Re:Derting 520 18% over the charts


Hey growers,
The female of the 520 was the Mettler 865. At the time of pollenation
there was only one male opened on the plant  which produced very little
pollen. As a result I augmented this with pollen from the LaRue 764
which my brother-in-law was growing. Therefore it must be classified as
"865 x Open" (even though it was pollenated in a controlled situation.)

The OTT was 278" when measured on flat ground (equates to 442 lbs.)
which means that the 520 was about 18% over the chart estimate.

As many already know, the "Summer" experienced by us here in the
Northwest was not very good. (That is, if your definition of "Summer"
means sunshine, lack of rain, warm temperatures and barbecues.) I think
that the plant was holding out for at least one of these traditional
signs of "Summer" to be present before producing a female flower.  This
stubborn insistence led to the 520 being pollenated about 2 weeks later
than planned (July 19) and at a distance closer to the stump than
desired (7 feet). Nonetheless, (melodrama aside) I am very happy to have
broken the 500 lb. barrier under any circumstances.

The 520 was creamy yellow and just beginning to turn orange when
harvested on October 8th (only 74 days total growth).

The 520 was shaped like a butt. I named it "Oshiri" which is Japanese
for "butt".

A word on my patch is also in order. I grew only 1 plant in an area of
roughly 150 square feet (including the 12' x 2' wide airstrip that I
tilled at the last minute so that the vine could be directed off of the
lawn. Note: This also directed my Financé's attention away from
considering the alternative uses for a Weed Eater.)

If anyone is interested in seeds from the 520, please send a SASBP to:

    Joseph Derting
    20535 SW 98th Avenue
    Tualatin, OR 97062

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