Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Down to three...
Well, the 779 fruit aborted. On this one, the main vine is simply running out of energy, much like the 964 did. I have no explanation for it. And on the 964, that "peanut" isn't growing. This puts me down to three fruits that have any chance at being competitive. If I get a split or two, well...
Friday, July 24, 2009
Everything is reversed
Well, here we go. This is just such a "good and bad" year.
Two months ago, if you had told me that the 1436 and the 1392 would be the kings of the patch, I would have not thought it possible.
1436 - Looking awesome. The fruit is growing nicely, and has a perfect shape.
1392 - Also looking great. The fruit is doing well, even though the plant doesn't seem like much.
998 - The double-vining freak plant. The fruit is coming on. It should be round and orange.
Now, for the two that I THOUGHT would do well:
964 - The fruit is PEANUT shaped!! Ugh. I might need to go with a side vine fruit. I'll post a picture, but this shape doesn't bode well for it's long-term prospects. My 964 plant last year produced a 100% perfect fruit with big walls and no cracks. This one, well I mentioned that the vine kind of died off near the fruit... looks like the fruit is bad as well.
779 - Has a fruit pollinated at a good spot, but it just isn't growing much. There is still time for it to kick into gear, but so far I'm disappointed. Maybe this will become the Pocatello Farmer's Market weighoff fruit. ;-)
The 1232 is still around, and should produce some nice carvers.
Two months ago, if you had told me that the 1436 and the 1392 would be the kings of the patch, I would have not thought it possible.
1436 - Looking awesome. The fruit is growing nicely, and has a perfect shape.
1392 - Also looking great. The fruit is doing well, even though the plant doesn't seem like much.
998 - The double-vining freak plant. The fruit is coming on. It should be round and orange.
Now, for the two that I THOUGHT would do well:
964 - The fruit is PEANUT shaped!! Ugh. I might need to go with a side vine fruit. I'll post a picture, but this shape doesn't bode well for it's long-term prospects. My 964 plant last year produced a 100% perfect fruit with big walls and no cracks. This one, well I mentioned that the vine kind of died off near the fruit... looks like the fruit is bad as well.
779 - Has a fruit pollinated at a good spot, but it just isn't growing much. There is still time for it to kick into gear, but so far I'm disappointed. Maybe this will become the Pocatello Farmer's Market weighoff fruit. ;-)
The 1232 is still around, and should produce some nice carvers.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Update
Here is a general update. Maybe I'll post pictures later today.
998 - The plant is a genetic freak, with lots of vines going double, and vines going everywhere. I try to keep it pruned but it's hard to know what is what. I have a pollination at about 12 feet, on a vine that I turned into a "secondary main". It's too soon to know if this one will take, but if it doesn't just about any other fruit on the plant might do just as well.
964 - Was my best plant, but the leaves on the main just past the 10 foot mark seemed weak, would wilt every day, then finally the vine just DIED at the 13 foot mark! I don't know why. Some of the leaves there look my friend Brian Christensen's leaves, but certainly not as severe. I have a fruit there at 12.5 feet, and it will stay. Nearly all of the rest of the plant has had vines terminated already. There are a few still growing. But if the fruit takes, then it will grow at the end of the main. It has a good plant to drive it. For the moment I'm not taking off any other females until I know that this one on the main will stay.
779 - Finally had a main vine fruit pollinate yesterday. This one took forever to open. I sure hope it takes. Once I get to 12 feet, my vines really slow down.
1232 - Will be a wild plant to grow small giant pumpkins.
1392 - Plant looks a little weak, but it has my oldest main vine fruit at about 9.5 feet, and another one at around 11. It's doing OK.
1436 - This could become my best plant, depending on what the 964 does. It's a nice, straight plant that is easy to train. I have two pollinations on the main, similar to the 1392.
Looks like I might have a another weighoff to look at this year. The Pocatello Farmer's Market is hosting a weighoff, the week before Halloween. Not sure if I can keep a fruit going that long, but if so I might as well go down there and promote the sport. This weighoff appears to be really low-key. I suspect that over half of the entries will be field pumpkins. But maybe I can meet someone who is wanting to get involved, here in Pocatello. Or, maybe I'll be the only one there, with this weather we've had!
998 - The plant is a genetic freak, with lots of vines going double, and vines going everywhere. I try to keep it pruned but it's hard to know what is what. I have a pollination at about 12 feet, on a vine that I turned into a "secondary main". It's too soon to know if this one will take, but if it doesn't just about any other fruit on the plant might do just as well.
964 - Was my best plant, but the leaves on the main just past the 10 foot mark seemed weak, would wilt every day, then finally the vine just DIED at the 13 foot mark! I don't know why. Some of the leaves there look my friend Brian Christensen's leaves, but certainly not as severe. I have a fruit there at 12.5 feet, and it will stay. Nearly all of the rest of the plant has had vines terminated already. There are a few still growing. But if the fruit takes, then it will grow at the end of the main. It has a good plant to drive it. For the moment I'm not taking off any other females until I know that this one on the main will stay.
779 - Finally had a main vine fruit pollinate yesterday. This one took forever to open. I sure hope it takes. Once I get to 12 feet, my vines really slow down.
1232 - Will be a wild plant to grow small giant pumpkins.
1392 - Plant looks a little weak, but it has my oldest main vine fruit at about 9.5 feet, and another one at around 11. It's doing OK.
1436 - This could become my best plant, depending on what the 964 does. It's a nice, straight plant that is easy to train. I have two pollinations on the main, similar to the 1392.
Looks like I might have a another weighoff to look at this year. The Pocatello Farmer's Market is hosting a weighoff, the week before Halloween. Not sure if I can keep a fruit going that long, but if so I might as well go down there and promote the sport. This weighoff appears to be really low-key. I suspect that over half of the entries will be field pumpkins. But maybe I can meet someone who is wanting to get involved, here in Pocatello. Or, maybe I'll be the only one there, with this weather we've had!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
And the storm clouds gather...
This image is a prime example of how this summer has gone. Nearly every day there is some of this.
Last night we got pounded again. I've never seen so much rain in 30 minutes, at least in this part of the world.
As for the plants, despite all the water they look "wilty", probably because the soil is so compacted the roots are smothered.
Pollinations - 1392, July 3rd, open; 1436 July 4th, x964; 964 July 5th, x779;
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