Two Not So Giant Giants - Updated 08/17/18
A week ago I posted (read that by clicking here) about some issues this growing season and that the pumpkin on the 1861 plant appeared to have aborted. Indeed that happened at around 38 pounds. I did notice this morning a pumpkin on that plant pollinated yesterday (open pollination and probably from the same plant) but I haven't looked through the jungle of vines to see if any more were out there. That's about six weeks too late. We'll see what happens.
The 1522 plant is showing some disease in the leaves closer to the base but I've sprayed a few times and hopefully have the progression slowed. The pumpkin itself has had steady growth this past week but not really that great. It was measured at 152 pounds this morning and was at 85 pounds a week ago, so it is averaging a little less than 10 pounds a day. Nice but not impressive. I do like the color though as it is showing a lot of orange at this stage. Normally giants don't have a lot of orange - more yellow than anything.
Here is a picture of that pumpkin this morning....
The pumpkin on the 1733 plant is starting to show a weird shape and actually reminiscent of what happened to the 542 pound pumpkin I took to the state fair last year. The plant this year originates very close in the garden where last years was. Something in the soil perhaps? Or is it just coincidence? The 1733 measured at 155 pounds this morning or a gain of 91 pounds this past week. The past 2 days has shown a weight gain of about 14 pounds a day. Here is that pumpkin....
For comparisons...this 1733 pumpkin is at DAP24 (24 days after pollination). The 542 pumpkin (actually 542.5 pounds weighed at the fair) was at 184 pounds at DAP24 so this years is behind that in actual weight gain but is now close to gain-per-day.
At DAP26 last years 542 was 208 pounds. This is what it look like at DAP26.....
Do you see the resemblance? The plants came from completely different pumpkins (completely different genetics)!
The 1733 plant is still looking very healthy but that shape of the pumpkin is bothersome as that would indicate the cell walls are expanding more rapidly on half of it - which probably will decrease the weight potential. Hopefully it doesn't abort at this stage but it is possible I guess.
The 1522 plant is showing some disease in the leaves closer to the base but I've sprayed a few times and hopefully have the progression slowed. The pumpkin itself has had steady growth this past week but not really that great. It was measured at 152 pounds this morning and was at 85 pounds a week ago, so it is averaging a little less than 10 pounds a day. Nice but not impressive. I do like the color though as it is showing a lot of orange at this stage. Normally giants don't have a lot of orange - more yellow than anything.
Here is a picture of that pumpkin this morning....
The pumpkin on the 1733 plant is starting to show a weird shape and actually reminiscent of what happened to the 542 pound pumpkin I took to the state fair last year. The plant this year originates very close in the garden where last years was. Something in the soil perhaps? Or is it just coincidence? The 1733 measured at 155 pounds this morning or a gain of 91 pounds this past week. The past 2 days has shown a weight gain of about 14 pounds a day. Here is that pumpkin....
For comparisons...this 1733 pumpkin is at DAP24 (24 days after pollination). The 542 pumpkin (actually 542.5 pounds weighed at the fair) was at 184 pounds at DAP24 so this years is behind that in actual weight gain but is now close to gain-per-day.
At DAP26 last years 542 was 208 pounds. This is what it look like at DAP26.....
Do you see the resemblance? The plants came from completely different pumpkins (completely different genetics)!
The 1733 plant is still looking very healthy but that shape of the pumpkin is bothersome as that would indicate the cell walls are expanding more rapidly on half of it - which probably will decrease the weight potential. Hopefully it doesn't abort at this stage but it is possible I guess.
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