Update from SE Minnesota
Germinated 16-17 seeds successfully and the 17th finally germinated with
a deformed root. The method used to germinate the seeds is as follows:
Sanded, soaked for 2-3 hours, placed Captan on seeds, placed seeds in
wet paper towel, placed wet paper towel in zip lock bag, placed the bag
on a plate, and then placed the plate on a heating pad set to low heat.
The germination process started the evening of April 30. The germination
time starts with soaking the seeds and ends when the seeds open and
display a root.
The best germination time was 24.5 hours by the 1009.5 Eaton 99 and the
slowest, 75 hours by the 78 Baird 99. I planted six plants on 5-10, four
on 5-12, and two on 5-15. The plants were covered by a 6x10 foot row
cover. Wire hoops were placed over the plants to allow room for the
plant to grow. The row covers really helps in keeping bugs off the
plant, small hail from destroying the plant, and light freezes from
killing the plant during the month of May.
Frost hit the area Saturday and Sunday evening - not a good thing for
newly planted pumpkins. The four plants planted on Friday were damaged
by the frost. The stem and the cotyledons were greenish white, but the
first true leaf looked good. They will survive, but I do not know if the
damaged received in the stem area will cause any future problems. The
pumpkins planted on Wednesday were OK and showed very little, if any
frost damage. They all had two true leaves. These plants had four days
to harden off before the frost.
The following plants were planted (includes parents and germination
time)
1) 1009.5 Eaton 99 -- 946.5 Geerts x self -- 24.5 hours
2) 511.5 Heyne 99 -- 740 Wray 98 x 858 Baird 97 -- 46 hours
3) 837 Thorson 99 -- 563 Geerts 95 x 690 Sproule 97 -- 47.5
4) 858 Baird 97 -- 887 Orr 95 x 1006 Greer 96 -- 59.5
5) 747.5 Burke 99 -- 539 Shaw 98 x 1092 Burke 98 -- 53.5
6) 693 Heyne 98 -- 858 Baird 97 x 520 Heyne 97 -- 53.5
7) 783 Baird 99 -- 935 Lloyd 97 x 659.5 Baird 98 -- 75 - Hit by frost
8) 776.8 McNamee 98 - 1061 Zehr 96 x 397 D. McNamee 9? -- 60 - Hit by
frost
9) 690 Bernard 99 -- 1056.5 Stellplug 98 x ( self or 929.4 Kuhn 9?) --
53.5 - Hit by frost
10) 474.5 Heyne 99 -- 858 Baird 97 x 740 Wray 98 -- 53.5 - Hit by frost
11) 584 Heyne 98 -- 858 Baird 97 x 696.6 Klema 97 -- 61.5
12) 540 Holland 99 -- 854 Holland 98 x 567.4 Wallace 9? -- 61.5
I learned NOT to plant pumpkin plants when a frost is predicted in a day
or two even if the plants are covered. My plants are out in the open 13
miles from home, so it is difficult to keep them really warm on a cold
night.
By best to you all in your effort to grow that BIG one.
George Heyne
Rochester, Mn.
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