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Buffalo, NY

On 1 of my 3 plants, the leaf edges are yellowing, about 1/8 of an inch inward, uniform looks to all leaves. No blotching or spots, just the edges. I recently added a very inexpensive mister setup that comes on for 3 minutes each hour during hot afternoons; I also use drip irrigation in the stump area, and where the plant sprawls over the lawn I have been adding supplemental water along the vine area to promote rooting. Have 1 fruit on the main about 16ft out, about basketball size (34" circ @ 12 days) on this plant. This plant also has the smallest leaves of my 3 plants. Is this too much or too little water or fertilizer or something else? Thanks.

Mark

8/14/2001 11:38:18 AM

Utah

it's hard to know if it is too much or too little water from
what you have given. generally AG's need about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week. but it varies greatly depending upon your location, soil type and curret weather. Also in general I think new growers don't water enough.
do you have any idea how much water is getting to your plant?
since you water through a drip system it might be hard to find out.
but you can stick a few empty cans around the patch to see how much water the misters are putting out.
623 gallons will cover 1,000 sq. ft. with 1 inch.

are the edges of the leaves dry and brittle ?
if so then i would think that is a sign too little water.

good luck
gordon

ps- bury your vines with dirt, expect around your pumpkin, to get more root growth out of the vines too.

8/14/2001 5:10:09 PM

Rexburg, Idaho ([email protected] )

If it's the older leaves in the center of the plant this is normal and occurs as the leaves age.

8/14/2001 8:07:14 PM

Buffalo, NY

I just spent 45 minutes writing up a reply with much more info & details AFTER signing in and it was over 2000 characters so it got rejected; I shortened it by cutting off the last couple sentences and posted it & it asked for me to sign in again. I lost everything! So, now back to thinking what I wrote...

8/14/2001 10:18:50 PM

Buffalo, NY

MORE INFO PART 1: It is plant #1 of 3. It is from a decendant of Dill 810, a small vine diam, about 3/4", smallish leaves, about 12". Only 1 female- pollinated & growing, see orig post. Main = 20-22ft. Plant #2 is from seed from a 792x682. 2nd longest vine of the 3, thickest vine, about 1-1.5" dia. Main = 25-27ft. 1 aborting now, about 18" circ @ 14 days, most leaves 12-15", 18-20" after fruit(16ft). Plant #3 is seed from decendant of a LaRue, 1 aborted early-mid-July, 1 set about 16-18ft on main stopped growing(?), 18" circ @ 15 days, 1 growing at 20-22ft, 29" circ @ 8 days, leaves similar to plant #2. Main = 30ft & growing. All were planted around May 25th. The Dill & LaRue female buds are yellow-green striped and the 792x682 are solid pale yellow with green cones. The #2 & #3 have also dropped female buds (yellow & fall off before big enough to open.) Tiny immature females on all 3 plants' tips. All plants buried from stump to about 3ft, and #2 & #3 buried in along different areas but not entire vine. Weather has been unusually dry & hot past 4 weeks, 85-93, lows mostly 67-75.
Entire area is less than 400 sq ft. Plants sprawl over lawn.

Use Drip irrigation covering stump areas and with very hot weather added 2 misters about midway (15ft), approx 2.5 gph total(3 min/hr) covering all 3 plants except first & last 5ft (stump & end tips). Usually run the misters from 12-4pm. Increased the drip at stumps from 1.5 gph to about 3 gph in the 90 degree days. Drip has fert injector, currently using 20-20-20, 3-2-2 liquid fish & seaweed, weak 0-0-44 and Maxicrop 1-0-4 mix. Hand watered area along vines to get a good soaking--grass had some yellowing due to heat & no rain. (Rained today.) Using an inexpensive Soil Moisure Meter about 6-8" deep near a vine in lawn area gave a full "MOIST" reading (meter is cheap, shows dry, moist & wet ranges,) but not "WET"

8/14/2001 11:19:49 PM

Buffalo, NY

CONTINUED...MORE INFO PART 2: Tank spray combination of insecticide/Daconil/liquid fish every 5-7 days, and hose end spray mixture of 20-20-20, 3-2-2 liquid fish & seaweed, Maxicrop 1-0-4, and 1/2 rate 0-0-44 water soluble every 3-5 days.

The only plant showing yellow edges is the Dill decendant, plant #1. 1/8" is slightly exaggerating, maybe more like 1/16th inch--specifically the edge of the leaf. All the others have no problems. (Plants #2 & #3 had some insecticde burn around 10ft from a different mix of chemicals but otherwise fine.) This plant also has the largest fruit of the 3 plants so far, and the smallest vine length & leaf size of the 3. It is also the closest to the westerly/southwesterly winds. All the plants have some degree of dried up leaves near the stump, the original few leaves. There is also a windblock in the first 10ft of the vine from the stump, and the last 10 ft or so of most vines in the fruiting area has 50% green poly knit shade cloth ($9.95 for 6.5x13ft.) Wilting/flagging only occurrs on the last couple leaves of the vines on plants #2 & #3 during very high temps. Under the shade cloth, no flagging. Sides are more arranged like an elm leaf or saguaro cactus than a christmas tree, like a fork (almost parallel to the mains.)

Anyone want to jump in with some suggestions/help or questions?

Thanks.

Mark

8/14/2001 11:43:00 PM

Utah

Mark -

sorry it has taken so long to get back to you.
how are your plants doing?
My guess on your one plant with yellow edges is that
it is less heat tolerant than your other plants and that
the heat got to them and "burned" the edges.
just a guess.
gordon

8/20/2001 10:43:28 AM