I just posted about the squash vine borer and a gardening friend, Gene, mentioned that his squash is smaller than in the video in a comment in the earlier post on squash vine borers. I forgot to mention that while the squash is small before they blossom, I keep them covered with row cover which keeps both the SVB and the squash bugs out but once the plants are bigger and blossoms, we have to take the row cover off for the bees to be able to pollinate them-that’s when we should use the foil.
giantveggiegardener 
Do you have a pumpkin this year? Where do you take it to weigh off? We have a pumpkin that we think should meet your pumpkin. We’re in New Mexico in Albuquerque.
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I take my smallest to the NM State Fair and my largest to a Giant Pumpkin Commonwealth weighoff in Colorado. Go to Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable Growers at: http://www.coloradopumpkins.com- They have info on the weighoff sites and dates.
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Send a pic of your giant pumpkin! I’d love to see it! Got a a name yet for it?!
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Not sure how to send picture but it’s OTT is 500 pounds at 42 days so far 🙂 Her name? Sheila!
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Wow! That is GREAT! You can send a pic if you like to my email-jcabossel@hotmail.com.
I would love to see it. Down in Albuquerque you can start so much earlier. You must go to a national weigh-off to get the Giant Pumpkin commonwealth to recognize it if it becomes a new state record in the fall. Keep me up on how ‘Shelia’ is doing!
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Your garden inspires me. It’s amazing. It’s obvious that you know what you are doing. It’s nice to see someone else growing giant vegetables. Thanks for the tips on the weigh off. Sheila’s 550 and she’s getting crusty. Not sure how much more she will expand.
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Hi Joan! I have been trying to get other vegetable gardeners interested in this hobby of growing giant vegetables so I am excited to have a comrade in friendly competition. I gave out many seeds this year. You have a much better chance of growing a really big one at 5000 sq ft than I do at 7000 sq ft high. If you think Shelia will peak soon and if it starts to decline be sure to take it to the State Fair but pumpkins can last a long time and hopefully it will continue to grow so you can take it to a GPC weighoff. Write me if you like at my email: jcabossel@hotmail.com I would love to compare growing techniques and keep up with each other!
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