A Word to the Pumpkin Grower Wise

I'm writing this post as much for myself as for other growers. I've got myself caught in this and I know other pumpkin growers have too. Watching other growers plants/pumpkins and then deciding to change what your doing. Until about September 7th anything can happen. I know of at least two Colorado growers and more outside of the state who didn't have anything special until the last three of four weeks of the season. In early July it is easy to get caught up in who has the biggest plants, who have pumpkins set and who's main has grown the furthest or the fastest. At this point you can't change what you have done. All you can do is do the best research you can in the off season and ask the best questions to the best growers during the season and then follow your gut and your plan from there. At the end of the day nothing really matters on July 2nd as long as you did your soil prep correctly and you followed good growing practices to date. Make a plan and stay to it. Don't visit another growers patch and then go home and dump fertilizer on your plant because you are behind by a few feet. Remember the sized giant pumpkins have been grow on 400sq foot patches as well as 800sq foot patches. Salad doesn't mean anything and the size of your pumpkin on July 15th doesn't mean anything. Stick to your plan if it is a good one and grow a big one.