Re: if pumpkins didn't split

In a message dated 9/6/98 10:43:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Sclrke@aol.com
writes:

<< 
 I know that pumpkins sometimes "blow up" from growing too fast.  Two
 Questions: 1) What is it the grower does to contribute to this?  Is it water,
 fertilizer, or both?  
 2) Suppose you had a strain that you knew could handle massive daily growth
 without splitting.  What would you do in terms of care? How would you change
 what you do now?
 
 Of course, I'd be happy if I could even get one to grow fast enough to split.
 At least it would mean I've made some progress.
 Steve
 ------------------- >>
Steve,
   There are two camps on the splitting idea. Some feel it is mainly genetic
and there is a great amount of evidence that shows that certain seeds are more
prone to splitting. Some talk about pushing them too hard.....like one has a
gas pedal and can speed up or slow down the growth somehow. Others purposely
leave on extra fruit to take some of the growth rate away. Leaving too many
fruit on an apple tree will result in smaller fruit overall. I tend to think
the major cause of splitting is a genetic one. We are trying to grow the
largest pumpkin possible , so does it make sense to leave 5 fruit on to slow
up the big one? It depends how you look at it. I tend to go with the pedal to
the metal approach and hope for the best. If you were leading the Indianapolis
500, would you slow up and let someone pass you because you were afraid your
engine might blow? There are some things you can do........ Plant seeds that
are less prone to splitting, keep consistant watering practices (don't let the
soil dry out too much before a massive watering), give the plant a little
Calcium Nitrate. I have seen small pumpkins that are growing slowly split, so
it may be more of a genetic predisposition to splitting than the old gas pedal
theory.
                                    pumkinguy
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