Time to start thinking about next year because this is not the year to remember.
Growth just is not picking up. Sitting at about 10 pounds a day right now. It should be 20-25 per day to get to a respectable size.
I've contacted John Tabernera from Western Labs and a tissue sample is on the way to them. I think it is too late to accomplish much this year but it will be me a good idea of what I need to be doing this fall.
Still no pumpkins on the 482 north or the 604 I may rip the plants out but right now they are shading out the weeds. The 898 has not grown an inch in the last 2 weeks I have no idea what is wrong with this plant.
1040 Companion and 482 Christensen South are at 303#, My son's 641 is at 264#, his squash on the 895 Hester is at 250#, 670 Daigle is at 234#, the 961 is at 211# and the 846 is at 184#.
Overall a very unimpressive year. The Eastern Idaho State Fair is in 3 weeks. I'll probably take the runt of the litter. I won't be going to all the effort to cover the plants this fall so the first good freeze will end my season. That should let me get a good start on patch prep.
I did spend some time on the phone with John Tabernara today. One suggestion he had was to cover the soil all winter with black plastic. This would get the snow off earlier and help warm the soil. An extension of this would be to put the greenhouses up in the fall. I'm not sure they would hold up well to the snow.
Leaving for Alaska for 8 days tomorrow. Usually I leave with a bit of fear that I'm going to miss something in the patch, that something might go wrong that perhaps I could fix. NOT THIS YEAR. I have no idea how to fix whatever is wrong. Been pouring on the fertilizer and the plants just sit there. Averaged 4-7 pounds per day for the past 8 days. (4 pounds is on the biggest pumpkin). At this rate my pumpkins will end the season smaller then they were my second year growing. Still waiting for the tissue analysis to come back perhaps that will shed some light.h
Returned from Alaska not expecting much and I was not dissappointed. Blake's squash (pictured here) split in multiple places. It was estimated at 344 it was weighed today at 331.5 pounds. 895 Hester (selfed). Also found my biggest pumpkin to be split as well ( I had expected this as it had a deep rib). It was weighed today 421 pounds. (482 Christensen x 898 Knauss) Nice color but no size. Considering the small pumpkins throughout the patch perhaps I should try this one again but last years 717 (off of the 482) split as well so perhaps not This was estimated at 450#
The next biggest pumpkin is only at 400# and is putting on a pathetic 6 pounds a day. This will likely be my worst season growing pumpkins (excluding my first year). Looks like I may be losing some money this year at the pumpkin pickin party.
I have my tissue analysis back it correlates very well with my soild sample done this spring. I have very high in potassium, calcium, and zinc. Deficient in sulfur and manganese. Not sure if deficiencies in these minor elements are causing my problems or not. I need to talk to the John Tabernera again but heis out for the week. This means no manure this season. I will probably be beefing up the OM with alfalfa, straw and leaves this year.
Below is my daughters first attempt at a Carolina Cross watermelon rather pathetic but it matches the rest of the patch. Had to pick it today as I mowed her plants the 482 North, 895 Hesteralong with the 482 North and 604 Jutras (as I never could get a pumpkin set on either of these plants) to the ground to help control weed seed production.
