tree.
pumpkin kid: I'm gonna be a minute. I'm gonna right something long....
pumpkin kid: For the new growers: 1. Get a soil test done, 2. Make good wind breaks. In my eyes it is my plants worst enemy. 3. Keep up with bugs, 4. Steady fertilizer. More not better, 5. Steady even water, 6. Weed free!!!!!, 7. Keep neat plants, 8. Shade fruit
guy: Have you ever gave your pumpkins exlax for constipation so they could take on good solid weight?
pumpkin kid: No exlax.
Water: Have you started any of your seeds yet? When will you put your seeds into the patch?
pumpkin kid: No seeds started yet. Will start end of April first of May put in patch around 15th.
Ohio Rose: When did you start your 960? February? Inside?
pumpkin kid: The 960 was a hundred pounds in the pot before I transplanted it Ohio Rose.
Kurt: Jerry, do you fertilize with every watering?
pumpkin kid: Heavy fertilize on Saturday evening foliar about everyday.
pumpkin kid: When I say heavy I mean the fertilizer I want to get in the ground.
Ohio Rose: How do you move or load something that big?
pumpkin kid: Tractor.
FARMER TOM: What seed do you think will grow the 1st 1500?
pumpkin kid: One of the ones I'm planting this year. Probably in somebody elses patch though.
Water: 20-20-20 ==== 0r?
pumpkin kid: 9-45-15 first couple times. Then 20-20-20, then to a finish fertilizer last 6 or 8 weeks.
pumpkin kid: Finish with like a 0-0-40 or somethging high in K.
Kurt: Wouldn't it be better to fertilize with less concentration, but more often than once per week?
pumpkin kid: I don't think so. Your foliar will fill any gaps.
Ohio Rose: What is your opinion on the orange vs. green issue?
pumpkin kid: I stay out of that one, it's hard to call.
Ken D.: Jerry, want to take a 5 minute break?
pumpkin kid: ya, get a drink of water.
Ken D.: OK
John D.: Take a break... Again, I'd like to thank Kilr for putting this chat together.
Ohio Rose: Jerry's the best!
pumpkin kid: I hope you guys and gals are learning something. Wasn't nothing like this 10, 15 years ago to learn from. Also, remember I'm on the Ohio Tour this summer and my patch is always open to visitors as long as I'm here.
Ken D.: Technology is great eh Jerry?
Water: Getting good information.
Ken D.: OK, Jerry you ready?
pumpkin kid: My computer is acting up.
Ohio Rose: Your the best Jerry.
Walcott Pumpkin: I'm here late, and know its been asked, but what sq feet do you recomend per plant?
pumpkin kid: Let me shut down and restart.
Ken D.: OK, come back when your ready.
Walcott Pumpkin: Farmer Tom, if you exit and come back will it fix your computer?, used to work for me.
John D.: The chatroom needs a little work to make it more responsive... but remember it is better than the one we had last year!
Water: Farmer Tom how is the weather in New Jersey?
John D.: Tom, what Does it say under the name of the chatroom? (trying too see what version of the code you are running)
FARMER TOM: No, I was in the chat a few times on this computer, I tried it, and it doesn't work for me.
FARMER TOM: cold and rainy, Water
FARMER TOM: ie5
Desnowskeer: rain hard here
John D.: Thanks
THE BORER: the Northeast needs all the rain it can get.
THE BORER: 39 degrees and thunder in mass
Desnowskeer: raining really hard
svrichb: John D, the chat room is great....so is the new format for the growers diaries.
FARMER TOM: yup, MD is acctually wishing for hurricanes, weird
Sequoia: While we are waiting do I or should I store my seed in the fridge? What part,top or bottom?
pumpkin kid: I'm back.
Heidi: Will you have another squash plant besides the 900 L. this year?
pumpkin kid: 616 Corkcum at least.
John D.: No applause... throw money..
FARMER TOM: yes, I like the diary format too, very nice.
Ohio Rose: Jerry how big were the lobes on the 960?
pumpkin kid: Average.
svrichb: :)
pumpkin kid: Next.
pumpkin kid: Thought it was acting up again.
Water: Have you ever grown a green one from an oranage seed?
pumpkin kid: 736 was a squmpkin.
Walcott Pumpkin: What sq feet do you recommend per plant?
pumpkin kid: 600
Ohio Rose: Have you ever left a radio play over your patch?
pumpkin kid: Only while I'm there.
pumpkin bill: What's the sq ft of the pumpkin patch?
Desnowskeer: How do you treat SVB's?
pumpkin kid: Never had any problem with SVB. Maybe it's the furadan?
Desnowskeer: Guess ya can't eat them?
pumpkin kid: I don't eat them.
FARMER TOM: Do you let Dave Stelts within 1000 ft. of your patch?
pumpkin kid: Dave's welcome anytime.
Ohio Rose: Do you grow your plants a certain direction for sun or other reasons?
pumpkin kid: No particular. I'm growing 6 east 6 west now.
pumpkin kid: 2 last year went north and south.
Ohio Rose: What did you add to your dirt after harvest last fall?
pumpkin kid: Manure and then planted rye.
Sequoia: How do you store your seed?
pumpkin kid: In plastic containers in the basement.
Ohio Rose: What kind of manure?
pumpkin kid: Beef cow. I have a large stockpile for new patch.
Water: Do you have away to plant your young plants so that the main vine will go in the direction you want?
pumpkin kid: Never paid attention before but I have learned this year that they normally go opposite the first true leaf.
matfox: What soil supliments do you use?
pumpkin kid: Whatever my soil test recomends. I'm a big fan of manure.
FARMER TOM: Are you a fan of seaweed on the patch?
pumpkin kid: I don't have access to seaweed.
svrichb: Do you ever plant unproved seeds or do you stick with proven ones?
pumpkin kid: Usually only proven but I'm gonna try some of my own this year.
Walcott Pumpkin: Sorry for not remembering, but what is your personal best?
pumpkin kid: 960
pumpkin kid: I try to get every seed from every pumpkin over 700 lbs from the previous season during the winter.
John D.: What's your favorite website?
FARMER TOM: LOL John
pumpkin kid: BigPumpkins.com of course.
Ohio Rose: Do you wash your tillage equipment and shoes before you work your ground?
pumpkin kid: I have been washing my equipment most of the time. Shoes if I go to somebody elses patch.
wawa: Do you get all of your seeds from ovpga?
pumpkin kid: I trade for my seeds.
wawa: I just joined the ovgpga.
Ohio Rose: I have some 146lb seed, do you want to trade?
FARMER TOM: I have seeds from a 30 and 157, did you say something about an 801 Stelts a while back? LOL
pumpkin kid: 146 sound excellent.
pumpkin kid: Tom your 30 should get you anything you want.
Clancy: Do you put anything under your pumpkins?
pumpkin kid: ya that slippery belting.
FARMER TOM: What are your thoughts on adding gypsum to the soil to increase the weight of a pumpkin/squash/squmpkin compared to the estimated weight?
pumpkin kid: Never used gypsum. My soil don't need it.
H-K-J: Do you start your plants in house our direct start??
pumpkin kid: In the house.
wawa: How was Stelt's seminar on how to grow 1000 pounders?
pumpkin kid: Taught Dave everything he knows so I hid. Lecture was pretty boring for me.
Desnowskeer: How fast do you choose the primary fruit on a plant?
pumpkin kid: By week 3 of July.
Ohio Rose: How many males do you use to pollinate one female with?
pumpkin kid: 3 to 5 males.
matfox: Do you grow any complimentary plants with you pumpkins?
pumpkin kid: Complimentary plants--you are just the nicest little pumpkin plant????????
H-K-J: When they go outside do you put them in a mound??
pumpkin kid: In the mound yes.
wawa: How many inches of snow are on your patch?
pumpkin kid: 8 inches of snow.
Water: They talk about dipping towels into a calcium solution and putting them over the pumpkin Have you tried this
pumpkin kid: Yes on the calcium.
Polka Dot: Jerry do you use soaker hoses?
pumpkin kid: No soaker hoses.
H-K-J: Do you dig a pit?? and plant or just mound??
pumpkin kid: No pits. Why do I want a pond under my plant?
H-K-J: You don't have the drainoff I have! LOL!
wawa: Do you use a water holding tank?
pumpkin kid: I have a tank. I mix fertilizer in.
matfox: Complimentry plant - I mean plants that help pumkins grow or control bugs or vermin.
THE BORER: Companion plants.
pumpkin kid: A few complimentary weeds.
H-K-J: LOL weeds??
Walcott Pumpkin: All overhead watering?
pumpkin kid: All overhead.
wawa: When will you start your seeds?
pumpkin kid: End of April beginning of May.
THE BORER: Mildew problems?
pumpkin kid: No mildew with quadris and bravo.
Ohio Rose: How thick were the walls on the 960?
pumpkin kid: 8 to 10 inches.
K&PBlair: Jerry, I'm going to grow your 924.5. What do you think of that seed?
pumpkin kid: The 924 should be bright orange.
svrichb: The 30 weighed heavy.
wawa: See you at the picnic.
FARMER TOM: What's your lineup this year?
Ohio Rose: Were there any white plastic things in the ditch dirt?
svrichb: Which two of these three seeds would you plant: 845 Bobier, 1049 Holland, 825 Shymanski?
H-K-J: Is there any one fertilizer you think is the biggest help in the production of your fruit???
pumpkin kid: I have my seeds in front of me that are narrowed down give me a minute....
pumpkin kid: 805 Pukos, 869.5 Calai, 611, 865 Mettler, 845 Bobier, 900, 616, 1064.5 Needham, 801 Stelts, 609.5, 846, 780 Eaton, 914 Wentzell, 723, 658 Emmons, 712, Mombert 940,
Desnowskeer: That is a strong line up Jerry.
FARMER TOM: nice line up, I'm growing the 1064 N, 611 H., 968 Sp. and 455 A. this year
kilrpumpkins: Jerry, Is Ohio Rose related to you?
pumpkin kid: No relation.
John D.: We should start winding down a bit. Last chance to ask Jerry that burning question...
Ohio Rose: Jerry's the best.
John D.: (I bet it's Dave)
Water: Dave would not take a women's name===TOO macho for that.
Ohio Rose: Jerry's the best.
Walcott Pumpkin: THANKS JERRY!!!!!!
FARMER TOM: What's the best way to grow an 846 Calai to reach it's maximum potential?
pumpkin kid: Tom, just don't let it die.
raggu: Neptunes harvest is good whatever your soil sample.
pumpkin kid: I'd say so on the neptune harvest.
pumpkin kid: Any final questions?
Water: NOPE, GOOD CHAT
pumpkin kid: The big question who's ohio?
Thomas: Yay, Jerry Survived.. THANK YOU Jerry..
Ohio Rose: Jerry, what are those yellow and black striped lady bug type bugs that are always in the flowers?
pumpkin kid: Those are yellow and black lady bugs. Leave them alone.
kilrpumpkins: Who's growing the biggest this year, you or Dave?
H-K-J: ME!!!
pumpkin kid: Hopefully me, but there's a bunch here in Ohio who could win.
Poppy: Thank you Jerry
FARMER TOM: Thanks, Jerry
Walcott Pumpkin: LOL!
Ohio Rose: Jerry, do you prune the stump?
Ray A: Thanks Jerry
THE BORER: Thanks Jerry
pumpkin kid: Some
raggu: Thanks Jerry
FARMER TOM: Hi Dave. LOL
pumpkin kid: Is it 11 already? It's been fun.
Ohio Rose: Jerry's the best!
FARMER TOM: Thanks Jerry!
John Mc: Your a good man!
pumpkin kid: OK Ken, who's ohio rose?
K&PBlair: thx Jerry
Walcott Pumpkin: Thanks for sharing......
svrichb: You should stay a little longer....I just opened another beer.
matfox: how many pumkin plants do grow
Ohio Rose: If you need some ostrich poop let me know.
Clancy: Thanks Jerry
John Mc: 14 going on 30 40?
John D.: I checked. Ohio is registered with elusive info.
pumpkin kid: I think I'm gonna be sick tomorrow so I can recover.
Ohio Rose: Thanks John.
FARMER TOM: Good luck this year, Jerry, give Dave a run for his money.
John D.: Thanks a lot for your time Jerry, it is appreciated.
pumpkin kid: I'd like a little of that ostrich dung.
John Mc: Just couldnt resist Ha!
Water: Two Hours well spent.
Ohio Rose: I'll trade for 960's
pumpkin kid: Normal chat now.
H-K-J: Rack and load everyone it is that time of year and I hope we all grow-em-huge
H-K-J: you to Brian, LOL
FARMER TOM: Do your fingers hurt, Jerry?
pumpkin kid: Not too bad.
John D.: Goodnight all.
Ken D.: Thanks Jerry!
pumpkin kid: I forgot to mention the Stelts 705 I'm planting in my chat.
THE BORER: Later john
Ohio Rose: Thanks Jerry, your the best, I can't wait to see your patch this summer, goodnight.


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