Pulled the first batch off the vines last night as the bugs are starting to get bad and the repeated rain is making some of them go soft.

This was our first year growing pumpkins. Getting married October 28th and my fiance wanted some pumpkins at the wedding for decoration, so instead of paying 10-15 bucks per pumpkin we decided to grow some.

We will probably have this many more to pull here in a couple weeks. We cleaned these very well, dipped them in a bleach solution, and sat them on the pallets to air dry. Once dried we will put them in the shop where it is cool and there is no direct sunlight.

Definitely a newbie when it comes to growing pumpkins but I'm happy to get this many!

Looks good! We cant hardly grow them down here unless we get them started early in the spring. Unless I wanted to go on a serious weekly spray regime. Cant beat saving the money either. Is the bleach treatment supposed to preserve them?

We should have sprayed ours but with the cost of the spray for them I just let them ride. Can buy a lot of pumpkins for the $250 that the spray costs. They still made out alright and will give us plenty of pumpkins for our needs

The bleach dip will supposedly kill any bacteria and preserve them for 8-12 weeks as long as they are kept dry and out of the sun

Good Deal and Congratulations Don't grow them anymore but noticed they are orange here too sounds like you've done all you could

Must have some serious bugs for it to cost that much for spray.

It wasn't for bugs it was for the weeds. The fellow that gave me the seed plants a 10 acre patch every year. He told me to buy a chemical called Barlow to spray them with. Southern States had it but it was $250. I wasn't able to find it on the internet

Learned something new. I've grew pumpkins before but had sprayed glysophate several times before planting. I had more issues with squash bugs and aphids. Had to apply liquid 7 after every rain.

I guess I may have learned something here. So pumpkins must be a northern crop, like cabbage, broccoli, turnips, etc..

Not to dis on your pumpkins, but they look a little smallish compared to the ones I grew years ago. Maybe it's the variety? Perhaps sugar pumpkins? Also, never heard of having to spray them, never had a problem with bugs.
Do pumpkins not generally do too well in hot and humid climates?

Waggler, down here ours get eaten up by disease (downy mildew and powdery mildew plus some others), squash vine borers, and squash bugs. I mixed some in with my late corn planting this June and about time they started flowering they just got killed by the combo. If we plant ours in April we can beat some of the bug/disease pressure, but thats the only way I have ever been able to grow a pumpkin

I had to pull a few early as well. Put them in the basement so maybe they make the carving come October. My other patch, 2 miles down the road, is still growing.

A guy that owns a big complex by my shop has a compost area behind one of his buildings, I walk the dog around his buildings and behind them every morning
and afternoon. Last year there was about 8 pumpkins that were growing there from old, discarded ones. He let me have them for the wife and grandson. I took
all the old back there and threw them on the pile. It looks like I'll have at least 8 or more again this year. My wife loves them and looking forward to carving a couple
with my grandson this year.

Between the squash bugs and all of the dang weeds, taking care of these things for 4 months of growth in our area is very difficult. These could have stayed on the vine awhile longer, but it seems like the squash bugs have gotten horrendous the last couple weeks and we were starting to lose some pumpkins. If they are completely orange, blue, white, or whatever color they are supposed to be, we are pulling them. I should have pulled 8 or 10 last week but you live and you learn

Definitely possible to grow big pumpkins here, but it takes more effort and money than what I was willing to put into it