Re: sand and fruit protection

Hi Katie!
It has been a humbling year...losing all my big ones...lost 6 to stem splits
and rib splits...so down to my 4 slower growers...
I took 2 to Nekoosa, WI last Saturday and they weighed in at 957.5 lbs and
1008 lbs...and finished...gulp..20th...I have never had a below top 10
finish.
I was amazed at all the growers...around 60 I think....so great to see such
excitement in this sport and people more crazy than I!  LOL.
However, with the winner being 1675 lbs...nice job Mr. Hopkins...it would have
taken a miracle in my patch to get there.
My watermelon at 194.5 lbs finished 4th...which was nice...considering the top
3 were 223, 226.5 and 227.5...with the last being a state record for MN.

We have one more weighoff this weekend and I'm bring the final 2 of my
pumpkins both 950-1050 range to Stillwater, MN.
Plus another watermelon near 200lbs....but felt light on putting it in the SUV
tonight.

Anyway, always a fun year regardless and kept me active all summer trying to
keep up!  Great for BP (blood pressure) and weight loss!

Hope you continue to have a great year and good luck at Half Moon Bay!
Dave Bhaskaran
Rochester, MN














-----Original Message-----
From: Kathie Morgan <fishrap@att.net>
To: pumpkins@hort.net
Sent: Thu, Oct 7, 2010 5:04 pm
Subject: Re: sand and fruit protection


Hi, Dave!

Have you been to weigh-off with the pumpkin mentioned below? Curious to know
if it kept pace with your dreams for it.


On Aug 1, 2010, at 6:46 PM, dbhaskaran@aol.com wrote:

> Steve,
> Congrats on being on track for 1000+! I have one that is 703 lbs, > which
using
> the AE method..puts it around 1289 lbs come Oct.
> ( current weight + (number of days till Sept 20th * 1/2 of current > daily
> weight gain over a 4 day period)).
> ie... 703 + (51 * 11.5 (23lbs/day))
>
> But I agree...with 2 of my pumpkins going down this week to > splits...hard
to
> hold them till Oct!
>
> Take care.
> Dave.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Minor <minok2014@yahoo.com>
> To: pumpkins@hort.net
> Sent: Sun, Aug 1, 2010 8:25 pm
> Subject: Re: sand and fruit protection
>
>
> Dave,
> Daconil and Captan have become my good friends this year. I'm about > to
spray
> pplications of calcium to the outside of my fruit to help fortify it.
> Thanks for another tip on being proactive growing AGs(Daconil on > both
ends).
> In this business, better to be safe than sorry.
> Measured my largest pumpkin today. On track for first 1000 pound > fruit.
> Cross my fingers and hope to win the lottery.
> Steve
> --- On Sun, 8/1/10, dbhaskaran@aol.com <dbhaskaran@aol.com> wrote:
> From: dbhaskaran@aol.com <dbhaskaran@aol.com>
> ubject: Re: sand and fruit protection
> o: pumpkins@hort.net
> ate: Sunday, August 1, 2010, 8:51 PM
> Steve,
> ou're welcome. Well, I've been growing big pumpkins for 40 years, > but I
> lways seem to learn each year also! LOL.
> I have a bunch of High Maintenance Pumpkins this year, which means, > they
get
> rowth "marks" that cut into the fruit on the back and stem > areas....so I
> ormally paint on the daconil to insure they don't rot (great way to > keep
> umpkins going into Oct) but then need to insure the sheet doesn't > smother
> t
> ut too much...so putting up the stake in front (and will for the > back)
helps
> n dry and "heal" the area.
> n fact, painting daconil on the blossom end and stem areas before > trouble
> appens is not a bad idea...even the stump area. Things I do as we > get into
> ug, as the pumpkins get into old fruit and tough to manage!
> e're having a good year in MN, so need to make hay while we do have > a good
> ear, weather wise!
> ood luck to all!
> avid Bhaskaran
> ochester, MN
>
>
>
> ----Original Message-----
> rom: Steve Minor <minok2014@yahoo.com>
> o: pumpkins@hort.net
> ent: Sun, Aug 1, 2010 7:06 pm
> ubject: Re: sand and fruit protection
>
> ave,
> for one appreciate your input. You helped me a lot last year, and I'm
> oing
> ch better this year. You always manage to come up with juicy little >
tidbits
> info like the stakes to drape the sheet over, fore and aft.
> our help enables me to help others and pay it forward.
> teve Minor
> -- On Sun, 8/1/10, dbhaskaran@aol.com <dbhaskaran@aol.com> wrote:
> rom: dbhaskaran@aol.com <dbhaskaran@aol.com>
> bject: Re: sand and fruit protection
> : pumpkins@hort.net
> te: Sunday, August 1, 2010, 6:48 PM
> ebbie,
> suggestion would be to run both...which is what I have done now for 2
> ars
> w. I didn't like just the sheet, as we get periods of too much > wetness so
> nning both of them protects the pumpkin from some of the sun that my 6
> rps
> d 10 fence posts allow in. (6x8 tarps)
> have put down wet sand before but it seems to dry with a few > days...so I
> n't think you need to worry.
> also dig a trench around my pumpkins tents so that water hitting the > tarps
> d dropping...goes into a trench and away from the pumpkin, plus this > also
> ts the pumpkin on "higher ground" due to the trench and thus more > drying.
> lso becareful with the MV and the tarps rubbing on them if you use > it and
> so if you use the sheet on the pumpkins...make sure the front and > back get
> me "air"...I use a small stake in front of the pumpkin and put the > sheet
> er it...thus giving the them stem area some "air".
> ope this helps.
> od luck.
> vid Bhaskaran
> chester, MN
>
>
> ---Original Message-----
> om: Debbie Runkle <yorunk13@att.net>
> : pumpkin <pumpkins@hort.net>
> nt: Sun, Aug 1, 2010 9:07 am
> bject: sand and fruit protection
> hat type of fruit protection is recommended? I am currently using a > tarp
> y
> night, but noticed that there isn't a whole lot of air movement. > Now I am
> dering about just using a sheet on the pumpkin during the day and > removing
>
> night. We have alot of humidity, esp. at night. That leads me to > my next
> stion.
> have sand under the pumpkins. Yesterday I removed as much of the play
> nd,
> t I had originally used, and replaced it with all purpose sand. I > found
> at
> e play sand held too much moisture and was damp right out of the > bag. This
> ning all of the sand is damp. The ground is pretty moist due to some
> cent
> ns. The pumpkins were covered with tarps so no rain got on it or > the sand,
> the sand seems to be absorbing moisture from the ground. I am worried
> out
> pumpkin rotting. I don't know if fans would help much since I would > most
> ely have to keep them on the pumpkins every day.
> bbie
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