Today's entry in the digest suggests a change in thinking from just one year ago. If you go back in the archives, you will see that I "performed surgery" on the 998 plant that was double-vining.
There is a subtle difference between a flat and a double-vining plant. But, the result is the same.
In the case of the 998 from last year, I had no backup plant in that spot. So I tried to rescue it. That never works. Over the winter I read in the latest Don Langevin book a statement that now makes a lot of sense. There has never been a world-class (or even an Idaho class) fruit from a double or flat-vining plant. After seeing this first-hand on a number of occasions, I'd have to say that I agree.
In the case of the 998 Bowles plant from last year, I kept nursing it along. Aside from the doubled main vine, the plant was good. It still grew well, was dark green with handsome leaves. It was my best looking plant! It was one of the few plants where I could set a fruit on the main (or what was left of it).
And, that fruit grew, really, really, slow. I needed to nurse it along until a week before Halloween, as the local farmer's market scheduled a weighoff on Oct. 24th. Well, when it was time to go I was estimating 350 pounds. Really quite small for a fruit on the main at around 10 feet out, growing all season on a nice looking plant. When I was lifting the fruit with the tripod, I had a mishap and dropped it. As it hit the ground it split in two pieces right down the middle, and after I came to my senses I noted that this fruit was EXTREMELY thin. I doubt it would have made 250 pounds and it would have been a serious disappointment, not to mention embarrassment.
So, the lesson here is, if you get to late May or early June and find a double-vining plant, just rip it out and go fishing. ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment