Oregon Update

It is time once again to settle back in your lazy chairs and grab the popcorn
for you are about to read the most curcubitically exciting gardening mail
known to exist (in my mind), yes its time for ----THE OREGON UPDATE----
featuring the voice of James Earl Jones as the narrator (well that would
sound cool, but he declined, well, was never actually asked).  Yes the first
sentence of The Oregon Update is usually a runonnnn, but hey "I'm a pumpkin
grower Jim, not an English teacher".  

A general rundown of weather; been okay.

General rundown of bugs; mostly dead.  Which if any of you have seen the
movie The Princess Bride" means slightly alive.  All dead, then the best
thing to do is go through their pockets and look for loose change.

General rundown of weeds; Scientifically speaking, the weeds create a strong
vacumetric pressure.

And the plants.....

Site #1  The 900 lyons is doing well.  It flatvined for the first 3 feet and
finally split into two equal monster normal vines.  The 2 800 Edwards plants
are both doing exactly the same, down to the inch in main vine length.  Both
look very strong.
Site #2  The 730 Stellpflug is doing okay.  Not among the leaders, but not
the worst either.  The 616 Corkum was a very slow starter, but coming on
strong.  Very nice main vine.  The 986 Hester is making serious tracks.  No
females even at the tip yet, so the jury is still out if it will be squash or
pumpkin.  
Site #3  The 1026 Holland is my second best plant.  It covers just a little
bit more square feet than the 611, but isn't as stout.  The runners are
yellowing up somewhat, so it looks to be a good pumpkin plant.  The 611.5
Hester is my best plant so far.  Very strong and rolling at a blistering
pace.  It is big enough now for fruit set, but still has at least 2 weeks
before I will do any pollinating.  The first fruit could be around 18' out.  
Site #4  Lisa's 846 Calai is having problems problems.  She cut off the main
vine which was 6' wide (flatvine) and it is not responding well in secondary
production.  It is a project to say the least.  But then there is my 801
Stelts.  ;-)  Not as big in square feet as some, but have you ever had a
feeling?  It has July sized leaves 28" across with bright yellow thick
runners.  The plant looks 'Heavy'.
Site #5  The 780 Eaton is unfortunately not doing it for me.  best
description would be 'scrawny'  I am going to run it hard and put the
fertilizer to it.  for its the one that you give up on that could have set
the worlds record.  The 723 Bobier is even worst than the 780.  Now then, the
940 Mombert 98, put in over two weeks later, has passed the 723 and looks
strong.  Depending on the outcome of this site by seasons end, I will be
resting this site in 2002.  It was my first site back in 1994, and is due for
a break I think.
Site #6  The 815 Checkon is cruising right along.  Lisas plant along with the
946 in this site.  The 815 is scary no that I kinda know what I am doing.  It
is a moderate and steady plant.  Her 946 Geerts on the other hand is a
ripping maniac.  It flat vined off the start, we cut off the vlat vine main,
and now she is running a secondary as a main and that plant didn't miss a
beat and is behind only my 611 and the 1026 Holland.  This tells me that she
either grabbed a 946 silver bullet from my stock of seeds like the one that
cranked out the 1056.5, or it is going to be a blowemup.
Either way, she is excited about it.
Site #7  I am getting this out of the way.  My 935 Lloyd is not treating me
well.  Very scrawny, unaggressive, brittle, and weak.  If asked, I would say
this was not a 935 plant, but an imposter seed.  The 850.5 Hester fortunately
is in this site as well.  It is a carbon copy of my 801 Stelts, only with
bigger leaves.  
Flag site #1 and #2  The 968 Hester is doing good as well.  In fact the 969.5
LaRue is doing the same.  Both are very close to the same size, only the 968
has a female which may open on Tuesday depending on the weather.  These two
plants are so far making a good statement in demonstrating the 'Flag'.

Well thats it, another Oregon Update for all those interested.  Take Care,
and Good Luck from Brett The Pumpkinguru  Hester
Best to date
968 in 2000, OR record pumpkin (until Kirk starts raising non orange fruit)
895.5 in 2000, OR record squash          
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