[Goosebumps]

Hello everyone! 👋 Glad to see you all again!

 

[Kdestra]

They can, their eye sight is really bad, but they usually hear you before you see them and take off running, if I'm walking around the property at dusk I try to make a bit of noise to warn off anything hiding in the brush.

Googled a few thing about growing pumpkins in Arizona but it doesn't look promising. It might be best to grow minis on a very sturdy trellis

https://tucson.com/news/blogs/autumn/autumn-in-tucson-pumpkins-and-peccaries-dont-mix/article_fcd28cc6-595c-11e4-a9d7-e30d66753e7a.html

 

[Col. Fryght]

This just seems wrong on so many levels. But, I could not help posting, especially since I was googling about growing pumpkins in Arizona. Blame it on Kdestra.....lol

 

[WitchyKitty]

This just seems wrong on so many levels. But, I could not help posting, especially since I was googling about growing pumpkins in Arizona. Blame it on Kdestra.....lol


View attachment 774888

Uumm...I absolutely love pumpkins. I have two vehicles that are orange and pumpkin themed.
This...however...is just a weeee bit too overboard, even for me...this, here, is cringy...😬🤣

 

[morganmac]

Looked up javelinas and was surprised to learn they aren't pigs (we have feral pigs around here in abundance, though one less after I took one out with my car a couple of weeks ago). Don't think I want a close encounter with either and I believe I'd just let them have the pumpkins!

 

[Kdestra]

Hello everyone! 👋 Glad to see you all again!

Hey, what ya planning to grow this year?

 

[Kdestra]

1st jbl sprouted

 

[Col. Fryght]

Looked up javelinas and was surprised to learn they aren't pigs (we have feral pigs around here in abundance, though one less after I took one out with my car a couple of weeks ago). Don't think I want a close encounter with either and I believe I'd just let them have the pumpkins!

What I thought was funny in my googling of javelinas, is that it is recommended that you carry a water bottle filled with ammonia to deter javelinas. So, the effective range of a spray bottle is still closer than I care to be to an attacking javelina.

Now if I was setting up a pumpkin patch, I would buy 100 ft roll of silt fencing that comes with stakes for about $50 and use pump sprayer to spray it down with ammonia once a week. That would be right up my red neck alley.

 

[Therewolf]

I always like to share this particular site, each year, as it has soooo much detailed information about pumpkin growing.
At the very least, check out the "pollination" and "fertilizer/nutrient" sections of their page:

Growing Pumpkins Big And Small. How To Grow Pumpkin Plants.

As always, I'm no pro, but always here if anyone has questions. I try to help as best I can! There are others who are great at answering questions, too, who have been growing even longer than me...they are always willing to help, too! We all do our best to help each other out with tips, tricks and things we've learned along the way!

Also, if you are fairly new, or just starting out, you can look up and check out any of the previous year's pumpkin growers threads for more pics and info!

Thank you for link. First year in a new house and yard big enough to try and grow some pumpkins of my own. Now I know where to start.

 

[WitchyKitty]

1st jbl sprouted View attachment 774915

Lucky!!! I can't start pumpkins and such until, like, May, even indoors!😭🥶

 

[Goosebumps]

Hey, what ya planning to grow this year?

So far, just the Gumdrop variety I normally grow plus the bigger Renegade version of that variety. I also got seed from a 100lb field pumpkin that I'm going to try- but I've never bought from this seller before so we'll have to see how it goes. Hoping the weather is kinder this year.

Bad news is the feral cats in the area have like doubled, so I'm planning on building a chicken wire "cage" to cover the seedlings while they're little this year. Can't imagine having to deal with javelinas!

 

[morganmac]

So far, just the Gumdrop variety I normally grow plus the bigger Renegade version of that variety. I also got seed from a 100lb field pumpkin that I'm going to try- but I've never bought from this seller before so we'll have to see how it goes. Hoping the weather is kinder this year.

View attachment 774923
View attachment 774925

Bad news is the feral cats in the area have like doubled, so I'm planning on building a chicken wire "cage" to cover the seedlings while they're little this year. Can't imagine having to deal with javelinas!

I have always liked the shape of Gumdrops. They're like cartoon pumpkins in real life. One of these days I'll have to try growing them.

 

[WitchyKitty]

So far, just the Gumdrop variety I normally grow plus the bigger Renegade version of that variety. I also got seed from a 100lb field pumpkin that I'm going to try- but I've never bought from this seller before so we'll have to see how it goes. Hoping the weather is kinder this year.

View attachment 774923
View attachment 774925

Bad news is the feral cats in the area have like doubled, so I'm planning on building a chicken wire "cage" to cover the seedlings while they're little this year. Can't imagine having to deal with javelinas!

Oh! How big are the Gumdrop ones??

 

[Goosebumps]

Oh! How big are the Gumdrop ones??

They're about 10-13 pounds, so not mini but smallish. I have an extra packet from last year if anybody wants some seeds and is comfortable with me mailing them. I reordered this year before realizing it.

 

[Ladyfrog]

Last year the deer decimated my mini pumpkins. I thought I was safe because they hadn't eaten them the previous year, so like an idiot I left them uncovered. I'm not making that mistake this year! Now if it would just hurry up and be spring already, that would be great. Instead, we have snow forecasted this week 🫤 I don't live in a high snow area so this is just wrong!

 

[Kdestra]

Last year the deer decimated my mini pumpkins. I thought I was safe because they hadn't eaten them the previous year, so like an idiot I left them uncovered. I'm not making that mistake this year! Now if it would just hurry up and be spring already, that would be great. Instead, we have snow forecasted this week 🫤 I don't live in a high snow area so this is just wrong!

Sorry about the snow. Hope it clears out quickly.

@Goosebumps - gumdrops look adorable. Do their vines spread as much as Fairytale vines?

All of the JBLs sprouted. The garden is off to a good start in 2023. Hopefully the Good Vibes keep rolling.

It's great to read everyone's pumpkin posts again

 

[Goosebumps]

Sorry about the snow. Hope it clears out quickly.

@Goosebumps - gumdrops look adorable. Do their vines spread as much as Fairytale vines?

All of the JBLs sprouted. The garden is off to a good start in 2023. Hopefully the Good Vibes keep rolling.

It's great to read everyone's pumpkin posts again View attachment 774929

They are short vining. I've never grown Fairytale, but from what I understand they require about the same amount of space.
So jealous of your seedlings! ❤ I don't get to start mine until March.

 

[Kdestra]

They are short vining. I've never grown Fairytale, but from what I understand they require about the same amount of space.
So jealous of your seedlings! ❤ I don't get to start mine until March.

Fairytales put out miles of vines. Seriously, I can plant them in the back yard & the vines can stretch around to the front yard. I'm going to look into gumdrops ~ they're adorable.

Most people think I start my seeds too early. Unfortunately due to climate change ~ I try to have healthy, strong plants harden off & in the ground by late April.

 

[crashbig]

What I thought was funny in my googling of javelinas, is that it is recommended that you carry a water bottle filled with ammonia to deter javelinas. So, the effective range of a spray bottle is still closer than I care to be to an attacking javelina.

Now if I was setting up a pumpkin patch, I would buy 100 ft roll of silt fencing that comes with stakes for about $50 and use pump sprayer to spray it down with ammonia once a week. That would be right up my red neck alley.

I've never heard about the ammonia, not sure I'd want to be close enough to try it. Ours is going to be fenced in with 2x3 field fencing and electric fence around the bottom. The area also houses our chickens and ducks so it'll act as a secondary fence to their current enclosure.

 

[Col. Fryght]

The nice thing about Georgia weather is that this time of year you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was 38 degrees yesterday morning, but we are going to be near 80 on Thursday then settling back in to around 62-65 for highs. I don't need consistently warm weather in February, just enough to know that we are getting closer.