The Start of the 2019 Season - April 13, 2019
I guess I'll try it again! Last season was not so good. I started everything about 10 days too late. Then the weather was brutal early on and there was even insect damage. The pumpkin from the 1733 plant developed a split and eventually rotted but made it to around 525 pounds before falling to the damage. The pumpkin on the 1522, which had a deep orange color, made it to only around 355 pounds. The 1861, which struggled on pollination, only made it around 135 pounds.
For this upcoming season I had planned on building large "hoop" houses but the covering that I would need was not purchased during the off-season. Now, it's too cost prohibitive, at least for me. I will still do something, but on a smaller scale, while the growing pumpkin plants are relatively small.
This year I'm going only with two plants and not three. Last year two of the plants (the 1861 and 1522) were probably too close together.
On the menu for 2019....
I started 4 seeds this evening (April 13).
The most recently purchased seeds were from Ron Wallace (former world record grower). Those came from a 1642.5 pound pumpkin grown by Wallace in 2016. The genetics of this seed would support a potential "biggie"! The parents of this pumpkin were the 2230.5# Wallace F x 1625# Wallace M. The 2230.5# was the offspring from the 2009# Wallace which has been used to grow some really GIANTS!
The other two seeds I'm starting were purchased last year. One was from the 1538 Jutras (2015). It's parents were a 1916# Baraon F x 1317# Clementz M. That seed has genetics several generations prior from that same 2009 Wallace - both in the parents and grandparents. The other seed purchased last year was from the 1975 Wallace (2015). It's parents were the 2009 (again it shows up) x 1985 Wallace.
Since I'm only growing 2 plants this season, hopefully sprouting 4 seeds will be enough. I'll take the strongest two plants after they have grown a bit. I'll plan on at least one of them being from the 1642.5. Hopefully the plants will be ready and in the ground on May 4th.
For this upcoming season I had planned on building large "hoop" houses but the covering that I would need was not purchased during the off-season. Now, it's too cost prohibitive, at least for me. I will still do something, but on a smaller scale, while the growing pumpkin plants are relatively small.
This year I'm going only with two plants and not three. Last year two of the plants (the 1861 and 1522) were probably too close together.
On the menu for 2019....
I started 4 seeds this evening (April 13).
The most recently purchased seeds were from Ron Wallace (former world record grower). Those came from a 1642.5 pound pumpkin grown by Wallace in 2016. The genetics of this seed would support a potential "biggie"! The parents of this pumpkin were the 2230.5# Wallace F x 1625# Wallace M. The 2230.5# was the offspring from the 2009# Wallace which has been used to grow some really GIANTS!
The other two seeds I'm starting were purchased last year. One was from the 1538 Jutras (2015). It's parents were a 1916# Baraon F x 1317# Clementz M. That seed has genetics several generations prior from that same 2009 Wallace - both in the parents and grandparents. The other seed purchased last year was from the 1975 Wallace (2015). It's parents were the 2009 (again it shows up) x 1985 Wallace.
Since I'm only growing 2 plants this season, hopefully sprouting 4 seeds will be enough. I'll take the strongest two plants after they have grown a bit. I'll plan on at least one of them being from the 1642.5. Hopefully the plants will be ready and in the ground on May 4th.
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