Re: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #611
- Subject: Re: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #611
- From: D* S* <d*@yahoo.com>
- Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:31:51 -0700 (PDT)
There are many theories as to why the leaves all fell off my vines: heat and
high wind (although the 108 with high winds in August did not harm the "new"
growth that had appeared); bacterial wilt caused by cucumber beetles (although
the new growth, coming from the same old dead-looking vines has not been
affected); attacks by Martians; too much water; too little water; powdery
mildew; downy mildew; attacks by other pumpkin growers (although the nearest
one is 100 miles away); shortage of nutrients; excessive nutrients;
transplanted ground hogs relieving themselves in my pumpkin patch; and on and
on and on. It may have had something to do with the fact that Kansas is not a
particularly hospitable place for an AG to grow. Personally, I think it was
perversity on the part of the vines and the Great Pumpkin Spirit showing me
the proper path to humility. NOT everyone can grow a 400-pound pumpkin with
one of these seeds. NEXT YEAR...LOOK OUT!
cheers,
duchess of gladstone
--- On Sun, 8/22/10, pumpkins DIGEST <pumpkins-owner@hort.net> wrote:
From: pumpkins DIGEST <pumpkins-owner@hort.net>
Subject: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #611
To: pumpkins-digest@hort.net
Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 8:26 PM
pumpkins DIGEST Sunday, August 22 2010 Volume 01 : Number 611
In this issue:
Re: Support Group
RE: Support Group
Re: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #610
Re: Support Group
Re: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #610
RE: Support Group
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 14:16:18 -0700
From: Kathie Morgan <fishrap@att.net>
Subject: Re: Support Group
Thanks for that encouragement, Steve!
I wish Dill could have lived long enough to see the first one-ton
pumpkin. I hope I may. See it, that is, not grow it. (I don't think
this old heart could handle that much excitement.)
Kathie in Santa Rosa
On Aug 22, 2010, at 1:46 PM, Steve Minor wrote:
> Dave and Russ,
>
> My sympathies to both of you. Every good grower has a bad season.
> That said,
> it still hurts when it happens to you. Imagine how Howard Dill felt
> when, in
> the course of perfecting the Atlantic Giant pumpkin over 30 years,
> he had a
> bad year--probably more than once.
>
> Stay the course and keep the faith that the Great Pumpkin is coming.
>
> Good growing to you.
>
> Steve Minor
>
> --- On Sun, 8/22/10, dbhaskaran@aol.com <dbhaskaran@aol.com> wrote:
>
> From: dbhaskaran@aol.com <dbhaskaran@aol.com>
> Subject: Re: Support Group
> To: pumpkins@hort.net
> Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 2:42 PM
>
> Russ,
> Sorry about the split...this has also been my worst week as an AG in
> many
> years...I lost by 1596 Wallace, 1161 Rodonis and my 1068 Wallace to
> rib
> splits
> all within 5 days! That was over 3000 lbs of pumpkins! (Plus the
> other 3
> that
> have BES on me earlier! Blossom End Split)
> Of the 10 I started with..down to 4...so this is a crazy
> sport...hopefully,
> I'll have one left for a weighoff. LOL.
> Wishing everyone better luck.
> David Bhaskaran
> Rochester, MN.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Russ Stokes <rstokes@wi.rr.com>
> To: pumpkins@hort.net
> Sent: Sun, Aug 22, 2010 11:03 am
> Subject: Re: Support Group
>
>
> Yesterday I was checking my pumpkins and with one of my largest I
> found a
> split at the blossom end. I prodded a little and found out that the
> pumpkin
> is
> starting to go soft. I did some OTT measurements and showed that it
> is a
> little of 800 lbs. So yes, a big disappointment. The only good news
> is that I
> have one more left that might be bigger than this one. Today, I get
> to spend
> hacking up the split pumpkin and hauling if off before it becomes
> smelly. I
> will say that growing these things require a lot of skill and being
> able to
> take one to the gut when you least expect it.
>
> Russ Stokes
Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:47:39 -0400
From: "Steve Haberman" <shaberman@insmgt.com>
Subject: RE: Support Group
Swear to the Pumpkin God.....I used to have a German Shepherd named Linus
van Pelt! That is weird!
Steve Haberman
- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-pumpkins@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of
Steve Minor
Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2010 10:08 AM
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Subject: Re: Support Group
Debbie,
Buy, rent or borrow the DVD "Lords of the Gourd." There's a section where
growers tell about how they agonize over how their fruits are doing. Tom
Privitera does a great scene where he tosses and turns during a nightmare
about his pumpkins.
I experienced a panic attack in the middle of the night a few weeks ago,
obsessed about bacterial wilt and a foaming stump. I felt like I was going
to
die.
Linus van Pelt in "Peanuts" says it best:
"Oh Great Pumpkin, you're going to drive me CRAZY!!!"
Steve Minor
- --- On Sun, 8/22/10, Debbie Runkle <yorunk13@att.net> wrote:
From: Debbie Runkle <yorunk13@att.net>
Subject: Re: Support Group
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 9:19 AM
Whew, there are others that are who are getting stressed. I haven't had a
dream
about my big one in over two weeks, but there is still time. Each day I
think
I
see something that is going to 'doom' all of my efforts on my PB. Yesterday
my
neighbor told me that the stem looks like it is drying out and is probably
done
growing. I about cried. Thank god he was only looking at the vine.
Hmmm, I wonder what kind of 12-step program we would need.
Debbie
________________________________
From: Steve Minor <minok2014@yahoo.com>
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Sent: Sat, August 21, 2010 8:27:04 PM
Subject: Re: Support Group
Steve,
I'd love to do that, but growing AGs has made me cut down dramatically on
the
BS.
Remember, Ron Wallace's biggest pumpkin in 2008 weighed 1195lbs--he lost all
his big ones. He held the world record in 2006 with a 1502.
2008 was the year Steve Connally was disqualified for his 1568 because of a
leak that happened in the 80 miles from his house to Warren, RI.
Crap happens to the best growers. Joe Jutras is still working to best his
1689 in 2007.
Howard Dill said it very well when asked what it took to grow the big
ones--"Good seeds, good soil, GOOD LUCK!!!
I hope you do a big one this one this year. I'll let you know how I do
10/9/10 at our weighoff here in VT. I am confident 1 of 3 will be my
personal
best.
Full power, Steve--stay the course.
Steve Minor
PS I'm as nervous as all hell, too. Thank God for 9 per cent Canadian beer.
- --- On Sat, 8/21/10, Steve Haberman <shaberman@insmgt.com> wrote:
From: Steve Haberman <shaberman@insmgt.com>
Subject: Support Group
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Date: Saturday, August 21, 2010, 12:38 PM
Thirty one days to weigh-off. Someone out there PLEASE tell me everything is
going to be OK!
Steve Haberman
Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:29:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Diana Sigel <duchessofgladstone@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #610
I have a great advantage over you guys who are spending sleepless nights. I
started 16 plants this year. One died early. Of the remaining 15 plants,
only five set on pumpkins that grew. Of those, one rotted at about 85
pounds. One quit growing, then started rotting at about 50 pounds. Of the
three survivors, one is starting to soften at about 150 pounds, and the other
two are still growing slowly (1-3 pounds per day) at the 160-pound stage.
All
the leaves fell off all my vines, then when the rain came about a month ago,
all sorts of new plant growth came out of nowhere. Last year was my first
time growing AGs. I had a personal best of 459, and had about two dozen nice
jackolanterns over 250 pounds on my 7 plants. So, I have nothing to worry
about. Next year. <sigh> There are many blossoms, I was hoping for large
jackolanterns again, but I don't think it's in the cards. I kept telling
people, "Anyone can grow a 400 to
500 pound pumpkin with one of these seeds!" Wrong again. SOMEBODY GROW A
LUNKER!
cheers,
duchess of gladstone
Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 14:42:29 -0700
From: Dave Squires <djsquires@ultraplix.com>
Subject: Re: Support Group
Don't feel bad guys. I don't even have an AG plant at all this year.
A late frost took care of that! (really bad timing). So I just planted a
standard field
pumpkin so my kids would have something to carve for Halloween. That
one plant
has about three nice field pumpkins on it, you know, the usual ones that are
dark green before turning orange.
I need a giant greenhouse so I can start them earlier and not worry
about frost.
Best of luck to the rest of you.
DRS
Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:44:49 -0700
From: Jason Thomas <j.endlesstrail@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #610
Do you know why all the leaves fell off your vines? Just wondering if a
tissue test might be good to see if there was some kind of bacterial
problem.
On Sun, Aug 22, 2010 at 3:29 PM, Diana Sigel
<duchessofgladstone@yahoo.com>wrote:
> I have a great advantage over you guys who are spending sleepless nights.
> I
> started 16 plants this year. One died early. Of the remaining 15 plants,
> only five set on pumpkins that grew. Of those, one rotted at about 85
> pounds. One quit growing, then started rotting at about 50 pounds. Of the
> three survivors, one is starting to soften at about 150 pounds, and the
> other
> two are still growing slowly (1-3 pounds per day) at the 160-pound stage.
> All
> the leaves fell off all my vines, then when the rain came about a month
> ago,
> all sorts of new plant growth came out of nowhere. Last year was my first
> time growing AGs. I had a personal best of 459, and had about two dozen
> nice
> jackolanterns over 250 pounds on my 7 plants. So, I have nothing to
> worry
> about. Next year. <sigh> There are many blossoms, I was hoping for large
> jackolanterns again, but I don't think it's in the cards. I kept telling
> people, "Anyone can grow a 400 to
> 500 pound pumpkin with one of these seeds!" Wrong again. SOMEBODY GROW A
> LUNKER!
>
> cheers,
> duchess of gladstone
Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:26:20 -0400
From: "Steve Haberman" <shaberman@insmgt.com>
Subject: RE: Support Group
Canadian beer.... rips you off one full bottle per case. They bottle it at
11.5 oz per bottle. One half ounce to 24 bottles equals one full beer.
I had one of my best ever come off the vine this evening. I can only blame
myself! I did some very poor vine management on her. I'll take you up on
your "Borax" payback offer later this year, after you are in the 1,000 lb
club.
Steve Haberman
- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-pumpkins@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of
Steve Minor
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 9:27 PM
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Subject: Re: Support Group
Steve,
I'd love to do that, but growing AGs has made me cut down dramatically on
the
BS.
Remember, Ron Wallace's biggest pumpkin in 2008 weighed 1195lbs--he lost all
his big ones. He held the world record in 2006 with a 1502.
2008 was the year Steve Connally was disqualified for his 1568 because of a
leak that happened in the 80 miles from his house to Warren, RI.
Crap happens to the best growers. Joe Jutras is still working to best his
1689 in 2007.
Howard Dill said it very well when asked what it took to grow the big
ones--"Good seeds, good soil, GOOD LUCK!!!
I hope you do a big one this one this year. I'll let you know how I do
10/9/10 at our weighoff here in VT. I am confident 1 of 3 will be my
personal
best.
Full power, Steve--stay the course.
Steve Minor
PS I'm as nervous as all hell, too. Thank God for 9 per cent Canadian beer.
- --- On Sat, 8/21/10, Steve Haberman <shaberman@insmgt.com> wrote:
From: Steve Haberman <shaberman@insmgt.com>
Subject: Support Group
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Date: Saturday, August 21, 2010, 12:38 PM
Thirty one days to weigh-off. Someone out there PLEASE tell me everything is
going to be OK!
Steve Haberman
End of pumpkins DIGEST V1 #611
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