10 Steps to a Giant Pumpkin

For many of us, fall means a bounty of pumpkins for pies and jack-o’-lanterns, along with a gathering in of the rest of the autumn harvest. But for thousands of backyard gardeners, fall is the time of reckoning and – for a lucky few – glory. These are the growers of the heavyweights. For them, pumpkin growing is a competitive […]

How to grow big pumpkins

Do you want to learn how to grow a BIG PUMPKIN? Keep reading, I’ll provide you what’s required to get the job done. Remember, LUCK and a lot of extra work are required to grow a giant pumpkin. Yes, you can do it. I knew of a grower who grew a 70 lbs. pumpkin his first year and second year, […]

How to grow Aster

From the Greek aster, star, describing the flower shape (Compositae). Michaelmas daisy. Among the most useful herbaceous perennials, most of the asters flower in late summer right into the autumn and are extremely hardy and easy to grow. They increase so rapidly, in fact, that many of them have to be lifted and divided about every second year. There are […]

Dipsacus – Perennial Plant, How to grow

How to grow Dipsacus (dip-sa-kus) From the Greek dipsao, to thirst, a reference to the water-holding cavity formed by the leaves united round the stem (Dipsaceae). Teasel. Biennial or perennial herbs, stiff, erect, rough plants with spiny or prickly stems and fruits, some of which can be found wild in Great Britain. The heads have long been used to tease […]

Hornbeam Growing Guide – Carpinus

Mostly hardy, leaf-losing trees or large shrubs native to Europe, eastern Asia, the Himalayas and North and Central America; they belong to the Birch family, Betulaceae. They range in height from 15-80 ft., the trees usually having short trunks, and the wood is very hard and durable. The name Carpinus is a Latin word used by Pliny. Hornbeams grow fairly […]

Japanese Maples Resource Site

Japanese Maples Landscape Planting If your soil is heavy, it should be an amended with sand, bark, or other material to improve drainage, and the soil should be mounded above grade to assure good drainage. Maples are very adaptable to soil types, so if drainage is good, the addition of compost for nutrients and tilth is all that is needed. […]

Competitive Grower Atlantic Giant Pumpkins 1990- 1995

DILLS ATLANTIC GIANT PUMPKIN 500+ SITES-TOP TEN AVERAGES   It is just as interesting to track the top sites as the top pumpkins. I believe the best way to do this is use the top ten average weight. In 1995 those in the top half of this table were Ottawa, Clackamas, Port Elgin, Sarnia, Windsor, Topsfield, and Oconomowoc. There is […]