Re: zones 3 and 4
Ron,
Nice to hear from you again. I agree, early season
protection and soil amendments seem to be the best
we can do. I also can't wait to try out the new
seeds I've received from the list.
By the way, did you know that there is now a GPC
weighoff at Thanksgiving Point (midway between SLC
and Provo)? I've been conversing with a fellow from
near American Fork. Sounds like a promising place
if I ever get one worth weighing.
I'm really looking forward to 2001. Good luck to you too!
Cliff
>From: Ron Hoffman <ronalho@trib.com>
>Reply-To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
>To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
>Subject: Re: zones 3 and 4
>Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 18:31:48 -0700
>
>Cliff
>I live in central WY at an elev of 5000' in zone 3-4 & have roughly the
>same
>the same temp swings & lots of wind with low humidity on 90+ deg days.
>Without proper early shelter on direct seeded plants that germinated
>around June 1, & without sufficient composted manure in a 75% virgin
>patch without
>optimum tilling, one of my plants was still able to produce a 372 lber
>on a secondary
>vine. I believe the key is to get good seeds from the good people on
>this list, follow
>Langevins book as best you can, and keep reading the posts from this
>list. Last
>summer, just when I would start to wonder about what to do in a
>situation, my question
>would already be answered by someone on the list who's plants were 2 or
>3 weeks
>ahead of mine. I think we can consistently grow 500+ lb pumpkins in this
>area.
>Who knows, maybe heavier if we have the time & means to construct proper
>early
>season & wind shelters, etc.
>Ron Hoffman
>Riverton WY
>372 in 2000
>
>
>Cliff Warren wrote:
>
> > Someone wrote to the group about growing conditions in zone 3and 4.
> > I have to admit, this is a concern of mine. I live nearPocatello,
> > Idaho in a zone 4 (which once in a decade or so actslike a zone 3...
> > and kills the fruit trees). We get huge temperature swings between day
> > and night. In thesummer our days can be in the 90's, while the nights
> > still drop intothe 50's. A 40 degree swing is not uncommon. This daily
> > swing isa concern of mine... although this coming year will be my
> > secondand I don't have a lot of experience in this. After living here
> > for 10 years, I have a theory as to why potatoesare grown here. Its
> > because with potatoes, your product isprotected underground! The wind
> > and temperature swings don'thurt them down there. That, and apparently
> > potatoes don't mindour alkaline soils. On the plus side, we get almost
> > constant sun between May andOctober. The climate is too harsh for many
> > of the bugs, and I don'teven think about the diseases that you in the
> > humid areas haveto worry about. And I'm about as far north as Buffalo,
> > NY. I'd welcome a discussion about climatic and geographical
> > concerns.Anyone else out there have these dry conditions and large
> > temperatureswings? Cliff in IdahoBest: 125 lb.- 2000 Rookie year,using
> > store bought seed,in soil with the alkalinity of a bar of soap...
> >
>
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