Decision time -- Atlantic Giant Pumpkin, Bushel Gourd, YCN..

Sun May 30, 2010 10:25 pm

I have just 1 hill of Atlantic Giant Pumpkin growing and they sprouted. The 1 gal plastic pot is bottomless and I used a 1 gal jug cloche to warm up the soil. There were 3 seeds around the pot but only one seem to have sprouted and it's defective. If it was perfect, then I'd keep the big seedling in the pot and the one outside. As it is, do you think it's OK to keep the two in the pot ?(remember it IS bottomless, but they're a bit closer together than I like).

I'm afraid something might happen to the best sprout (like overnight slug attack) if I went ahead and clipped the extra in the pot....

Mon May 31, 2010 2:30 am

Apple,

What is wrong with the one on the outside. :?:

Looks like only the contyledon is a little rough. I'd wait until the first true leaf on all three, before deciding. Be patient :lol:

Mon May 31, 2010 9:09 am

You think so? OK. I'll wait.

Mon May 31, 2010 9:31 pm

Oh yeah, I have a couple of cucumbers that have a defunct cotyledon. Wait for the true leaves, those will tell you if the plant's good or not. More than likely, the seedling will turn out fine.

Here's wishing the best.

Tue Jun 01, 2010 2:49 pm

Apps, my AGP had a hard time getting out of their seeds & a few of them ended up with crinkled cotyledons like yours.

We're still waiting to put ours in the ground since the field still needs to be worked first but should be going in this week!

Thu Jun 03, 2010 1:18 am

Can you believe they already grew their true leaves?! :shock:

Here is also photo of the Bushel Gourd seedlings. What do you think?

(I know, I know, wait until THEY grow their true leaves. :roll:

)

Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:38 pm

OK, help me out. What is the reason for the bottomless pot? Will the pot be left there for the growing season? Why some in the pot and some not in the pot?

As far as which one to keep, and which one to pull, I would grow them all. Each vine will make a pumpkin or two.

If you are really going for the grand prize, keep the best looking vine and feed it well. Of course in doing that you always run the risk of some critter killing the vine then you are done.

Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:23 am

I'm trying AGs for the first time. Just put them in today, might run afoul of first frost but I'm hoping for few big ones.

Also planted a package of "Show Entries" from Vesey's Seeds. There is no specified cultivar on these, these seeds come from show winning pumpkins. http://www.veseys.com/us/en/store/veget ... howentries

I'm not about to babysit them to get anything huge but I would like to hit a few in the 500 lb range for the grandkids and some of their friends. I'm using the 500 number as the loader on my tractor will handle just a little over that at the height of a pickup tailgate.

Sat Jun 05, 2010 2:46 am

The bottomless pot was an idea I had for tricking the seeds to sprout even though the ground just didn't seem like it was warming up. In all cases, the first ones to sprout were inside the pot so I think the idea is sound.

The reason I thought they might need help was that the peas were slow in sprouting. Initially, I tried this with a hill of yellow crooknecks. Where I planted, the ground stays soggy for a long time in spring and the subsoil is clay + it's shaded in the morning until about 10AM. I'm still doing the sheet mulch ground prep in all cases, but I put down a shovelful of half finished compost, set the bottomless 1 gal pot in it, 1/2 filled with more compost, then with potting soil and planted 3 seeds inside, 3 outside. At the time, I was getting REALLY spotty germination from peas, which I interpreted to mean that the ground just wasn't warming up.

I sowed the seeds on 4/22 (avg. last frost date). Here's a photo from 5/3 when first one sprouted:

I think I put the sand layer on top because it wasn't draining well and planted the seeds in that. To compensate for the light color, I put the cut-off black plastic bottom of the pot on top of the sand for the first 3~4 days.

We did have frost warnings in the beginning of May and I put a WOW (closed into a tee-pee shape) over the YC's for a while since they already had grown true leaves.

Here's a photo from 6/2. YC is in the back between the Milkweed and the Monarda:

I think there are two growing inside the pot and one outside. It doesn't look like it in this photo but there's about 24" square space behind the monarda. The YC is SUPPOSED to *not* swallow up the Monarda but grow through the weedy gap between it and the Milkweed and then take up the additional mulched open space if necessary.

I plan to leave the pot rim in place, but pile more compost around it and then mulch with hay so the vines won't kink on the rim of the pot.

So you don't think they're too close together? I'm not out for the biggest of the biggest, just bigger than usual and fun for all. :wink:

Sat Jun 05, 2010 3:27 am

So you don't think they're too close together?

I am sure you are aware that pumpkin vines will send down roots from every leaf node if you let it lie on the ground and don't move it? This spreads the roots out over a wide area when you consider that a pumpkin vine may get to 20 feet long. As long as the three vines go a different direction, they will be fine I think. Get the vines headed in the right direction early on and don't move them again.

You might try germinating seed in a damp paper towell sitting in a dish on top of the refrigerator. Soak them overnight first. You will be amazed if you have never tried that. As soon as you see tails go plant them.

Sat Jun 05, 2010 4:20 am

Ah! I hadn't considered the roots along the vine! OK. We have a plan. :()

I forgot about that pre-sprouting trick -- you did mention that before. I'll have to remember for the next time. Thank you.

Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:14 am

Yellow Crookneck is growing well with a bunch of male and female flower buds on their way:

Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:45 am

My squash has just came up. You are way ahead of me.

Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:29 pm

Hey Apps, aren't you the one who gave me the link to that old periodical on "root development of vegetables"? If I remember correctly, the root mass of squash plants extends out about 15+ feet!

But I can't be one to talk. I have my bush plants on mounds so close together that it isn't even funny (:rolleyes: well, OK, maybe it is :lol:

).

Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:51 pm

G5 - I know, I know, but it's an experiment. :wink:

Here's the latest photo of the Crookneck. TWO female flowers are open but none of the boys are in bloom. :roll:

I thought male flowers always bloomed first. I don't know what's going on. Should I pick the female flowers and eat them since they won't be pollinated? :twisted:

I should go photo the AGP and the BG....

Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:14 am

That ain't fair. My crookneck is just getting its first real leaf. Ya, it seems a little odd to have female blossoms first. Eat them if you like them.

Tue Jun 15, 2010 12:52 pm

Yeah, my zucchini doesn't even have any flowers, yet. Sadly enough, my butterbush already has the powdery mildew, at less than a month old!

Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:26 pm

Get spraying with the milk solution!

This morning, there were several boys and one girl. I don't know if it's do any good, but I tore open the closed female blossoms from yesterday and dusted with pollen. We'll see.

JAL, you know you'll be posting pictures of bucket fulls if not your yellow wagonloads in no time at all! :wink:

Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:48 pm

I posted update photos of the Atlantic Giant and Bushel Gourd here. I think I'll be updating in the other thread from now on, though I may post more photos of the Yellow Crooknecks here. I've shifted and rearranged the leaves and stems as jal_ut suggested so they're headed in the "desired" directions.

... in fact, here are two more :()