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Phoenix, AZ

From my analysis of the fruit flesh, Ca is a very small part of the nutrient composition. N and K are the big items that are within the fruit then comes P.

Fruit Ca levels are very different from the leaves and so I was wondering if people are comparing the leaf composition to the fruit?

Bottom line, I don't see a benefit to Ca wraps. Mayben K wraps or N wraps though.

Ben

8/21/2007 11:03:08 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

The theory didn't come from a plant physiologist that's for sure lol

8/21/2007 1:22:32 PM

Dillsburg, PA

I like wraps. Never tried Ca wrap and never will.

8/21/2007 1:25:36 PM

[email protected]

The way I remember it is like this: It came about from a study that was done showing that topical applied calcium to tomatoes reduced some diseases, improvered the over-all quality and the shelf life of the tomatoes that it was applied to. This study was funded by guess who, thats right a company who was marketing a product for this use. I believe others have done studies since and have very limited success reproducing the claimed results of the original study.

For what its worth I don't think wraps do anything good for the fruit. But when I'm spraying foliar calcium I do spary the fruit too, just in case my belief is wrong, and since I'm already there with calcium in the sprayer.

Ron and Dick Wallace said they did NOT use calcium wraps on last years world record fruit.

8/21/2007 2:04:11 PM

Western NY

calcium wraps will not make your pumpkin go heavier to the chart. at best, you'll get better shelf life from it after it is picked or quit growing. if that means a better chance of getting an older pumpkin to weighoff for me instead of getting a soft spot, i'm all for it.

i spray calcium on mine, but only after they have started to canteloupe a bit, and i never use it on the pretty ones.

8/21/2007 2:12:28 PM

[email protected]

One of the original beliefs were that with night time calcium wraps the fruit had an "ebb and flow" about it with its night time to day time nutrient uptake. The theory stated that the energy flowed into the fruit during the day, and at night it flowed back to the plant. With a calcium wrap on the fruit, the flow at night would take the calcium from the wrap, into the skin, making it a much stronger celled fruit. Not sure how people feel about this, but I do know from emails shared with Pap that he leaves his fruits without them, especially night, opting to leave the fruits as dry as possible during the nighttime.

8/21/2007 10:55:04 PM

Sheridan . NY

HI All--as per my post of a few weeks ago- I suggest spraying your calcium on daily at reduced rates --I feel the towel method doesnt work as well for one reason--->>If you spill water on your kitchen floor a towel sure does suck it up fast---yep-! I feel it wicks a big majority of the water and calcium up off the pumpkin just as it did on a wet floor---also remember theres rough and refined calciums out there on the market-- get to know how and what your product are made up of and what they can or cant do ---craig

8/22/2007 7:20:12 AM