RE: beginning stage
The weather guy here at work says we're going to see a hotter than normal
summer in the West. Hit 104 in my part of So Cal on Sunday with more of the
same forecast through at least Tuesday. Not even June yet.
----------
From: Jon Hunt [SMTP:jon.hunt@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu]
Sent: Monday, May 22, 2000 8:41 AM
To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
Subject: RE: beginning stage
At 03:44 PM 5/19/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Thanks Jon........
>
>I know day time temps during pollination will be luck of the draw.
However,
>if it is really hot, how long before the female flower opens and
how long
>after pollination do you recommend cooling the new fruit with the
ice
>bottles? Then, since I did start early, I could by your reckoning
have
>mature fruit by mid to late August. If that turns out to be the
case, how
>long can I leave a mature AG on the vine? Or should I remove it
promptly?
>(I'm assuming maturity is defined a near complete cessation of
further
>growth) Does leaving a mature pumpkin on the vine adverse the
remaining
>growth of those still maturing (assuming I've left more than one
fruit on
>the vine [not recommend I know])? I've left Big Macs on the vine
over six
>weeks past maturity with no adverse effects and, once picked, have
had some
>last through Christmas. Do AGs have a similar "shelf life" once
picked, or
>are they prone to early disintegration?
>Doug Parker
>Sierra Madre, CA
================================
Doug,
It does look like your pumpkins will be done growing at the end of
August.
Sometimes they will stay on the vine just fine. If you have
problems with
splits or bugs the time you have will be much shorter. It has been
my
experience that the AG's don't store as well as the field variety
pumpkins.
Some growers think once the pumpkin is done the plant starts to take
away
from the pumpkin. I myself don't know this for fact just theory.
If you pick the fruit it will start to lose weight every day. So
try to
leave it on the vine as long as you can.
Ice blocks should be used on the day the blossom opens and possibly
the day
after pollination. I have never done this but will try it this
year. It
seems we are in for a hot summer with temps already into the 100's.
Good Luck,
Jon
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