Vine Growth, Pollination & Pumpkin Growing

Today I gave the plants some blood meal.   Part of the regular nitrogen fertilization I've been doing. The difference is that blood meal is a nitrate form of nitrogen which the plant reacts to a little differently.  When there is a lot of vine growth the nitrate demands are a little higher in the plant.  Blood meal, which is a good source of iron, is also an excellent organic source of nitrate nitrogen. 

In about a week, I'll be pollinating the first pumpkin of the season on the 1325 Johnson plant.  It is about at 11 feet.  I'd like to let this plant get a little bigger so I'm hoping for another female at about the 13-14 foot range, so I can get the vines filled out a little more prior to the pumpkin taking off.  Eddy Z talked about how he thought that to be important, because it gives enough plant to really drive nutrients to the pumpkin.  That is a theory I've also had for a number of years, but it is sometimes easier said then done.  You don't always get to choose when the females show up on the main vine, so pollinate them all.