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Santa Cruz, CA

My son and I started our pumpkin season in April growing our first AG pumpkin seed from a 900lb parent.(unproven) Today we have a beautiful healthy plant that has aborted more than 10 females some of which have grown to be 23lbs or more. We are down to our last female and it doesn't look too promising that this plant will reproduce. I realise now that as beginners we made the first big mistake by not buying proven seeds and won't make that mistake next year. Could this problem we are having be something other than an unproven seed? We have a 210lb AG (unproven) pumpkin (from a 500lb parent) growing on another plant with very similar growing conditions.

8/11/2005 1:59:54 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I'd say it has absolutely nothing to do with the unproven seeds. More likely heat during pollination time or an excess of Nitrogen in the soil is causing this.

8/11/2005 7:40:56 AM

Montoursville, PA

Ditto to the above.

8/11/2005 12:35:00 PM

Montoursville, PA

I have two beautiful plants that finally pollinated properly on July 16-18. Up to that point we had sweltering hot weather and so many aborts I lost count. At what I thought was the end, of the season, those last two took off and grew. We started trying to pollinate July the first. Towards the end there I would have tried pollinating a yellow marble had someone tossed one, in the patch.

This year I proved beyond a shadow, of a doubt, that the plant determines when the time is right, to grow one. :)

8/11/2005 12:40:32 PM

Dillsburg, PA

Same here Doc- At one point I was 0 for 27 on one plant. Then had two days things took. Strange but true.

8/11/2005 5:06:30 PM

milford, CT,

Definitely heat and nitrogen affect aborts. Don't feel bad, I messed up also this year. I had some excellent seeds and messed up by over fertilizing during pollination along with uncooperative mother nature.The end result was 2 for 29 pollinations. I also found most of my fruits aborted in the 20 - 40 lb range. Next year I will better plan keeping my new pollinations cool and learn to trust that my soil is amended well enough that it doesn't require more fertilizer. This weekend I went on the CT patch tour and most of the guys who are doing well this year trusted that they had good soil and limited fertilizing.

8/11/2005 9:29:59 PM

Montoursville, PA

I smelled this dastardly weather after going through a late and difficult start. Due to late frosts and one 27 degree day in early June. My transplants damped off one after the other to the extent I thought I had an ugly fungi problem. I finally planted two plan C or plan D older tougher root bound, by any classification. I shook the bound up roots loose, cut them to induce new growth and added mycorrizae. Those two planted three weeks late did not damp off. I lost all of my first choice seedlings...no fault of the seed or my germination care. The soft tender transplants just could not stand the cold....even with a heater in the temporary cold frames.

Then with great gusto along came all those eighty five to ninety five degree days. Just another harassment to deal with. It was ell'borto city in my patch until I got lucky way late, for us on July 17 & 18.

I am now the grower of a 1233 Checkon and my buddy's 845 DiMarco. They are both crossed with a 944.2 D. Lloyd that went 20% heavy in 2003. If nothing else happens but what looks like a good cross I will be a happy scout. The 1233 Checkon looks like it wants to make a nice one and the 845 is trying to make up it's mind. The misery of the recent past has now become interesting. Fingers crossed.

I made one good judgement call early on. I added nothing...absolutely nothing, in the way, of fertilizer, until I got beyond "hell week" when splits and blows are common. This is the first time, in my three years, that I have no splits and blow outs. "YET" Nothing here but normal growth stress cracks that heal, in a day or two. My fingers are still crossed. Lord Almighty what will be the next surprise?

Soon I will have pix, for my diary.

8/12/2005 9:04:10 AM