Best seeds of 2003 to grow & breed in 20004

With so many plants producing 1,000 pound plus fruits, there are many growers
this season who have a "silver bullet" genetic plant or two right now which
may produce some "silver bullet" seeds. I say "may" as not all seeds have the
same genetic codes as others from the same pumpkin. One person might grow a
1,000    pounder while another grows a "dud". If you are growing your best
plant ever and have your biggest fruit ever, you have got one of the good
genetic seeds with the traits we all desire. Perhaps you crossed it with
another "silver bullet" plant. That is the best possible cross to make,
provided both parents are "silver bullet" stains. If one of the two parents
are "average" fruit producing plants, odds are that seeds from this cross are
not going to have as many offspring capable of a "silver bullet" strain.

If you are a grower who has found a "silver bullet" genetic plant, or if you
know of anyone who has such a plant, I encourage anyone who's interested in
making "silver bullet" seeds to act NOW to get one of your breeder plants
ready to grow in 2004!!! Confused?

The best possible plant you could use for a breeder would be a plant which
grew your personal best pumpkin on, if you had that plant to breed with in
future growing seasons. The only problem is pumpkins actually die once it
freezes {yes, sorry 1st year growers, LOL}. If there was a method to keep your
best plant alive for another season, would you do it if it was possible? Well,
in case your not familiar with some if my past experiments, its not only
possible, it's a reality and has been done by myself and now a growing number
of people who found just how easy it can be keeping a "clone" alive indoors
during the winter.

If there are "silver bullet" plants out there which would be superior breeders
next season, THE TIME IS RIGHT NOW to get a cutting ready to bring inside.
Frost is right around the corner, and the window of opportunity is not open
for very long to get one ready!!! Everyone thinks about doing this after the
plants get frost or freeze damaged, but by then there is usually not
sufficient time left to root a healthy plant. Get your plants best growing
vine in a long window pot filled with good sterilized garden center potting
soil during the next few days. The vine which is buried in out pot will root
quickly, and of course will outgrow your pot. To keep your "clone" small,
pinch the tip so you will have 2 or 3 sides that will emerge rather than a
long and unmovable vine which would break when moved. After a week or two,
this part of the plant will have rooted and can be cut off of the main plant.
At this time also cut away all the huge sun leaves so the new roots will be
able to focus on providing the new shoots with water and nutrients. Always
keep on or two large leaves on though, as the new plant still must have
something to grow from.

Presto, folks... you now have a "silver bullet" plant ready to put in your bay
window over the winter! Simply keep growing it from one pot into another using
this same outdoor method, and by spring you will have your best pollinating
plant to use right away once females sprout out from your seed grown plants.
The "clones" grow male flowers all winter long, and you should have plenty to
use for your new plants. Often during the time to pollinate fruit, growers
find themselves in a bind as no male flowers are available during the "big
day". Your "clone" can also be grown for female fruit too, but doing that with
intentions to grow huge fruit from it requires a lot more information than I
have time to write here...LOL... and BTW, yes folks, I found a "stump" can be
grown on the cutting plant once outdoors. It took two years for me to find the
best method, but I've got it down perfectly now!

Hope this helps to motivate a few people out there to go out and get a cutting
ready! There actually are things to do this time of year rather than measure
our fruits over and over.....LOL!!!!

"Madman" Marc Sawtelle

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