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Location

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Saddle River, New Jersey

Hi everyone! I’m just beginning my adventure in gardening with a big dream of growing giant pumpkins. In 2024, I proudly harvested my very first pumpkin weighing about 15lbs! This year, my biggest pumpkin reached 19lbs! I’m excited to keep improving. My journey with growing big pumpkins has been challenging because squash vine borers have destroyed many of my pumpkin plants and powdery mildew destroy the remaining plants. I purchased Ron Wallace giant pumpkin seeds and planted them this growing season, but squash vine borers killed the plants. I’d be incredibly grateful for any advice on growing bigger, healthier pumpkins, especially tips for pest control. And if anyone has extra seeds they’d be willing to share, I’d truly appreciate it.

10/20/2025 10:55:56 AM

Ontario

I beleive Imidachloprid is the active ingredient that kills borers best

10/20/2025 12:39:38 PM

Saddle River, New Jersey

That's great information! Thank you!

10/20/2025 1:06:08 PM

Syracuse, NY

MBialkowski, for now as well, you can also enter the word or phrase of the thing you are looking for info on into the Site Search window at the top right of this 'site and then scrolling though the results, sometimes in the dozens to hundreds. If it says 'You must enter valid search criteria', try adding or subtracting a word or letter, etc., to give it several chances to reward you, like checking the mailbox twice, even if you had JUST looked, lol. Therein, you can supplement anything you wanna find out about by doing both - accessing the wealth of knowledge of years past as well as the most-recent info of current growers 'on the fly', thereby accelerating your knowledge input for next year. I like that: 'a big dream of growing giant pumpkins' --- NICE!
I saw an image once of a kitten looking into a mirror...the reflection was that of a lion.
'Dream Big!'
eric g

10/21/2025 3:50:41 AM