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Rush, NY

Marc shipped a 991 Hunt clone yesterday about noon from Colorado Springs, CO. The postman delivered it to me in Rush, NY at 2:40 pm this afternoon. It looks healthy And was planted 10 minutes later. He also sent me a non-rooted
cutting that I will try to root. I brushed a rooting hormone around the 2 leaf nodes I put below ground.

3/13/2001 4:41:29 PM

Deer Park WA

Len, did you plant them in your patch or in a big container? It seems really early to be setting anything outside. What a great oppertunity I am sure with your amazing achievements it will do well.

3/13/2001 7:56:03 PM

Rush, NY

Gads, we have snow on the ground. I planted in 10" x 14" containers. In about one month I hope to root the runner near the end. That rooted area is what I hope to plant in the field about May 10.

3/13/2001 10:08:34 PM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

Len is the man once again! He is always breaking new boundries, and setting new standards of growing excellence! I just want everyone to know what an honor it has been having Len help make all this possible. Hats off to him...

Also, all those interested in getting cuttings...At this time, things look good. I have been forcing the main Scherber to produce lots of side shoots. Currently I have about 9 more possible shoots to root. Hoping I can make enough for everyone who asked...I will send updated when more news is available!

3/13/2001 10:11:48 PM

Rush, NY

Marc, thanks for the Kind words. Everyone should know that you have been caring for these plants since October. All I have done is prepare containers and My involvement began yesterday.
For those who are going to receive one of Marc's clones I want to tell you how surprised I was when delivered yesterday. The picture of the Box with the Clone in it that Marc has on this site is 5" x 7" x 14.5". Its about the size of a large shoe box. I was expecting a box at least 3 times that size. I didn't think the box delivered could possibly contain the Clone and an unrooted cutting.
The Clone looks good this morning and will send some pictures to Marc in a few days.

3/14/2001 8:31:27 AM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

I have just posted 2 new pictures of great interest. You will find one in the photo gallery, and the other in the grower diaries under madmans diary. Both pictures are different shots of the first female pumpkin flower to develop and open indoors.

3/15/2001 10:50:53 AM

Deer Park WA

Marc, Do you suppose that if you cloned the same plant and grew it in the same general area for a few years that it would become climatized to a specific micro climate faster than a selfed, seed started specimin? Also I wonder what the possibilities of faster genetic enhancement through cross pollination with clones are? One last question, what was the parent plant of the clone in your latest photo? The female flower looked a little on the green side, must have a few dominant squash genes somewhere back in the old wood pile! Keep up the hard work.
Gerry

3/15/2001 11:34:01 PM

Choctaw, OK

i would bet that female flower if from the 746.8 scherber plant.....

3/16/2001 6:30:25 PM

Rush, NY

Clone and Cutting update: The 991 Hunt clone looks good. It has been here 1 week. Growth has been slow. I hope its expanding roots. The largest leaf increased from 3.75" to 4.75". The non-rooted cuttings largest leaf collasped yesterday and I didn't have any hope for it. I dug it up today and it is growing roots at both leaf nodes below ground. I replanted it.

3/20/2001 4:22:04 PM

Deer Park WA

Len, Maybe "Thebestofthebest" can spare a few drops of his fountian of youth potion for your sick baby? I would really like to know if his secret sauce works.. Anyway Len, best of luck, these clones sound awfull tempermental!!!

3/20/2001 9:50:59 PM

Rush, NY

The Hunt clone and the unrooted cutting are growing. It just took a week for the root system to get established.
A grower asked what the unrooted cutting was for. When I first contacted Madman, I only asked for a 3 leaf joint cutting. About 12 years ago while cultivating, I broke about 4 feet off a runner. From the large end I cut 3 leaf joints, and planted it with 2 leaf joints in the ground, and watered around it. In about a week a runner started growing at the leaf above ground. The plant was started late and didn't have adequate space because I stuck it between two established plants. I got a 300 pound pumpkin from it. I dug up the main root and was amazed at the number of roots off each below ground leaf joint and the size of the roots.
I want to do it again with a plant that has a full season and adequate space.

3/22/2001 6:09:21 AM

Rush, NY

Two week update: The Hunt 991 Clone is doing very good now. I think it took a week for the roots that came in vermiculite to get established. The largest leaf is now 7 inches wide. The growth increase is evident every day now. It is starting to produce side runners. Go to the Photo Gallery to see a picture of it Yesterday.

3/27/2001 2:39:37 PM

Rush, NY

Three week update: The Clone looks good, but it hasn't seen much sun for 5 days. I have it in front of our east side Living room big window in the morning and move it to a sun room on the west side in the afternoon. Some sunshine is predicted starting today. The leaf that was 7" wide last week is only 7.5" now and the next leaf is 8" wide. I have left a side runner(now 4") grow off the main root and removed the others. I have covered 2 leaf joints with dirt just before it is exiting the original container, which is 14" wide. I hope to eventually root the side runner and the end of the main runner in about 3 weeks. If that happens, I would plant one of those Clones in the field.

4/3/2001 5:55:53 AM

Rush, NY

32 day update: The clone looks good, but growth on the runners is slow. The main runner is 24 inches and the side runner is 13 inches. In a few days I expect to start rooting the side runner in the adjacent container. It will probably be 8 to 10 days before the main runner makes the "U" turn into the adjacent container and is long enough to root it.
Tomorrow I will take it to the farm, where I will be most of the time starting tomorrow. We don't have a computer at the Farm but will update the Clones progress occassionaly when I make a trip to Rush to cut the lawn.

4/15/2001 10:54:38 AM