Windy Update fro SE Mn

The 1999 pumpkin plants are just starting to catch up with the plants
grown in 1998. Last year, May was an excellent growing month while June
was about average. So far this year, May was an average month and June
has been above average. The best plants this year are now just passing
the best plants of 1998 in vine length and leaf size.

The last two weeks have been warm, wet, and windy. During the day last
Saturday, the stem of the 693 Heyne snapped due to the high winds. The
plants were covered Friday evening and uncovered Saturday morning. They
were covered again Saturday evening until Monday evening due to the high
wind and storms in the area. Power was off for three hours Saturday
after the storms. The plants were covered again this evening due to wind
and storms in the area.

The vine grew on my best two plants 6-7 inches in the past 24 hours.
Expecting similar growth for the next several days as the temperature is
predicted to remain warm and the moisture plentiful. The five best of my
remaining eleven plants are:

1) 740 Wray 98 -- 876.5 Lloyd 96 x 1006 Greer 96 -- excellent looking
plant and very vigorous at this time. It is ahead of my best from 1998.
2) 400 (UOW) Heyne 98 -- 739 Eaton 97 x 520 Heyne 97 -- Not far behind.
Almost did not plant this seed, but I liked the shape and color of the
pumpkin.
3) 968 Sproule 98 -- 690 Sproule 97 x 690 Sproule 97 -- Right now, this
plant is not nearly as large as the first two.
4) 858 Baird 97 -- 1006 Greer 96 x 887 Orr 95  --  The 858 Baird was my
best plant in 1998. Just starting to stretch out.
5) 584 Heyne 98 -- 858 Baird 97 x 696 Klema 97 -- About equal to the 858
Baird.

If the wind does not beat up or blow the plants away, I expect
pollination to start around July 1.

I purchased a water pump this year so that I would not have to carry
buckets of water from our creek. However, the way it has been raining, I
might not have to use it this summer.

George Heyne
Rochester, Mn.


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index