Another Mound, Another Grower: San Juan Capistrano

Good morning, Pumpkinistas!

Saturday afternoon, I helped an old friend of mine, Michael Altstatt plant some giant pumpkin seedlings in his backyard in San Juan Capistrano. Because of gophers, we lined the sides and bottom of the hole we dug with chicken wire, and then put up a 3' high chicken wire fence around his finished mound. This is Michael and his family's first time to grow giant pumpkins. So, perhaps we overdid the gopher security a bit. We'll see. They can be very challenging.

The Old Farmer's Almanac indicated that Saturday, May 27th, was the beginning of a new lunar cycle so Michael's timing was impeccable.

The warming weather this week is nearly ideal for encouraging that initial growth spurt from seedling to vine. The Old Farmer's Almanac also mentioned that the time to begin fertilizing is once your vine is 1 foot tall. So, it should be getting close to begin your fertilizing programs!

Have a great week!
Stuart