Okay, Oregon Update Time
Greeting from Canby, Oregon, Y'all, it is time once again for the ever
semi-fantastic, almost never outdone, but truly kinda entertaining and
partially informative Oregon Update!!!! The patch overall is being a weenus
this year as far as leaf damage from too much heat goes. Kinda erks me. We
have also been getting the worst wind damage this year as well. Wind, the
only pain in the butt I can't seem to fully control, other than those
unintelligent gleuteal (dumbass) moles.
Heres the lowdown.....
Site #1.... #930 Emmons.... Doing well, one of my late starts with some nice
leaves and main runner out some 5 feet. No real problems so far with this
plant, but no real super characteristics yet either.
#850 Hester #1.... A last minute decision to go with a second
850 plant. The 888 Mombert was flat vining, so I loped off the main and then
the secondaries started doing it too. Yank, out it came and three weeks
later than the first round started I threw in another 850. This 850 is a
nice plant so far. Main runner out 4-5 feet.
Site #2.....#800 Edwards squash... The #862.5 Hester squash plant chumped
out hard, so I went with the 800. It seems to be pretty good. Main runner
out about 10 feet, first male opened on the 16th.
#900.8 Lyons #1 Sq... Doing well, first males (3) opened
today. Main runner out 10-12 feet.
Site #3.....#900.8 Lyons #2 Sq... Doing well, forst male opened today,
female in about 3 days will open. Both 900 plants are throwing squash as a
footnote.
#815 Anderson... This plant flatvined off the start, but
about 3 feet out it split into a normal vine and a nice thick double vine. I
am running the double as the main and the other normal fork as a thick
secondary. This plant too is throwing squash, but it doen't hurt my feeling
any.
Site #4.....#850 Hester #2... My biggest plant, It is easy to work with and
definately has been climatized for it handles the climate here well. Main
runner is out around 15 feet and the plant is in high gear now. It has been
throwing males since the 15th.
#801 Stelts #1... This lug started out really really slow so
I started a 697 Ciliberto to replace it. Guess what, once I transplanted the
697 to the site, the 801 said "I want to get some too", I heard it, and took
off. Needless to say I am trying a new pattern in site #4 with 3 plants,
cause how do you pluck a 697 or an 801?
#697 Ciliberto... Typical thick, linebacker type 697 Plant.
Site #5..... #879 Holland... A little different than last years 879. This
one is a real lowrider vegetatively, and a little on the sluggish end in its
growth rate.
#946 Geerts... A brittle beast that keeps blowing off
runners including the main. I am guessing this plant will be a splitter. It
will open a female tomorrow.
Site #6..... #793 Hester, and the 1010 Mackenzie, We don't discuss what
happened here. Big time overfertilization!!!!! I have bonsai Atlantic
Giants.
Site #7..... #801 Stelts #2 and 968 Sproule, ditto to site #6.
Site #8..... #620 Black... Doing well. Among the late starts, but moving
along now.
#865 Mettler... Trucking along good. Out about 15 feet, with
some nice leaves. Lots of wind damage though.
Site #9..... #720 Hester... Hmmmm. New patch record for leaf size, huge
vines, no, HUGE vines. I had one I was going to remove since it was growing
straight up, so I let it go for a while. That thing went about 6 feet
straight up before I chickened out and removed it. If stoutedness of a plant
equalled fruit size, the 1000 pounder is in the bag, but as we all know, it
doesn't work like that.
#935 Lloyd... Nice big plant. Like last years, it doesn't
like really hot days. About my 3rd biggest plant as of today. Fruit look
creamy colored again this year too.
All in all, doing okay. Definately there will be room for improvement for
next year for the plants are not growing to genetic potential due to wind
damage and heat stress. Pollination time starts tomorrow, but I don't think
I will keep any thing until July 4th or 5th rolls around, I don't want any
old fruit sitting around in my patch losing weight after they have stopped
growing in late sept.
Take Care,
The Pumpkinguru
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pumpkin-growing FAQ: http://www.mallorn.com/lists/pumpkins/search.cgi
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
