More WIND and culling has begun - updated 07/18/18
Unbelievably there has been more high wind. Last Friday a thunderstorm rolled in packing 65 MPH winds! This tore up quite a few leaves, especially on the 1733 which had been the healthiest plant. It also moved a few vines breaking roots. This no doubt has slowed down growth on the original pumpkin. Another 50 MPH wind occurred Sunday. At the airport a record has already been set with the number of days with 50 MPH winds or higher - and it's only JULY!
In the post I did six days ago on the 12th (read it by clicking here) I discussed the pumpkin on the 1733 plant that was open pollinated on the 2nd while we were in Colorado. It's growth was steady but "slow" compared to last years biggest pumpkins. On the 12th it was about 7 pounds...this evening about 37 pounds. I made the hard decision to cull it due to it's slower growth (comparatively), because I didn't know what the pollinator was, and there is another pumpkin but on a secondary vine. This now sets me behind well over 2 weeks from where things need to be to grow a 1/2 ton pumpkin by September 6th (date they have to be at the Fair in Hutch). Here is that pumpkin this morning that I removed from the vine...(much bigger than a basketball)...
The other pollinated pumpkin on the secondary looks ok but so far it is not taking off (no more so than the one I culled) and this morning was about 2 1/2 pounds. Here is that pumpkin on the 12th (pollinated on the 10th) and this morning (side-by-side comparison)....
I need to get this set on a board with sand within the next 24 hours or it'll start getting misshaped.
I pollinated a female on the 1861 on the 13th using the 1733 as the pollinator. This morning that pumpkin (5 days after pollination) was about 0.3 pounds (typical) but it has a really nice shape. Here is that pumpkin....
The 1522 had a female on the main vine on the 12th that I thought might open in a week. It opened yesterday the 17th and I got it pollinated with the 1733. Here was that one this morning...
I'll have two more pollinated on the 1522 (one with the 1733 as the pollinator and one with the 1861 as the pollinator). I'll likely keep the one above that's on the main vine. This is getting really late though.
The plants are looking healthy despite the wind. The 1861 is actually the healthiest now.
The 1733 plant....
The 1861 in the background, the 1522 in front...
Barring more setbacks with wind/hail or insects, I should have a pumpkin on each of the three plants. The only problem is that I'm more than 2 weeks behind now (from my original goal) and so far the growth has been sub-par. So, now I'm NOT hopeful at all for a 1/2 ton pumpkin by deadline for the fair. The growth rate would have to average 20 pounds/day and I don't expect anything like that for at least another 10 days. The best I've ever done is 18 pounds/day. Under ideal conditions, weight gains of 40 to 50 pounds a day are not unheard of (20 days or more after pollination).
If I have one 400 pounds (the fair minimum) or more by the 6th of September, then I'll take one I guess.
In the post I did six days ago on the 12th (read it by clicking here) I discussed the pumpkin on the 1733 plant that was open pollinated on the 2nd while we were in Colorado. It's growth was steady but "slow" compared to last years biggest pumpkins. On the 12th it was about 7 pounds...this evening about 37 pounds. I made the hard decision to cull it due to it's slower growth (comparatively), because I didn't know what the pollinator was, and there is another pumpkin but on a secondary vine. This now sets me behind well over 2 weeks from where things need to be to grow a 1/2 ton pumpkin by September 6th (date they have to be at the Fair in Hutch). Here is that pumpkin this morning that I removed from the vine...(much bigger than a basketball)...
The other pollinated pumpkin on the secondary looks ok but so far it is not taking off (no more so than the one I culled) and this morning was about 2 1/2 pounds. Here is that pumpkin on the 12th (pollinated on the 10th) and this morning (side-by-side comparison)....
I need to get this set on a board with sand within the next 24 hours or it'll start getting misshaped.
I pollinated a female on the 1861 on the 13th using the 1733 as the pollinator. This morning that pumpkin (5 days after pollination) was about 0.3 pounds (typical) but it has a really nice shape. Here is that pumpkin....
The 1522 had a female on the main vine on the 12th that I thought might open in a week. It opened yesterday the 17th and I got it pollinated with the 1733. Here was that one this morning...
I'll have two more pollinated on the 1522 (one with the 1733 as the pollinator and one with the 1861 as the pollinator). I'll likely keep the one above that's on the main vine. This is getting really late though.
The plants are looking healthy despite the wind. The 1861 is actually the healthiest now.
The 1733 plant....
The 1861 in the background, the 1522 in front...
Barring more setbacks with wind/hail or insects, I should have a pumpkin on each of the three plants. The only problem is that I'm more than 2 weeks behind now (from my original goal) and so far the growth has been sub-par. So, now I'm NOT hopeful at all for a 1/2 ton pumpkin by deadline for the fair. The growth rate would have to average 20 pounds/day and I don't expect anything like that for at least another 10 days. The best I've ever done is 18 pounds/day. Under ideal conditions, weight gains of 40 to 50 pounds a day are not unheard of (20 days or more after pollination).
If I have one 400 pounds (the fair minimum) or more by the 6th of September, then I'll take one I guess.
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