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Stouffville

So say we're in August, and your pumpkin's growing at its max rate. What do you think is the rate limiting step of this growth rate? Nutrient uptake? Photosynthesis? Flow of juices in the vine? manufacturing of the actual fruit flesh?

11/15/2003 12:15:56 PM

[email protected]

Work.

11/15/2003 3:11:08 PM

Bristol, ME ([email protected])

water, amount of vines buried, plant size, pest program, feeding program, water, luck, water.....and last but not least, how bad you want it...hehe

11/15/2003 6:38:27 PM

Stouffville

i'm thinking more along the lines of why some grow quicker than other under the same conditions? And also... In my first few years of growing, I was a wuss and couldn't cut to one, so I grew two per plant. These plants were roughly 600ft^2. The combined weight per plant I produced in my first 3 years are impressive if they had been for one fruit, but if I cut to one per plant, I'm sure the one fruit would not have made the combined weight. Why?

My weights were:

1st year: 728
2nd year: 1582, 992
3rd year: 900, 940, 1248

My plants were capable of sucking up nutrients for more than or close to 1000lbs of fruit per plant with pre 1000lb genetics, but most likely couldn't put this into one fruit. why? I ask out of sincere honesty. For a more modern example look at the Daletas 1230 and 1016, and the Mombert 1064 and 1097. over 2000lbs per plant... Any thoughts on this phenomenom? for me this seems to indicate a bottle neck in pumpkin flesh development whatever that involves...but perhaps something else is the cause.


Mike

11/15/2003 7:06:31 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Mike too much info is missing from the two examples you have given. For me, this is an extreme example of nurture at its finest. Daletas has a consistant track record with 7 pumpkins over 100olbs in three years. He knows something we are still stiving for. I would like to find out what patterns he grew and in how many sq. ft. just to start with.
A soil sample may also help you understand as well. Many here have stated in the recent past that no magic bullet is available to growers. I would bet that care and control is one of the largest factors at play here. What are the keys to success that heavy hitters employ? The answer for this is at the end of the rainbow and takes years to find. Expierence is the largest part of the puzzle. Timely watering is another and lack of any plant stresses. Testing all of various plants requirements could take years but these two may put you at the head of the class before you know the answer to all of the questions.

11/16/2003 7:26:40 AM