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Deer Park WA

Madman
My fellow local pumpkin freaks, and I were wondering if you have ever grown out one of your clones and what were the results? Peanut wants me to ask you what the going rate is for a cloner.... She has only grown a 210 lbr and is hungry.

2/15/2001 8:56:55 PM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

Last season I failed to keep a plant cutting alive all winter, as my clones died in December. I still went ahead with the experiment, and started some seeds at that time. I grew and raised two plants during the rest of winter, until May when it was planting time. Since I was not sure if they would even grow once being put outdoors, I gave both plants away to two growers who really had not had much experience in growing pumpkins. By the end of the summer, both plants produced 200 pound fruit despite neglect and improper care. Another local grower who had 4 years of pumpkin growing experience also grew the same seed I used to grow the clones. His pumpkin beat the weight of one grower by about 30 pounds, but was not heavier than the persom who had one well over 200 pounds. Even though he gave the plant all the attention that an Atlantic Giant Pumpkin requires, he still did not manage beat the weight of the neglected clone pumpkin of the same seed!
Once I realized that a cutting had this much potential, I was certain I would make all efforts this winter to find the best pumpkin possible to clone from, and make sure to keep it alive all winter this time. It now is extremely probable and likely that I will be the first person to grow an Atlantic Giant plant for two seasons. I could not have found a better plant to do this either, as Joe Scherber of Wheatridge, Colorado assisted me in this project by starting me a cutting off his 746 plant. This plant was the one last year which grew a new state record 1,009 pound pumpkin.

2/15/2001 10:20:33 PM