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Cologne / Germany

Well I´m on the way to count myself off for the 2005 season. Loosing 2 main vines and having pumpkins on flat vines or not (my 1260 Weir completely turned into a weird plant with no fruits at all), the new growth (plants, not pumpkins) looks much better now with no more mutations, all over the patch.

I thought if I can get anything this year, it might just be some good and early clones from each plant (996 Bobier, 1370 Rose, 1260 Weir). I don´t think you can get these kind of seeds again every time.

So, after not finding crucial results concerning clones, I would really like to know if it´s worth the effort to keep them all over winter (reconstructed my greenhouse to provide best conditions just in case) and plant them again next year.

Can you expect the same results like from a seed or not? If not, why...so many questions. It´s just that the cloning matter is still not proven from what we can read here, and obviously not many growers give it a try.

7/29/2005 6:48:23 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

"Can you expect the same results like from a seed or not?" I.L.

I don't think you can get the same results as with a plant started from seed, but that's only my opinion. Some growers ("Duster" right now) had good results after they lost the basal crown to rot but these plants once had a basal crown as opposed to the clones.
But clones are kept alive (most of the times only half alive...lol) over the winter. I think this stresses the plant and it will never fully recover.

Also, and this is the main question, I think, why would you want to keep a clone alive from a totally mutated plant that gave you nothing but grief????? I'd get out the tiller instead of making a clone! LOL

I think the costs (greenhouse, heater, lights, etc.) for keeping a clone alive are too high for plants like the 996 and 1370. You can get these two seeds at the auctions for not too much money (less or around 100$).
The 1260 is another story as the seeds went for 500$ or so, but yours is mutated and of little value. I wouldn't want to cross it into anything.

Are all your three plants mutated or only the 1260? Do you have any promising fruits set on these three plants? If not I can't see the reason why you would want to keep such a plant alive.

7/29/2005 7:28:32 PM