RE: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #3

Tad with Cub Pack 819

I have tried sprouting in peat moss, with less than 1% success.  Maybe I had too much water in the tray and the peat never got warm enough?

We are in Hayward Ca (East Bay) and by direct seeding we had about a 95% success rate and with the prize winner seeds I picked up from Wal-Mart, we grew a 180 Lbs pumpkin last year.

Being new to pumpkin growing, are the dicots the first two leafs that emerge?  In our field, only the Jack - o - lantern had "stuck" first leafs.  I was able to remove the remaining seed shell. Some broke and some did.  All sprouts grew to be healthy plants. 

This year we are also going try some Atlantic giants....  Fun for the kids.

Tad

-----Original Message-----
From: pumpkins DIGEST [p*@hort.net] 
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 1:01 AM
To: pumpkins-digest@hort.net
Subject: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #3



pumpkins DIGEST          Friday, May 28 2004          Volume 01 : Number 003



In this issue:

        Web Cam's
        Pumpkins really like mike
        Dicot oh me!
        Re: Powdery mildew solution
        Re: Pumpkins really like mike
        Re: Lilu and Little David in the Patch of Infidels
        Planning ahead
        Re: Planning ahead
        Watering Question
        RE: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #2

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 11:27:31 -0700
From: "Bob Troy" <rtroy@socal.rr.com>
Subject: Web Cam's

Anyone out there familiar with setting up web cams?   Please contact me
privately..
 
 
Thanks,
 
Bob
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 12:07:41 -0800
From: "kathie morgan" <fishrap@earthlink.net>
Subject: Pumpkins really like mike

Tony,
If you compost the soymilk, perhaps adding coffee grounds for flavor, molasses for nutrition and nitrogen fertilizer to heat it up, it should wake up your plants, or at least do them no great harm. Good luck! Kathie
- --


- ----------
>From: BMas1001@aol.com
>To: pumpkins@hort.net
>Subject: do pumpkins really like mike  ????
>Date: Tue, May 25, 2004, 3:48 PM
>

> Hi All........hope everyone is off to a great start.  A friend of mine 
> said I should give my plant some soy milk.....anyone want to comment 
> on that  ??? How much ..... when ??
>
>                                                          Thanks,  Tony 
> C
>
> Fairport, NY
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 12:19:53 -0800
From: "kathie morgan" <fishrap@earthlink.net>
Subject: Dicot oh me!

Vince,
Thanks for the good advice!
I enjoyed your mole story. In 02, our first year planting in the vineyard, Ray brought his new tiller over. He would till the south patch and his friend John would till the north. John and I suggested that Ray drag a carrot behind the tiller to troll for gophers, and away he went. Suddenly a shout rang out. Ray had just nailed not a gopher but a mole. More than one way, it seems. Gotta go 
 to plant two seedlings with plug-ugly dicots.
Kathie
- --


- ----------
>From: vince <anaid_tecuod@yahoo.com>
>To: pumpkins@hort.net
>Subject: Re: Divination by Dicot
>Date: Wed, May 26, 2004, 5:19 AM
>

> I've seen a lot of ugly dicots and I've always discriminated against 
> them but I think in most cases it means the dicots were damaged when 
> emerging from the seed case.  I don't think it means anything at all 
> if they are ugly or misshapen.
>
> On your direct seeded plant, I would expect it to be smaller and be 
> damaged more during germination.  It germinated in a harsher, colder, 
> bug-ridden environment....  I've had almost no success with direct 
> seeding.  Most of mine rot and never emerge...
>
> vince
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 18:42:21 -0500
From: "Don Chambers" <dec@stratuswave.net>
Subject: Re: Powdery mildew solution

It didn't effect mine at all and I used it all through the month of July. The Mycorriza made an astounding root system though. Don Chambers
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Cliff Warren" <cliffrwarren@hotmail.com>
To: <pumpkins@hort.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 4:52 PM
Subject: Re: Powdery mildew solution


> Good points... I was wondering what the Daconil might do to the 
> mycorrizal
> (spelling!)
> fungi I've been trying to use this year.
>
>
>
> >From: Toby Atencio <mr-sprout@sbcglobal.net>
> >Reply-To: pumpkins@hort.net
> >To: pumpkins@hort.net
> >Subject: Re: Powdery mildew solution
> >Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 14:11:36 -0700 (PDT)
> >
> >Kathie, and everybody else,
> >
> >I have been looking for organic alternatives to some of my plant 
> >problems just to see if I can do the organic thing.  The local 
> >nursery recommended Neemoil to me for powdery mildew and aphids.  
> >They said that it
discourages
> >all kinds of bugs without discouraging worm and soil microbial 
> >activity.
> >
> >I started using it on some shrubs at my church about a month ago.  I 
> >discovered that if I applied it twice a week (once didn't work as 
> >well), the powdery mildew problem would stop... the plants were 
> >scarred, but the new growth shows no sign of powdery mildew.  I 
> >continue to spray once a week as a preventative against powdery 
> >mildew.
> >
> >Aphids, however, are not as tough as the powdery mildew.  At the 
> >first
sign
> >of aphids, I spray affected "plant-parts" with neem oil.  The next 
> >day there is no trace of them.  Works with white flies, too.  For the 
> >bugs, I have only been spraying where I see them, when I see them, 
> >but I rarely have to spray a "plant-part" twice.
> >
> >Daconil works great, but I have been concerned about its influence on
worm
> >activity... I don't want anything slowing them down!  To be fair, I 
> >don't know that it slows down worm activity at all, I am simply 
> >suspicious. That's all.
> >
> >To me, its just as easy to spray with Daconil as it is with neem oil.
Neem
> >oil costs $2.00 more at Home Depot than Daconil, and you have to 
> >spray
with
> >neem ma bit more often, so Daconil might be more economical at the 
> >very least.
> >
> >Toby
> >
> >kathie morgan <fishrap@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >Vince,
> >Thanks for the reply! The plants are small right now (except for the 
> >1385 Daletas). Is there any potential to harm them by spraying the 
> >daconil? Thanks again! Kathie
> >--
> >
> >
> >----------
> > >From: vince
> > >To: pumpkins@hort.net
> > >Subject: Re: Powdery mildew
> > >Date: Tue, May 18, 2004, 5:35 AM
> > >
> >
> > > Spray your plants every two weeks or so with Daconil whether they 
> > > look like they need it or not. If you see powdery mildew, it is 
> > > too late, your plants are already damaged and it will be much more 
> > > difficult to get it under control....
> > >
> > > vince
> > >
> > >
> > > --- kathie morgan wrote:
> > >> List
> > >> We have two Thompson seedless grape vines in the pumpkin patch. 
> > >> The landlord gave us sulfur to spray on them because he says they 
> > >> are already starting to
> > >> get powdery mildew.
> > >> What can we do to protect the pumpkins from the PM?
> > >> Thanks!
> > >> Kathie
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > ---
> _________________________________________________________________
> Is your PC infected? Get a FREE online computer virus scan from 
> McAfee. Security. 
> http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 19:53:01 EDT
From: BMas1001@aol.com
Subject: Re: Pumpkins really like mike

Thanks Kathie;
          If it wern't for the nitrogen,  I'd drink it myself..............
                                                                              
                   Tony C.
Date: 27 May 2004 23:06 GMT
From: MartinReiss83@t-online.de (Martin Reiss)
Subject: Re: Lilu and Little David in the Patch of Infidels

Vince,
Will there be a "Lilu" or "Little David" Cam this year again to keep track of their development? Always enjoyed watching your Cams in past years (Geneva Electric and Buttercam).... Thanks, Martin


"vince" <anaid_tecuod@yahoo.com> schrieb:
> It must be the start of pumpkin season.  I can tell because the 
> weather has turned cold and an army of moles has invaded the patch.  
> Yesterday I grabbed a beer, a shovel and a chair and just sat, drank 
> and watched.  In less than ten minutes I saw the ground in the patch 
> start heaving.
> 
> I gave the infidel a flying lesson by shoveling under him and heave-ho 
> into the air.  What a glorious flight into the infinite beyond for the 
> little patch terrorist.
> 
> This year I have a plan - Grow a BIG and very Orange pumpkin.
> So in the Yin and Yang patch I invited Lilu (1048 Companion)
> and Little David (1230 Daletas) to spread their roots and make
> themselves comfy....
> 
> Lilu is just perfect - in every respect.  From her immaculate 
> symmetrical leaves to her perfectly aligned genes she stands 
> gracefully in the patch - the purest embodiment of divine pumpkin 
> perfection.  I am in awe at the sight of her - she is a marvelous 
> sprout and absolutely flawless.....
> 
> Little David was slow to germinate, but after six nervous days in the 
> pot the entire top of the pot started to heave.  I thought perhaps a 
> huge mushroom was sprouting.  Then Little David appeared - pushing up 
> huge clods of potting soil ten times his size.  Quite an entrance...  
> Now just ten days later he is a feisty bruiser and bigger than Lilu.  
> He stands tall and powerfully in the patch - ready to wrestle the 
> moles for total dominance....
> 
> To catch a glipse of these two young contenders in my little patch in 
> the hills go to:
> 
> http://home.pacbell.net/diana_do/yinyang.htm
> 
> Best of luck to all this season!!
> 
> vince
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 07:23:37 -0800
From: "kathie morgan" <fishrap@earthlink.net>
Subject: Planning ahead

Can someone tell me the dates for the Elk Grove and Salinas 2004 weighoffs? Thanks!

Also, I repeat my two previous questions:
1. If a plant emerges with ugly, deformed, unhealthy looking dicots but later shapes up to normal, does it hold promise? 2. Where direct-seeding in possible, like in CA and TX, why is it so seldom done?

Thanks!
Kathie
- --
Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 01:30:31 EDT
From: Twoturkey@aol.com
Subject: Re: Planning ahead

Kathie
Oct 2 EG, Salinas?? 9 or 16th. HMB Oct 11.
1. some freaky seedling turn out to be real good never count it out.; 2.  No control over the direct seed and nature and would like to control the  
                          environment especially on the 723. Ken 
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 21:51:31 EDT
From: TotoLandFarm@aol.com
Subject: Watering Question

Hello:
Wondering if filling up a trench hole around the main vine with water would 
be enough?
Or does the whole pumkin Plant have to be watered?

Aslo how can you keep the dog out of your garden that won't cost a whole new 
fence?

Thanks

Polly 
Totoland-KS
398 Personal Best.
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 09:19:32 -0700
From: "Tad Miller" <tmiller@gschq.com>
Subject: RE: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #2

Thanks for the inromation on the moisture, I did learn last year not to water with sprinklers, this year we are using soaker hoases exclusivly. 

There is a private school at the church where our Pumpkin patch is, so we will not be able to locate a hive in our field.  (bee phobia)  So I am trying to attract more bees natrually.  When I visited the patch at night and looked into some of the blossoms, I found that Bees were trapped in a few of the closed blossoms.  Are there dumb bees out there?

Tad

- -----Original Message-----
From: pumpkins DIGEST [p*@hort.net] 
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 1:01 AM
To: pumpkins-digest@hort.net
Subject: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #2



pumpkins DIGEST         Thursday, May 27 2004         Volume 01 : Number 002



In this issue:

        High Nitrogen
        Re: Divination by Dicot
        Re: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 07:44:32 EDT
From: Lubadub@aol.com
Subject: High Nitrogen

Laurie:

Only a few people still closely follow Don's fertilizer recommendations of 
the past at this point. The fertilizer chapter will be much different in the 
next book as times are changing. Almost everyone is growing more organically now. 
Your nitrogen supply considerations should now include such things as alfalfa 
meal or blood meal placed in the soil or something like sea weed or fish 
emulsion applied with a foliar type spray weekly as the leaves grow. The only use 
of anything like calcium nitrate or potassium nitrate or urea for nitrogen 
that is being used, and only by a few, is before the ground warms up enough for 
the bacteria etc to become active to break down the organic materials in the 
soil to release nitrogen to the plants. High nitrogen concentrations later seem 
to work against proper pollination and growth of female pumpkins such that it 
is hard to set anything. You should start all of your planning with the 
application of compost or old manure and then a soil test to see where you are and 
then the use of more organic materials though none of us seems to be able to 
totally elude chemical fertilizers. Much of this compost/manure application has 
to take place in the Fall as you prepare your soil for next year. Get a soil 
test this year and do the best you can this year and then start planning for 
next year as getting your soil in shape is an ongoing task. Marv in Altoona, PA
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 06:19:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: vince <anaid_tecuod@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Divination by Dicot

I've seen a lot of ugly dicots and I've always discriminated against them but I think in most cases it means the dicots were damaged when emerging from the seed case.  I don't think it means anything at all if they are ugly or misshapen.

On your direct seeded plant, I would expect it to be smaller and be damaged more during germination.  It germinated in a harsher, colder, bug-ridden environment....  I've had almost no success with direct seeding.  Most of mine rot and never emerge...

vince

- - --- kathie morgan <fishrap@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Experienced Growers,
> How important is the appearance of the dicots in predicting the
> quality of the plant?
> I have two proven seeds that have such warped-looking dicots
> that I just
> about wrote off the seedlings altogether. But I didn't, and
> now that they
> have several leaves they look almost normal. Should I grow
> them?
> 
> Why not direct-seed (here in California)?
> I direct-seeded an unproven seed (417 D Morgan 03) into one of my
> mounds. While the hothouse 417s have had huge healthy-looking dicots,
> the
> direct-seeded plant has little wrinkled dicots. Is it nature
> or nurture 
>  or
> something else? And does it indicate anything?
> Thanks!
> Kathie
> --
> 
>
- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Pumpkin-growing archives: http://www.hort.net/lists/pumpkins/
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 07:31:41 -0700
From: Mike and Vickie Brock <vbrock@mcn.org>
Subject: Re: pumpkins DIGEST V1 #

Tad,

Bees help pollinate.  You may have had pollination problems from heat or to much moisture on the flowers MB








on 5/25/04 9:26 AM, Tad Miller at tmiller@gschq.com wrote:

> We are a Cub Scout Pack planting a Pumpkin patch as a Fall fundraiser.
> Last year we had a problem with polination,  with the scale of the 
> patch ( > 200
> plants) I do not want to polinate by hand.
> 
> What is the best flowers to attract the correct type of Bees to
> polinate pumpkin plants.
> My neighbor is a Bee Keeper, but all he knows are the hunny bees.   He did
> tell me that the Pumpkin flowers do not produce nector, so the hunny 
> bees are not the best.
> 
> Can anyone shed some light on this.
> 
> As for the Sunflowers, we did not have bird problems, but Ants.
> 
> Thanks
> tad
End of pumpkins DIGEST V1 #2
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End of pumpkins DIGEST V1 #3
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