Re: Tip Blow Off

Old Timers: 
                  This is my first year on this Hort.Net and I'm wondering if some of you who have been writing for at least the past three seasons have noticed an increase in the issues of mutant vines and vine popping.  I have been growing small pumpkins since I was a kid (1970's) in a corner of my dads vegetable garden and then later in my own garden.  About three years ago I started growing AG's but all of my AG seeds were from sub-600 lb. genetics until this year. 
                 This year is the first I've ever experienced problems with splitting, popping or mutant vines.  My soil is no different nor the weather nor my fertilizing practices.  I have three AG's in the ground which are as follows:
                
                  1230 Daletas:  Very thick primary vine which popped open at about four feet.  It had double leaves, blooms, tendrils
                                        and secondary vines running on either side of the oblong shaped vine.
 
                        945 Van:   Thick, flat vine (not as thick as Daleas) with normal ratio of leaves and tendrils.  Has not split, but is a
                                        bear to direct as the vine is inflexible.
 
                   700+Bobier:   The most civilized of the group with standard oval shaped vine and leaf spacing.  This vine also
                                        happens to be the longest and have the most leaves, though its leaves are about 15% smaller than the
                                        Daletas.
        
                   All the leaves on these plants are healthy and happy (no bugs, mildew or hail damage).  So I'm wondering... are there certain pumpkin crosses that will exhibit the trait of mutant vines and some not (Daletas vs. Emmons) or is this a natural consequence of ever increasing pumpkin sizes, thus we will see mutant vines in every seed cross that has parentage over 900 lbs.?   Mike Nepereny, have you been tracking this?
  Craig 
  Pacific Palisades, CA
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: L*@aol.com
To: p*@hort.net
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 9:31 PM
Subject: Tip Blow Off

So what have all you other growers concluded when you go out to the patch in the morning and find the tip of the main vine snapped off.
Could it be your growng rival from up the street or is it a sudden growth spurt that blows the end right off.
I havn't found any traces of critters,animal or human.
and very little wind ,atleast not enough to break the tip at approx 6-8 inches back from the end.     
                                        Grow-em BIG

Dale Mellott
Martinsburg, Pa.
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