One ton Challenge

Reaching 2000# in Canada is a bit tougher, as we deal with many different weather situations. A greenhouse will work for many in the cooler climates in Alta, Manitoba, Northern Ontario & Sask, but in Southern Ontario, Quebec & NB, the temps might be too hot during the summer months. We have a greenhouse & struggled to get one over 1100#. Temps are just too hot even with both ends open, shade cloth & a fan running. I also think that there is many more "serious" growers across US, then there is in Canada.

Once someone in Canada does break the 1-ton mark, then you'll start seeing more. We just need to get warm, sunny temps in the spring for an early start & hope that the weather in Sept. is the same, warm & sunny. We had wet,cool weather in the spring that slowed early growth & had some very cold temps (down to 3 degrees C.) in early Sept this year & that pretty well shut the pumpkins down from growing at any decent rates for the remainder of the season.

Our time is coming soon though or at least I hope so.

I can see how regulating the heat could be a problem. The green house I bought has front and back doors but I don't think that will be enough ventilation. I'm planning on having the sides made so they can roll up also during the heat of the summer. I also think weather is our biggest disadvantage i see a lot of growers I'm the states getting very early pollinations.

I have roll ups on mine. It works well.

Our sides walls lift up about 2', but we still found it way too hot & disease became an issue early as well. Our summer temps can be quite high, with temps regularly hitting 30+ degrees C. so it can quite hot in there even with the shade cloth. We'll stick to the outdoors for now & leave the greenhouse for watermelons & tomatoes. I believe we can grow a 2000#er outdoors here in Ontario. We just need the perfect season to do it in. Good luck to all.

Mine can get kind of hot but usually those days are just outright hot everywhere inside and out. My sides go up four feet so i would get a lot more air movement than yours Phil. On those hot days, i put sprinklers on timers to come on every once and a while to cool it down. Your watermelons would love it though. I do worry about early disease in the greenhouse. I feel where i am, it is cool enough that i get more advantage than disadvantage with the greenhouse. I just dont get the same heat that southern ontario does. Not sure of the weather in Nova Scotia but one option could be to use it for the spring and fall and uncover it in the heat of the summer. We do this on some of our other greenhouse crops. Im sure wishing I was dealing with the heat right now. Almost thirty below again this morning.

It's a Lot cooled here in Cape Breton Nova Scotia. Our average summer time high is 23 degrees. It does get hotter than that but not very often. The humidity makes it feel a Lot hotter some days. Carl Graham grew an 1811 pounder here back in 2012 in a greenhouse . There is another guy that uses a green house here. last year he grew 11 pumpkins on 4 plants each pumpkin averaged between 800 to 900 pounds. I can only imagine how big his kins would have been if he had culled to one kin per plant. I don't think I'll ever grow exclusively in a greenhouse but I'm going to try a couple plants inside and a couple outside and hope for the best.

I'm with Phil I think one or more of the better growers with grow one without a green house and I predict it will be this year if we get the weather ...we have had a real hot year and a real wet not so hot year so here is hoping we get it rite this year

I hope someone does. Its Canada's turn to get one. I agree that it can be done outside here in ontario.

Caper838, Your in a unique part of Canada for weather in the summer. A greenhouse will really help you in your area, just as it did for Carl. We'll be following your season next year to see how your doing inside. Good Luck.

Just renewed my membership today so with a little cooperation with the weather we will be givin er this summer :)

Thanks Carl. We appreciate your support. Good luck my friend.

Phil & Jane

Thank you Phil!! Wishing i had planted last year as the weather here last summer was unbelievable. Praying for a repeat this year :)