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Waterbury Vermont

I got so much good info about skin elasticity that I figured I'd start another thread. I've found certain growing practices to be obviously beneficial while others I'm not sure about.Because of money and time issues, there are a few things I would'nt mind skipping.I'm curious to hear peoples oppinions on the following three things:
1.Fruit shading. From looking at the grower diaries, it seems like a lot of people don't even do this. Is it necessary?

2.Early season greenhouse structures. In my own limited experience last season, I spent too much time and money on 12' by 12' greehouses for my early May planting. They were constantly blowing over. If the temperature got over 60 degrees and sunny the plants overheated. It seemed like the only time I needed them was for frost but I could have made something much more simple for that.
3.Foliar feeding. Please don't attack me, but I have a hard time seeing the purpose of this. For powdery mildew prevention it makes sense, but what about fertility? After all, when I look at a production guide for tomatoes, melons, field pumpkins or anything else, I see a lot of recommendations for sidedressing but not much about foliar feeding. If you have a fertilizer-injected overhead system I guess it's easy enough to do, but I spent more time last summer foliar feeding with a watering can than doing anything else. Is it posssible that people just like the "idea" of foliar feeding? Just a thought.
Thanks in advance

12/14/2003 7:20:59 PM

Indiana

I have to say folar feeding with a hose end sprayer wasnt hard at all and with neptunes harvest the plants just looked better the day after spraying. Somewhere in the past month or so there was a thread on folar feeding.
Steve

12/14/2003 8:41:25 PM

Montoursville, PA

You need not do any of these things. Of course you would be eliminating the common thinking of the growers who grow the larger fruit. All, of the reasons, for my comment here, are found, in the How To Grow World Class Giant Pumpkin Books.

12/14/2003 9:09:29 PM

the money issue......being a poor high school and college student during my first year growing...i didn't spend a lot of moolah when i didn't have to....

1. shade....use old bed sheets or mattress pads right on fruit, or tarps....or erect them above the fruit on wood stakes

2. I made two little 3' by 4' hoophouses for about 30 bucks with PVC pipe and connecters, plastic conduit, and plastic. kept it a few degrees warmer inside. also old blankets over them helped hold in heat.... the time issue....i just took them off in the AM and plopped them back on in the PM....easy....

12/14/2003 9:24:52 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Do not know the definitive answers but all are fruit for thought...from what I have read and learned so far....

1) can't hurt, I used old beach umbrellas (free)

2)we used a 4'X 3" glass greenhouse till it was outgrown by plant

3) this year we hand foliar fed every 3 days and had no bugs and great growth. There appears to be enough "proof" that certain foliars are beneficial. I'm pretty sure that Santa is bringing a fertilizer-injected overhead system to my home this year to incorporate into the patch.

12/14/2003 9:42:53 PM

Eugene, OR

I'm a newbie so correct me if I'm wrong but from what I've read, plants take in very little through the leaves. I think most of the benefit of foliar feeding is in disease prevention. I'm sure everyone has noticed some difference in their plants by foliar feeding but I personally think it's because the fertilizer gets washed off the leaves and onto the roots below. The water runs down the large leaves and onto the tap roots directly below.

I have tried foliar feeding when growing Big Max's and saw no increase in plant growth due to the fact that I used a drip system. There was never any water present to wash the fertilizer off the leaves and onto the ground.

It seems to me that good soil and watering practices would be just as beneficial as any foliar feeding program would. Keeping the leaves dry and having well balanced soil will prevent disease and give you great growth. That's my take on what I've learned so far anyways....

12/14/2003 11:11:13 PM

Indiana

check this thread http://bigpumpkins.com/msgboard/ViewThread.asp?b=10&p=55559
seems to be a bit of controversy on this subject. Im gona start a new thread on this.
Steve

12/15/2003 10:52:16 AM

[email protected]

It isn't controversial. But it is complicated. I have to be brief right now. Later I'll try to do this more justice.

But some of the required plant growing elements are not available to plants when they are applied to foliage IF the wrong source or manufacturing processes are not utilized.

Chelating of micronutrients makes them readily available especially through foliage.

More later

Steve

12/15/2003 11:40:09 AM

northern indiana

I built 4x8 hoop houses.. with a couple of swing set anchors run into the ground and secured by screws with a strap kept them in place.. The anchors straps were simple to unscrew and tip the hoop houses right off the plants in the morning if the weather was supposed to be nice. I had a couple frosts and one hard late season frost. 2 liter plastic jugs and gallon milk jugs filled with hot water and set next to the plants kept them warm when coverd with a plastic rubbermaid type tub. All very simple and not very time consuming.
Eric

12/15/2003 5:45:21 PM