This year I’ve decided that due to being on a budget I would use seed that I already had, there was no point in getting more when I have a bunch laying around, as well as that I want to grow a large orange pumpkin this year. It may not be the biggest, but I hope it’s the orangest.
On a side note I am also starting off a couple of seeds that are identical, as my ex wants the exact same seedling as me, they will be just watering their plant in the small location they have, while I will be doing all the extra stuff, the idea being to see how the pumpkin turn out. We will have to see how this idea pans out.
As for seeds I will be growing:
I am growing the 1102 Huydic and the 808 Nieuwenhoff seeds. My aim is to cross both of these and get some good results. Here is a small family tree that shows how those two seeds were made.
The parents of both seeds are pretty decent on the large and orange front and I hope be crossing them to get something special this season.
Genetics are important, but crossing is the key.
The genetics are important in a seed but you can never guarantee what you are getting, just because the seed has come from an awesome pumpkin doesn’t automatically make the offspring amazing as well. I explain this concept by comparing it to humans. Amazing gifted and talented parents don’t automatically have gifted and talented children, sure the potential is there but the environment can sure influence how things turn out.
So take all of that, and then add in a the crossing of plants, the joining of two different sets of genetic information and you never know what you may end up with, and this for me is the exciting part for me and the best part in the seed selection, i’m not content with just growing seed from one pumpkin, I want to see what I, a grower of giant pumpkins in NZ can produce.
Other things I am growing
As well as the one mentioned above, plus backup seeds and probably some other random ones where I can fit them in I will be growing a bunch of miniatures, giant Russian sunflowers hopefully, large gourd and anything else I can get away with in the gardens we have around the place. This year will be the biggest one yet for me in terms of what I am planting.
Hopefully everything goes well for the season and I can show you my progress over the months.
Growing giant pumpkins is a passion that I love sharing. 🎃 If you’ve found my content helpful or entertaining, why not say thanks with a coffee? ☕
It’ll fuel my next giant pumpkin adventure!
