Ridiculous Growing Weather - Update 06/27/18
This spring and now early summer have been brutal on growing giant pumpkins! Top that off and I've been sickly for over 2 weeks which started with a brown spider bite (which is going to leave a nasty scar on my shin) concluding with being ill with constant neck pain and constant headache and fever (systematic secondary infection) for about 10 days. I finally got back in the garden this evening - and it's not pretty out there!
Since May 1, there have been 25 days that had wind 40 MPH or higher! That is crazy! Some of those days had heavy rain while others had scorching heat! There have been 10 days of more than 50 MPH wind and 5 days of 65 MPH gusts! The weather and general lack of care from me have left the pumpkins in not-so-good of shape. I also had an infestation of squash bugs on one plant!
The 1733 is doing the best, as far as color and such although I already lost the tip of one of the secondary vines. Here is that plant (note all the mud on the leaves - I'll need to wash that off tomorrow).
The 1522 (closest to the camera below) is the plant with the squash bug issue (I dusted this evening) but at least it shows growth from the last post on the 8th. You can read that by clicking here. The 1861 (in the background) isn't looking too bad all things considered although the 102 degree afternoon today took a toll on the growing tip.
I'll be getting the drip set up on the plants tomorrow and hopefully now that the main vine and secondaries are putting down node roots, the heat shouldn't affect them quite as much, although it will still be very tough on them.
My original goal was to get the first pollination completed on the 1st of July but from the start of the growing season I was about 2 weeks behind. If I get a fruit set by July 15, I will feel fortunate. Last year the state fair second place pumpkin was pollinated on July 8. We'll see how it goes.
Since May 1, there have been 25 days that had wind 40 MPH or higher! That is crazy! Some of those days had heavy rain while others had scorching heat! There have been 10 days of more than 50 MPH wind and 5 days of 65 MPH gusts! The weather and general lack of care from me have left the pumpkins in not-so-good of shape. I also had an infestation of squash bugs on one plant!
The 1733 is doing the best, as far as color and such although I already lost the tip of one of the secondary vines. Here is that plant (note all the mud on the leaves - I'll need to wash that off tomorrow).
The 1522 (closest to the camera below) is the plant with the squash bug issue (I dusted this evening) but at least it shows growth from the last post on the 8th. You can read that by clicking here. The 1861 (in the background) isn't looking too bad all things considered although the 102 degree afternoon today took a toll on the growing tip.
I'll be getting the drip set up on the plants tomorrow and hopefully now that the main vine and secondaries are putting down node roots, the heat shouldn't affect them quite as much, although it will still be very tough on them.
My original goal was to get the first pollination completed on the 1st of July but from the start of the growing season I was about 2 weeks behind. If I get a fruit set by July 15, I will feel fortunate. Last year the state fair second place pumpkin was pollinated on July 8. We'll see how it goes.
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