Oregon Update- Rising from the Ashes

Greetings to all GIant Pumpkins growers everywhere, it is scary to say, but 
the Northwest lives, if not just barely.  Words from Washington tell of a few 
pumpkins poking themselves above their leaves.  Of course my Oregon compadres 
are doing okay, and that leads up to my undead pumpkin patch.  After the 
hail, after the wind, after the rain and lightning, there is life.  It took 2 
days for the leaves to stand upright again, and I loped off all leaves that 
were bent over.  All runners and fruit the were too heavily damaged or split 
from the 3 inches of rain in 45 minutes were removed, and what was left is 
what I have.  I did lose 2 more fruit since then, a #486 and one this morning 
that I haven't weighed yet.  The patch is not a beautiful thing, and down 
right embarassing to look at, but after I counted it out, the plants have 
life.
Site Sub Zero- 560 LaRue- Not a lot here, three fruit remain all around 200 
pounds.  It is difficult to lop the last fruit, due to the simple fact that 
none of them will be contenders, and when it comes to selling pumpkins, three 
is better than two.
Site Zero- 990 Bax- This plant did what it needed, pollinated nearly every 
pumpkin in the patch, and has two pure bred crosses for seeds that are 
getting nice enough to temp other to grow.
Site One- 738 Stellpflug- Has two fruit left on it, one is nice, other is 
young.  Like all plants, severly damaged by hail.
               900 Lyons- Two fruit left as well,  Both are nice.
Site Two- 469 Hester #1- Two fruit left, both very small.
               825 Shymanski, Fruit are wheels that all blew out the blossom, 
worthless.  
Site Three- 801 Stelts, harvested a #486 for the County Fair that had stem 
split.  One fruit coming on strong now.  May make 100 pounds by weighoff.
               - 469 Hester #2- one fruit left, oh two, one small one smaller.
               - 737 Stellpflug- Don't ask.  Largest fruit so far, 5 pounds.
Site four- 879 Holland- four fruit, no, five.  three small, one medium, one 
nice.
Site Five- 946.5 Geerts- Mayby by October 2000 it may get a 50 pounder.
Site Six- 475 Hester- Nice plant, thick.  Fastest fruit ever to 400 pounds 
from my patch, but early stem problems caused by the grower couldn't keep it 
attached.  also has another fruit.
            - 697 Ciliberto- eight fruit left, all small.  smallest was 
largest ever measurement at 14, and now 18 days.  Looks like that new record 
on from the 475 won't last long.
Site seven- 935 Lloyd- two fruit remain.  One small, one bigger.
Site P#1- 720 Hester- Will raise this plant in a good site next year, I like 
it.  Laughed off the hail, and wind, one nice fruit.
Site P#2- 449 Marcellus- All fruit exploded when hail impacted on them.  One 
healed over however, and lives.
There you have it, nothing fancy, but they will give me an excuse to go to 
the weighoffs anyway.  As a footnote, the seeds from the #486 are what I 
would consider to be very nice looking seeds.  It was a 801.5 Stelts crossed 
with the #866 Mombert.  Seeds are medium sized, and I was able to use one 
male per lobe, and keep the seeds from each lobe seperate.  I was able to do 
this for each of my decent pumpkins this year, and will keep track as to what 
does the best to see if there is anything behind the theory of each seed lobe 
having different traits. Take Care all, The Pumpkinguru isn't going to quit 
even know my leaves look like swiss cheese, the fruit are all cratered, and 
are growing slower than the hair of a bald man, or woman for that matter.  
Good Luck
Brett  The Pumpkinguru  Hester

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