Pumpkin-growers club hosts seminar on growing gourds

February 8, 2015 at 12:07a.m.

CANFIELD

You may have no intention of planting a ton of pumpkins in your yard, but if you desire to plant one that weighs a ton, you might do well to heed Tim Parks’ practical advice.

“How do you get a pumpkin that’s 1,700 to 2,300 pounds? It’s seeds and soil,” Parks explained during a class he conducted Saturday at Mill Creek MetroParks Farm, 7574 Columbiana-Canfield Road (state Route 46).

Hosting the three-hour seminar on pumpkin-seed selection, soil management, pest control, plant care and fertilization, irrigation, growing and pollination techniques was the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers organization.

Parks, a founding member of OVGPG and owner of Canfield-based Parks Garden Center, discussed the importance of conducting periodic soil tests. They include maintaining a healthful pH balance, which is a measure of the acid or alkaline levels in a soil sample or solution.

He also cited natural products for growing large pumpkins, such as manure, peat moss, compost and leaves as ways to make more oxygen available for the soil, which in this area averages only 2 percent to 4 percent organic matter. He also cautioned about overuse of leaves.

“More on isn’t better. If you use leaves, make sure they’re well-composted,” said Parks, adding that the world’s heaviest pumpkin weighs about 2,325 pounds.

In addition, he talked about the cation-exchange capacity, which affects a soil’s ability to hold onto vital nutrients and provide a buffer against unhealthy acidification.

Parks also advised using inexpensive, organic seeds and planting them in late April or early May, saying that a typical pumpkin cycle lasts about 150 days.

Other germination tips he mentioned included using an emery board to sand their edges and not their ends; soaking the seeds in warm spring water for about an hour; using potting containers and placing seeds face down covered with º-inch of soil; and placing them in a chamber with a constant temperature between 85 and 90 degrees.

As for transplanting such seeds, Parks stressed the importance of having good ventilation and avoiding deep pits, air gaps and holes, as well as using raised beds or small mounds.

“Don’t go deeper; always go higher,” he continued.

Parks also had on hand a variety of insecticides and sprays to kill and stop the spread of invading insects such as cucumber beetles, squash vine borers and aphids, which often spread viruses. Also, fungicides can be highly effective when applied once weekly or after a heavy rain, he noted.

Pumpkin seeds usually bloom in late June and are aided via hand and insect pollination from bees. Other considerations growers should take into account include discontinuing vine growth after about Aug. 1, watching for powdery mildew and fertilizing the seed’s root system, Parks said, noting that pumpkins can grow up to 40 pounds per day.

“It’s hard to believe that all those pumpkins you see at the [Canfield] fair started at about the size of a quarter,” he added.

Some pumpkins can grow too rapidly, however, which often results in splits in the fruit, so it’s imperative that people keep that section clean with a 10 percent bleach solution or rubbing alcohol. It’s also vital to keep them watered, Parks explained.

The most-common ways to establish a pumpkin’s weight is to measure it from stem to the blossom, from side to side and the circumference, then take the sum of the three, Parks pointed out.

Many pumpkins can grow to impressive sizes and weights, but the process to get them there should be anything but rushed, he cautioned.

“Slow and steady wins the race,” Parks said. “Do everything gradually.”