Re: size
Greg,
I have used Shade cloth over the plants and if you take it off within 10
minutes the plant wilts. The same thing happened when I remove plastic as
the grnhs was warming so I took it of and it was cooler then and the plant
still wilted in 10 mins exposed to direct sunlight The plastic must have
been filtered light. So these plants respond to light fast......with in a
few days they can be in full sun no wilting. Then you can do the same
scenerio over and after a few days create the same wilting . So I would
have to venture a guess that these plants would respond to colored light.
The propagations of grapes has responded greatly to a blue film.
Most the 1000+ pumpkins I know grown on heavily pruned small plants are
from Canada . Softer light, longer light, moderate temps. Our big
pumpkins in Ca. have come from big plants 1000-1200sqft...............Can
we grow a 1000lber on a plant under 500sqft. Remains to be seen. Perhaps
the more northern conditions the plants are capable of being more efficient
with less leaves and stronger root growth because of the pluses mentioned
above.
Or is it that pumpkins on big plants would have been just as big on a
smaller plant .
But it is and interesting thought that cooler more moderate conditions
might enhance root growth..........MB
>Mike, Others,
>
> I think you've hit on some major points here. Soil temperature is a
>greater
>factor then most of us realize. I suspect we don't ponder it much because
>there
>are no easy ways to control it. It is generally agreed that root temperatures
>~75 F are optimal. Air temperature, has a huge effect on vegetative growth,
>flower initiation, fruit growth, and fruit quality. Consider day to night air
>temperature changes. The wider the variation, the taller the plant and the
>smaller the leaf size. Plant growth is highest at air temperatures ~82
>degrees F
>steady day and night, however, maximum fruit growth occurs when daytime
>temperatures are ~72 degrees falling ~5 degrees at night.
> You mention sunlight as a factor in plant size. Light levels will have a
>direct effect on leaf inter node lengths as well as the more basic function of
>photosynthesis. More specifically the color of the light effects the leaf node
>length. I suspect that, in areas with intense sunlight levels, the plants
>simply
>receive more of the blue light spectrum, resulting in stockier plants. It
>might
>be interesting for those in the sunshine state to use a 30 percent shade
>clothe
>during the early plant growth stages to 'stretch' out the plant.
>
>Greg Schraiber
>
>
>
>Vickie Brock wrote:
>
>>
>> I wonder if cooler days provide root growth............and warmer days
>> plant growth. It apprears the warm Cal climate produces fast plant growth
>> instead of root growth. You also wonder if the extra day light allows
>> plants to be smaller..................I don't know just
>> brainstorming............thoughts observations,anybody?
>>
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