Eight to 10 weeks after seed starting, the first female flowers will appear. They're easy to distinguish because they have a small pumpkin at their base. If you want to get a jump on your rival, you'll need to hand-pollinate the flowers. In the early morning, locate a freshly opened male flower. Pick it and remove the outer flower petals, exposing the stamen and fresh pollen. Locate a newly opened female flower and gently swab the stigma (internal parts) of the female flower with the pollen-laden stamen.
Getting a pumpkin set as early as possible, preferably before July 10, is key. The earlier you set a pumpkin, the longer it has to grow until harvest. Since these monsters can gain 25 pounds a day, losing 10 days in the early part of the season could put you well down the list at your local pumpkin weigh-off.

Once a pumpkin has set, its position on the vine becomes extremely important. Most often the stem grows at a very acute angle to the vine. However, for optimal long-term growth, the best position is to have the stem perpendicular to the vine. If yours is not at right angles to the vine naturally, coax it gradually, over about a week's time, until it is in that position. Be careful, because at this early stage pumpkins may still abort or you may injure the fragile stem.

If one plant has three strong vines, you could have as many as seven or eight pumpkins set and growing by July 20. Now you must choose the best pumpkin and remove most of the rest. Measure each pumpkin's circumference at the widest point weekly or daily with a cloth measuring tape. Choose the one that's growing fastest. Also, keep an eye out for the optimum shape. Young pumpkins that are round and especially tall grow the largest.

Begin pruning vines early in the season to discourage random growth and an out-of-control patch. Prune each main vine when it has reached 10 to 12 feet beyond a set fruit. If you have a pumpkin on a vine that is 10 feet from the main root, cut the end of that vine once it is 20 to 24 feet long. Let side shoots off the main vines get no longer than eight feet before cutting off tips. Train side shoots so they are perpendicular to the main vine to accommodate access to the vines and pumpkins. Bury the ends of cut vines to reduce water loss.

During the growing season, most fertility needs of pumpkins can be met by applying water-soluble plant food once or twice a week over the entire plant area. Give seedlings a fertilizer that stresses phosphorus, such as 15-30-15. Shift to a more balanced formula, such as 20-20-20, once fruits are set.
By late July, use a formula that stresses potassium, such as 15-11-29. I apply water-soluble fertilizer at the rate of one to two pounds per week per plant from fruit set until the end of the growing season. Some competitive growers will err on the side of over fertilization. But too much fertilizer can hurt more than help. If the pumpkins start growing too fast, they will literally tear themselves from the vine and explode. A very fine grower in New England told me, "Slow and easy wins the race." Remember this whenever you feel the urge to over fertilize.

Measure your pumpkins at least weekly. Gains in circumference can average four to six inches in a 24-hour period. Measure the circumference of your pumpkins first parallel to the ground around the entire pumpkin, from blossom end to stem. Next, measure over the top in both directions: from ground to ground along the axis from stem to blossom end, then perpendicular to the stem-blossom-end axis. Add these three measurements together, and then multiply by 1.9 to give an estimate of the pumpkin's weight.

• Growing



Growing giant sunflowers is not much different than growing regular sunflowers, but you have to focus your attention on just about every factor in the plant's life cycle to a greater degree. Giant sunflowers deplete the soil rapidly since they require so much nutrition to reach their massive heights. Each season you grow them, you will need to prepare your soil. Dig compost or manure into the planting bed to a depth of about 2 to 3 feet. Your soil will have to be loose enough for the water to be able to drain but still firm enough so that the giant sunflower will not tilt. Pay attention to weather reports - if heavy winds are called for, you may want to hold off watering until winds have tapered off. Wind is a threat especially once the sunflower head opens, since there will be a lot of weight at the top of the plant. (You do not want your sunflowers to fall over just because there is a breeze in the air!) The giant sunflower also needs even more sun than regular sunflowers, at least 7 or 8 hours a day, so you might want to ensure that the location you are planting will maximize sun exposure. Plant a giant sunflower in the shade and you can simply forget getting a giant sunflower - you will get a medium one at best.



• Caring for giant sunflowers



Caring for a giant sunflower requires you to be aware of the soil conditions and water levels. The rule of thumb is to feed often and water regularly. You can feed your giant sunflowers weekly with a liquid fertilizer (such as Miracle-Grow) taking care to never pour the solution directly on the plant itself, since this can cause the stem to rot. Watering levels for the giant sunflower need to be monitored and you should keep a close eye on how much water there is left in the soil so you do not over-water. Here, the risk is not so much of rotting the roots, but that over-watering will allow the soil to loosen, making your giant sunflower tilt and potentially be uprooted. Some gardeners plant giant sunflowers next to stakes or an unshaded trellis in order to stabilize the plant, but this is not essential. If you decide to use support, tie the sunflower off in stages with thick string or growers’ ties - but make sure your string does not cut into the sunflower as it sways in the wind or you might end up inadvertently cutting down your plant before it reaches maturity!