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Rhode Island

did you know that

1. the 2007 wr jutras 1689 was the first wr pumpkin in many years to retain that record for two seasons.
2. spraying your pruning blade with bleach or zero tol before moving to another plant helps eliminate the possible spread of disease.
3. if your a smoker do not throw butts in the garden. it can cause tobacco virus on your plants
4. in 2008 steve connolly grew the worlds heaviest pumpkin (1,568) only to have it disqualified just before weighing due to a small leak in the pumpkins bottom.talk about a kick in the teeth?
5. walking and kneeling on boards in the patch does eliminate soil compaction and will help the soil breath.we use a large cookie sheet to kneel on as well.
6. spraying the weeds around your greenhouse just before removing helps eliminate manual weeding ( for at least a while )this is a contact killer so the damage to living organisms in the soil is very minimal.
7. a tissue test on several small leaves done around the middle (to early ) july can make a big difference in the future performance of you plant/pumpkin. well worth the investment.
8. till once in the spring and put the dam thing away until fall.over tilling will harm the soils ecological system.earth worms and smaller friends do get destroyed, so dont over do it.
9. err on the side of caution. if you think it may get sunny later while your away? vent that greenhouse before you leave.heat stress on young plants can be a real set back.
10.if rain is in the forcast? make sure your patch is not bone dry at that time.a quick growth surge can and will blow um up.

1/8/2012 10:18:18 AM

Hinckley MN

As I read this it is like I'm checking them off... "made that mistake last year, yep, made that one, too"...

1/9/2012 9:59:10 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

pap, any advice on where to send tissue samples? Peace, Wayne
PS...different samples on different plants, or one leaf each off each plants & mix together?

1/15/2012 12:16:41 AM

Rhode Island

wayne

i posted info for umass soil test facility on a different post this a.m.

when doing a tissue test we only use new (smaller ) leaves from one plant.
ps---if all plants look good we just pick one to sample from.
if we are tissue testing because we think we have a problem on a particular plant? --we again just tissue test from that problem plant.

pap

1/15/2012 7:17:54 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks, pap...makes sence!!! 2ndary question...is time frame important when doing tissue samples...you use U Mass...might take some time from KY. Is time important?, to get proper results? Peace, Wayne

1/16/2012 12:02:36 AM

Rhode Island

yes it can take sometimes a couple weeks to get a tissue test result back ( depending on how busy they are at that time )
usually we soil test spring/mid season/fall and do a tissue test mid july if we suspect something is wrong.

1/16/2012 8:45:46 AM

Muddy Waters

Great stuff Pap!I read some years ago the virus from tobacco could be spread by a smokers hands also.It stated to wash your hands prior to working patch.I have a no smoking sign in my garden.People laugh.No butts about it,smokers beware.

1/17/2012 7:11:11 AM