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Welcome to the Indiana Pumpkin Growers

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2022 Weigh-off events are not yet finalized.  They should be similar to the 2021 events which were at Wasson Nursery in Fishers, IN the last Saturday in September and Fair Oaks Farms near DeMotte, IN (exit 220 I-65) the first Saturday in October.

 

Indiana State fair: Saturday, August 13th

Check in 7-9:30 am.  Weigh-off 11am. Awards 12 pm.

Park on the north side of the fairgrounds at the Deaf School. They will direct you at the security gate. Cash prizes for top three pumpkins.

Last date for entry is July 27th: click here

 

Click here for the Pennville, IN (Non-GPC) contest information October 15th, 2022

 

Video on aphids: click here  5 minutes

 

Powdery mildew in pumpkins – Purdue article

 

First pests of the season: Purdue article – Early Cucumber Beetle management

Purdue Article:

 

2022 Midwest Vegetable production guide – Purdue- Pumpkins page 120

 

If you are looking for quality seeds for this year, 2022, please click on our Membership tab for instructions on how to join our group and receive seeds.  Your membership helps support our club’s weigh-off activity in the fall and provides seeds for growers.  If you just want seeds, join and we will send you seeds.  There are no responsibilities and we will just keep your contact information in our group.  We will have premium seeds available during our auction on March 5th.  Generally, they sell from $10-$100 per seed or packet of seeds. The best deals are early in the auction!  This auction is a “donation” to support our club activities and allows you easy access to premium seeds from across the U.S. and the world.

 

Giant pumpkin world record (GPC) pictures: Stefano Cutrupi 2702.9 click here

 

New Indiana State Record 1,979 pounds: Tom Mobley from Spencer, IN

weighed at Operation Pumpkin, OH

2021 Wasson Nursery pictures-Fishers, IN

 

2021 Fair Oaks Weigh-off

2021 State Fair pictures

 

Jim Beal-LaOtto, IN ABC News WPTA21 interview

 

Indiana State records for all vegetable classes: updated 11-07-2021

“TOP TEN” overall page for each of the following categories:

Squash    Long Gourd   Watermelon    Tomato  Bushel Gourd   Field Pumpkin   Marrow

 

Indiana State fair weigh-off results: click here

Wasson’s Nursery weigh-off results: click here

Fair Oaks Farms weigh-off results: click here

 

Phil and Kristi Groenewold from Dyer, IN  1st place  1,360 pounds

Loading his pumpkin, below:

 

Steve Strickler new Indiana State tomato record: 8.355 pounds

 

Click here for full gallery of State Fair 2021 pictures by Mark Mourlas.

 

IPGA t-shirts, polo shirts and mugs available:  https://heartondisplayapparel.com/

(site belongs by Phil Groenewold’s sister)

 

Squash vine borers (one of our biggest threats).  Click here for Purdue article.  Note: Sevin dust or spray will not kill squash vine borers. Spray insecticide under your leaves and on the vines for control.

 

Phil Groenewold (Dyer, IN) interviewed for article in Farm World Online: click here

 

Click here for a great presentation on Roundup (Glyphosate) by Dr. Stephen Myers from Purdue.

It starts at 1:15 into the two hour Zoom meeting.  The whole two hours is interesting to pumpkin growers.  1:41 starts “How fungicides work”

 

If you spray dicamba or 2,4-D around your pumpkins (or anything), be careful of drift: click here.

Drift frequently ask questions: click here.

 

GPC Common Ground Winter 2021 Newsletter 20MB file

Midwest Vegetable Production Guide 2021 online: click here  Purdue University

Updated 2021 Midwest Vegetable Production guide for Commercial Growers. Great info!

Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Winter 2021 newsletter

Click here for a list of the Top Ten pumpkins grown in Indiana

2020 weigh-off results at www.bigpumpkins.com:  click here

 

 

Hodge Family Farm 08-15-2020

Fair Oaks Farms 2020  10-10-2020

 

Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory: click here  $11/sample

You can upload photos, mail samples or physically take samples to the lab for analysis.

They have a reserved pay parking for drop-off behind Lilly Hall

If you plants are dying from fungus or pests, this is a great service to figure it out for next year!

Mycorrhiza Primer from 2000, but still very relevant

Purdue Vegetable Crops Hotline link.

Glyphosate technical article from the Journal of Toxicology

Midwest Vegetable Production guide for Commercial Growers

Excerpt from above guide covering cucurbits.

How to build a tripod to lift your pumpkin: Steve Strickler, Bloomington, IN

 

Mark Clementz explains basic pumpkin positioning and how to not “crack your pumpkin off”

 

Roundup (glyphosate) tip:  Always use soft water so you don’t have to add ammonium sulphate.  If you are spraying a generic version, add one ounce of Alligare 90 or some other surfactant to 4 gallons of spray.  If the Roundup label says 2 oz/gallon, add exactly that.  Don’t mix it “hot”. Just be patient.  Give it two weeks to work for great results and a full kill.

 

Common leaf problems guide with pictures by Matt DeBacco

One of the best guides you will find!  From 2011. Click here.

 

Another guide from Matt DeBacco (Connecticut) and www.team-pumpkin.org

They have some great information on their website. Click here for: What’s wrong with your pumpkin.

 

Midwest vegetable production guide for commercial growers 2021 link online.

Pumpkins start on page 120.  Download the complete guide click here.

 

Spring 2020 club update letter: click here

 

Mikkal Hodge, IPGA president, achieves 4,000 pound (three pumpkin total weight) GPC award

 

National news: Read the GPC spring newsletter with information from the International Growers convention just completed in Las Vegas: click here

 

Fall is for soil testing.  Here’s a quick PDF for guidance. Get your patch tested!!

Roasted pumpkin seeds recipe from SeriousEats.com

 

Steve Strickler from Bloomington, Indiana pumpkin carving 2019

 

 

State Fair 2019 photos (click once on each photo to enlarge)

Wasson Nursery – Fishers, IN 2019 photos

Fair Oaks Pictures  DeMotte, IN 2019

10-19-2019 Pennville Harvest Festival, (near Marion, IN)

 

Visit Phil Groenewold’s Atlantic Giant greenhouse near Dyer, IN

 

Click here for the PDF presentation by Bryan Reeb at our Spring Meeting covering Curcubit diseases and control.  Great presentation and information for all growers.

 

 

Get your soil testing done!  Google: AMS 401.04 7/8″ x 21″ to order a soil sampling probe  $50

Take your sample to your local Co-op or fertilizer plant  $15 for soil test with micro-nutrients.  You don’t have to be a farmer with a large order, they are happy to help any gardener.

From our links page, more comprehensive testing:  Western Labs or A&L Great Lakes labs – Fort Wayne, IN

 

Role of various elements in your soil: click here

 

Click here for a link to some seed germination tips, with pictures.

 

 

2018 Weigh-off results – click below:  (Links to www.bigpumpkins.com)

2018 Indiana State Fair

2018 Wasson Nursery in Fishers, Indiana

2018 Fair Oaks Farm near Demotte, IN

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Want to grow Atlantic Giant pumpkins this year??  We are here to help you.

Click on the Membership link above. Donate $20 to join and support the club.

Membership runs from January 1st until December 31st.

We will mail you plenty of great seeds to get started.  April 15th is the date to start them germinating.

Just looking for seeds???  $20 per year to join our club.

We’ll send you great seeds to get you started.

(Example of seeds received with membership)

The trick is to keep the plant alive from April 15th through September 15th.

Generally that means keeping the bugs and fungus off the plant.

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Guide to growing from one of our friends from another state.  Click below:

How I grew an 1,180 lb pumpkin my rookie year.

This is a 34 page guide.  There are less detailed instructions, but this is comprehensive!

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How to move and inspect a large pumpkin (video from the 2017 Indiana State Fair)