Re: Picking the right plant-Survival of the fittest.

Marv,

Last year I started 1-Greer 1006, 1-Marcellus 449, 1- Ciliberto 697, 1-
Eaton 941 and 1-Dill 617. I lost the Eaton 941 to wind damage and the 617
was pancaked by the 1006.

About a week later I started 3 backup and gave them away!

In retrospect I think next season I may plant a couple of each seeds I
intend to grow but I refuse to plant a hill of good seeds and kill of half a
dozen valuable plants which could have been seeds for next year.

I like your idea of starting a couple of plants and placing them in various
locations in the patch, this way you have the choice of selecting the
healthiest but also those that are doing better geographically in your
patch!

Thanks for the idea!

Speaking of survival of the fittest, it just amazes me the desire these
Giant Pumpkins have to grow and reproduce.

I took several 977 seeds which had begun to germinate inside the pumpkin,
the seeds had started to open wide at the bottom with no roots exposed yet.
I brought them home cleaned them up with the rest of the seeds then let them
dry for a week. I thought to myself why am I bothering, throw them in the
trash can. I headed for the kitchen to toss them, then thought I could
really piss my wife off if I planted more pumpkins in her flower bed. So I
went out front and scratched a little hole in the ground where Hugh once
resided and threw the seeds in the dirt. I didn't pay any attention to which
end was up. I had completely forgotten about the seeds figuring no chance
with the cold wet weather we have been having!  I was out front today raking
leafs between cold rain showers and glanced over at the flower bed. Holly
Buffalo chips, I did a double, there in the flower bed were three of the
largest pumpkin cotyledons I had ever seen sticking up out of the ground.
Sure enough they germinated even with the 40 and 50 degree temps we have
been having.

Needless to say I am in the Dog House Again!

Chris
=====================================================

Chris Andersen
Moraga, Calif.


==================================================

>Hey guys. Listen Up. Anderson 1998 here again.
>
>Since most of us in the US are having cold weather and some lots of snow, I
>thought it might be worthwhile to talk a little bit about seed again. I am,
>as most of you, thinking about which seeds I will be going with for next
>year. Everyone is pretty much aware of the fact that seed with a family
>history of huge pumpkins somewhere along the line is a must. Also we all
know
>that the seeds are a genetic mish-mosh. Also that if a seed comes from a
>large pumpkin of last year that there is no guarantee that seed will
produce
>big in 1998. Maybe seeds skip a year etc etc.
>
>Here is what I intend to do. All things considered, I will pick those
seeds,
>for whatever reason, that I think will make me the Chris Anderson of 1998.
I
>have a patch that is about 40 feet by 50 feet. This means that I will have
>2000 square feet available for the two plants that I intend to grow there.
I
>will take the seeds I have chosen as being the most blessed and start them
>using the bubbling technique etc and will start at least 8 plants. At the
>corners of my rectangular garden I will plant two plants in each corner.
They
>will have the usual protection from weather etc. As they grow I will
without
>mercy remove the one plant from each corner that is not progressing as well
>as the other. This will give me four plants in all, one in each corner.
They
>will be grown using the Xmas Tree pruning technique. Later I will remove,
>without mercy, the less attractive of the final four. I will, in the end,
>have the two best plants no matter what their origin. I wish I had more
space
>but I don't.
>
>This will be much like the national basketball tournament. Only the strong
>will survive. Many of us have limited growing space. A reduction system as
>mentioned above might be helpful to all. Now is the time to plan. It is
>painful to remove one of the babies from the patch but reality is very
real.
>The goal is a huge healthy pumpkin.
>
>Any comments? Any constructive or destructive criticism. I can take
anything
>but someone telling me my seeds (1006/1061 and 1061/1006) are no good.
>
>Marv in Altoona PA
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
>message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
>


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