Sunday, June 30, 2013

1775 Flower Pollinated; Lastest Pictures from the Pumpkin Patch

Today is maybe the first time that I've ever pollinated a pumpkin and it was forecasted to be in the 80s.  Not only that, but it is forecasted to be in the 80s for the better part of this week with even some 70s in the forecast.  Normally I'm scrambling to freeze buckets of water and putting solar blankets over the pumpkins to keep them cool.  I'm not sure I know how to pollinate in the 80s.

Pictured below is the 1775 female that I pollinated this morning.  A nice 4 lober.  The flower on this one was huge. 
If both of my pollination were to take and I were to take the 1421 to Jared's Nursery Weigh Off it would have 95 days to grow which is close to perfect amount of time.  Too little time and you lose potential weight gains on the pumpkin.  Too much time and you risk the pumpkin rotting out.  If I were to take the 1775 pumpkin to Nick's Nursery Weigh Off it would have 96 days to grow.

These are the latest pictures of the pumpkin plants.  By the end of next week the main vine on the 1421 Stelts will be close to the length of the main vine of the 1451 Scherber last year at the end of the season.  I wouldn't call the 1421 an aggressive grower, but it is a very good grower.The 1421 probably has 5-6 side vines that are terminated now because they have reached the end of their growing area.
1421 Stelts

1775 Starr
Gave the plants some foliar magnesium and manganese.

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