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Rhode Island

ever wonder why last years winners can be this years loosers? and visa versa ?
my son and friends travel around new england quite a bit visiting friends patches
some have monsters where last year they had midgets and some have midgets or next to nothing at all but were on
top of the pumpkin heap last year
some stopped growing, some split, some rotted off at the base, some grew very well in a small area , some didnt grow well and had a football field to spred its wings in, and my all time favorite ( we never get our largest fruit to make the weighoffs ) almost never

when visiting our friends patches we always ask the question , " what did you do differently from last year ? "
in some cases there we minor changes in how they pruned, fertilized or treated for disease, etc, however more ofen than not most of these growers always plant a quality seed stock and all have had up and down seasons
so what do you attribute your success to ?yes you need skill, soil, seeds, space, sun, etc, etc, but after all these things you also need lady luck on your side
( without her that soft spot can never be dried out, that tiny crack becomes a huge gash thru to the cavity, those dill rings do breach the surface of your monster, and last but not least ------------------- without her that fruit would go down a couple days before the weighoff rather than a couple days after
good " lady " luck to all
pap

9/8/2004 11:35:48 AM

Knopp, Germany

thanks Dick, i hope that lady luck is here next year, cuz this year...........

9/8/2004 12:42:41 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Great post pap!
Based on the experience you've had growing AG's, your isights and advice are very valuable, in my estimation.

On the theme of "lady luck", I'm wondering if a significant part of the "luck" we have depends on the ladies(female flowers) we pollinate and choose to be our keeper fruit?
Maybe some are slow and steady growers, while some are fast out of the gate. The shape and growth rates of some, may make them more prone to splits. Of couse we can pollinate more than one female, and make observations, but this isn't foolproof. Do you think for instance, that maybe one female has the potential to reach 800 lbs., while another female on the same plant has world record potential?

Doug

9/8/2004 1:06:36 PM

Rhode Island

doug
i always figured the seed itself determined if the fruit it produced would be of the " bombproof "kind
yes ,selecting the fruit on your main is important when considering natural stem to vine position, shape and ,if its dropping on the inside or outside of plant
you bring up a good point though
all i can relate to is that in past years when we used to set six or eight fruit on a plant ( real early years ) then go back and cull a few once they reached 60 or so inches, that at the time of culling the six or so we didnt want just about all the fruit pollinated during a 7 to 10 day period were almost all the same size
the shape may have been different but just about all the pumpkins on both the main and sides were pretty close in size
in my opinion its the seed stock that gives you the opportunity to grow something special no matter what fruit you choose to leave on it
hope this helps
pap

9/8/2004 6:01:14 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

That does help Dick. Thanks.
Experience is a great teacher.

Regards,
Doug

9/8/2004 6:06:28 PM

Saugerties N. Y.

Pap If you had a plant that you could'nt get a fruit to set on the main vine but had one set on a secondairy vine could you dead end the main and turn that secondairy into your main. One year I grew a 550 lb on a secondairy cause I could'nt get one set on the main, It seemed like that vine became the main on the plant.

9/8/2004 9:12:44 PM

Whidbey Island

Doug14,
Maybe pkns are like women. The fast ones are attractive early, but you really want to settle down with a good, solid one for the long haul.
WPM

9/8/2004 9:13:02 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Amen WPM!!!

Doug

9/8/2004 9:57:42 PM

Rhode Island

river

yes by all means if you cant get a fruit to set on the main and settle for a side you need to dead end the main and sides back to the pumpkin and then let the secondary vine become your main ( the plant will figure it out if you give it a little push)

dick

9/9/2004 7:42:00 AM