From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

In 2001 I conducted the first clone experiment with 991 Hunt and 746 Scherber clones... cuttings from plants grown the season before. My intent was to find out how climates of different areas affected the plants, as well as if a clone plant was capable of growing something similar sized as the parent plant did. I and others who participated found out a lot of interesting info doing this, much more than I anticipated.

I'm seriously considering trying another project this year with a plant {my 303} which grew my 591.6 fruit over at a satellite patch with terrible soil. The plant was used initally as a test seed, a prune experiment, was started in February, and was never intended to be grown outdoors. When my main breeder plants were stolen, I scrambled to get together plan # 2 for breeders, and that plant happened to have the genetics I'd need. It was given a chance then, and even being given around 200 SF of room, and with horrible weather {not much hail though at that patch}, it thrived! The soil was clay, it was tilled about 2-3 inches down {ground too hard to dig deeper}, and had only a very little trace of organics added, mainly amounting to mulch. The shell was thick and orange, very 801 stelts looking, and was slightly over the charts {unlike the 801}. There were no internal tears, a couple of areas which looked like they might have ripped had tough inner tissue which looked like it healed those problem areas before they became weak links in the shell.

11/13/2004 12:32:46 PM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

I currently have just a single cutting growing, but I am considering possibly doing a second controlled experiment similar to the 2001 project. As before, I would root the cuttings that are to be sent out, and package them to be able to survive shipping {unless they go through Welty's or Gad's post offices}. The box would be sent out express overnight mail and should take 2 days to arrive. I did not like having to tell interested growers the last time that I couldn't or didn't have more plants to send them. I also didn't like having a couple growers lack of experience result in no fruit or a dead plant late in the season. I have also not had a plant which I felt had superior potential like this one.

So, the question is this: How many growers desire to participate, where would they be grown, how many seasons have you grown, and do you know what you are growing in 2005? The last question would determine who gets one as I would like to breed it with a plant with similar isolated enetics or totally different isolated genetics. This is not meant to be a competition to see who gets the largest fruit from a clone, but to gather more info like the previous experiment was able to provide. Nothing is set in stone yet, but this is the time already for me to start planning to get things started in order for things to be ready by spring. I'm just trying to get a feel for who the interested participants might be this time around.

11/13/2004 12:33:32 PM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

If anyone has suggestions or ideas about what information might be useful to others during the second go round, feel free to post them. If you prefer e mailing me, please do so, but I have spam block so indicate that when sending me something so I can allow your mail to come in.

11/13/2004 12:38:12 PM

Choctaw, OK

whats the cross of the 303?

11/13/2004 1:30:37 PM

Long Island,New York

Hee-hee hee, Marc...I grew clones in 2001 also...and since I'm EAST OF YOU...lol....that makes me the first....lol......G

11/13/2004 2:05:54 PM

Northeast

Is the plant a cutting or clone?

11/13/2004 3:09:18 PM

Deer Park WA

Hay Madman, loved the Sherber clone you sent us in 2001, it was one of our most memorable plants with a 518# fruit (yea the mail man kicked it all the way here). Anyway I have a slot in the main garden for another "experiment", I will probably mess up your genetics with one of our 823 squash (selfed 834, sibbed 895 Hester), or one of our other third generation selfed plants (not sure which I will grow yet, but like the 810 Dill offspring). Whats the parents of the 303???

Cool business Bro;

Gerry

11/13/2004 8:42:37 PM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

OOps... Thought I had given all of the main important info... figures I'd leave out the main thing...LOL!!! The 303 was grown from the 825 Shymanski.The plant was grown in my 1st breeding patch in my next door neighbors yard. Conditions it had to grow in were sandy unamended soil with only minimal watering and little pruning due to hail {two straight years now} The fruit was WHITE and was long with no internal tears. It charted over just a bit, I think 5%...I'd have to check that. It was pollinated with a 940 Mombert 98 in mid August. The 940 was grown over at a NO CARE patch, in heavy clay, pollinated early August, fruit looong orange and weighed 407... slightly over the charts also. The last 3 weeks the patch had not been watered at all, but put on 20 LBS a day up till first frost, which was mid September. Both plants grew surprisingly fast in poor conditions and minimal care just like it's offspring.
I have a picture of the "stump" area off the 303... looks like a clone stump, but the plant was seed started as I mentioned.
G...I want your 502 clone... LOL
The plant is a clonutting Dave...he he he...
Gads...This grows ORANGE... you don't like that color!

11/14/2004 12:26:57 AM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

Pictures of "stump" area can be viewed at either link...

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=29355

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=29354

11/14/2004 12:38:14 AM

Deer Park WA

Hay now Mark, I have grown lots of nice orange ones, I just wanted to help get the squash color thing straightend out!

11/14/2004 6:00:05 PM