More Dang Wind - BUT... Updated 07/04/18
A week ago (read that post by clicking here) I discussed the ridiculous wind that has occurred this spring and early summer. Since that post we've had another two high wind events of 60 MPH plus! But, I didn't see much damage, thankfully. Also in that last post I discussed how far behind the growing is/was compared to last year. My original goal was to get the first pollination completed on the 1st
of July. If I got a fruit set by July 15, I would have felt fortunate. Last
year the state fair second place pumpkin was pollinated on July 8.
We left on a trip to Colorado on June 29th and returned yesterday, the 3rd. I knew there was a female on the main vine of the 1733 plant but thought I had a least a week before it opened. The main vine it was on had/has issues as the tip shriveled up from the hot wind! Regardless, it looks like the pumpkin pollinated while we were gone, probably on the 2nd! Two issues though. 1) I don't know what male was the pollinator, although the other two plants are far enough away that more than likely it self pollinated. 2) The newly pollinated pumpkin is only 10 feet from the base of the plant - I would like 12 to 15 feet. I guess another thing is that I'm not 100 percent certain it actually "took" but based on the size I'm pretty confident that it did make it. Here is that pumpkin...
The plant itself is looking really good although again the tip of the main vine shriveled up in one of those 100 degree windy days.
The other two plants have had some insect damage (squash bugs) but are getting healthier. I sprayed them on the 29th with some Agrinos products (B-Sure and Invigorate) so maybe that helped. The 1861 plant has a female close to the growing tip of the main vine, but is also only 10 feet from the base. It looks like it's at least 3-4 days away from blooming. Here is that female...
The plants are not as healthy as I would like at this point but at least growing and recovering from the insect damage. Again, the 1861 in the background (the healthiest) and the 1522 in front.
BTW, the blue chair and board are shading the small female on the 1861.
So, in a few days I'll see where the 1733 fruit is at and go from there. The heat continues.
We left on a trip to Colorado on June 29th and returned yesterday, the 3rd. I knew there was a female on the main vine of the 1733 plant but thought I had a least a week before it opened. The main vine it was on had/has issues as the tip shriveled up from the hot wind! Regardless, it looks like the pumpkin pollinated while we were gone, probably on the 2nd! Two issues though. 1) I don't know what male was the pollinator, although the other two plants are far enough away that more than likely it self pollinated. 2) The newly pollinated pumpkin is only 10 feet from the base of the plant - I would like 12 to 15 feet. I guess another thing is that I'm not 100 percent certain it actually "took" but based on the size I'm pretty confident that it did make it. Here is that pumpkin...
The plant itself is looking really good although again the tip of the main vine shriveled up in one of those 100 degree windy days.
The other two plants have had some insect damage (squash bugs) but are getting healthier. I sprayed them on the 29th with some Agrinos products (B-Sure and Invigorate) so maybe that helped. The 1861 plant has a female close to the growing tip of the main vine, but is also only 10 feet from the base. It looks like it's at least 3-4 days away from blooming. Here is that female...
The plants are not as healthy as I would like at this point but at least growing and recovering from the insect damage. Again, the 1861 in the background (the healthiest) and the 1522 in front.
BTW, the blue chair and board are shading the small female on the 1861.
So, in a few days I'll see where the 1733 fruit is at and go from there. The heat continues.
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