Re: I think I'm thinking what you're thinking...

Toby:
I'm with you. I think when natural daylight wanes as days grow shorter, this
helps to trigger the dieback of the plant. Extending daylight artificially,
I believe, can give your plant more opportunity for growth. I'd like to try
it next year myself (I live in Michigan) but I'm not sure what type of
lights /how many foot candles would be appropriate. Anyone with greenhouse
experience know?
Frank
Hudsonville, MI

----------
>From: Toby Atencio <mr-sprout@sbcglobal.net>
>To: pumpkins@hort.net
>Subject: I think I'm thinking what you're thinking...
>Date: Fri, Nov 14, 2003, 11:47 AM
>

> Hi List
>
> I keep accidentally erasing this message.  This is actually my third attempt!
:-)
>
> I, too, have been pondering the northern explosion of 1000+ pounders.  I
> have two theories based on several hours of searching the weigh-off lists
> and looking at temperature averages on the internet.
>
> First, the further north you are, the longer your days will be.  this gives
> your plant longer growing time over its lifespan.  This makes sense to me,
> to I would assume (since I live further south in the Sacramento, CA area)
> that stringing a couple lights out over my plants, and have them
> automatically turn on 2AM-6AM would add to my chances of breaking into the
> 1000 club.
>
> Second, (and this one I'm not so sure of) the average daily temperature
> swing can affect the growth of your plant.  I always thought that a nice,
> hot place was a good palce to grow a big pumpkin.  However, a lot of
> monsters were grown in Ontario this year where the highs averaged in the
> low 70s and lows in the mid 50s, about a 16 degree shift.  In Malibu, Ca,
> the temps reached the same highs (70s), but the lows indicated only a 7
> degree shift.  Where I live, the highs usually range in the high 90s with
> almost a daily drop of 27 degrees.  My thinking is that too much daily
> temperature swing can cause stress on the vine (expansion/contraction) and
> inhibit growth by forcing teh plant to expend energy on healing.  Too small
> a temperature swing can inhibit growth by not exercising the vascular
> developement of the vine enough, keeping the nutrient passageways narrow.
>
> These are off-the-top-of-my-head ideas that I did a small amount of
> research for.  Anybody out there know if this is out in left field or not?
>
> Toby Atencio
> Wumpkin Man
>
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