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Monrovia,CA

Greetings everyone!! I posted a few weeks back about Mosaic Virus and have somehow managed to set a pumpkin on the main about 11 to 12 feet out even though the plant is clearly affected with the virus. Question: when you measure the circumference of the fruit do you measure it around from blossom to stem end? The reason I'm asking is that I measured this way this morning and came up with 48" The fruit was pollinated on the 15th of July. This seems big, especially given the Mosaic problems. Am I doing something wrong here? Also there is another fruit that was pollinated yestarday that is about 18' out. Should I keep this one going for now? The vine also has two more fruit pollinated on secondaries at the other end of the patch. There seems to be a pretty decent amount of vine to support them. Should I leave them? I also have not severed the roots or the secondary under where the main fruit is growing. As a result the fruit is growing downhill towards the stem end. Should I sever them now? Or wait until it gains alittle more weight and then do it? Sorry for all the questions but I honestly didn't think I'd make it even this far given the troubles I've had this season. Any input would be MORE than greatly appreciated.
Thankyou!!!

Michelle

7/28/2003 10:28:38 AM

KENTUCKY

yes, circumference is blossom to stem. so your fruit is 13 days since pollination and 48", WOW. Sounds like mine and I'm concerened growing to fast. Read the prior post from Jeffl, about buffer fruits. Yes, if that is the pumpkin you want to keep, you need to sever the roots under that main about 3 feet in each direction to give the stem "slack" so the stem doesn't split on you. Slowly over days and week, try to "level" the pumpkin out so not growing down hill. Only move a tiny bit a day, and only in the heat of the day (afternoon) when vine is flexible, or "crack".
Good luck,
Mike

7/28/2003 10:44:07 AM

Monrovia,CA

Mike, thankyou so much for your input. Because this is the first time I measured this fruit I'm going to wait until this afternoon and measure it again to try to get an idea of the growth rate. At that time I can make the necessary adjustments in the vine. It's in a pretty good position on the vine (the outside of my 'S' curve) except for the downhill issue and I have a mister set up near by to try to keep the temp below 80 degrees.
Talk to y'all soon!
Michelle

7/28/2003 12:58:08 PM

Montoursville, PA

Michelle....If you are going for broke get down to one only.
Buffer fruit take energy and only sometimes make any difference. If you can't stand a wipeout emotionally keep both but some size will be compromised.

7/28/2003 3:35:48 PM

Monrovia,CA

Thanks for your input, Doc!! I measured the fruit again this am (24 hours after 1st measurement) and it is 53" Yestarday I measured from one side of the stem, down around the blossom end up to the other side of the stem. This morning I measured and let the tape touch itself at the stem. Which way is the correct way?
Thankyou All Again!!
Michelle

7/29/2003 10:52:11 AM

Montoursville, PA

Hey I am going for broke! Why bark like a dog and pee like a puppy. I want the biggest pumpkin my seed and patch will produce. If she blows it will be simply...There she goes.
...At which time I will begin rebuilding the patch for 2004 where the next world champion fruit may choose to grow.
...I will measure the OTT begining August 1. These early measurements are not as important as consistant growth to the end although there are milemarkers if you care to use them. Circumference means around the pumpkin at the middle or largest part of the fruit. If I am wrong someone will sure correct me. The circumference is darn hard to get when the fruit hits a couple hundred pounds. Think that is why the OTT measurements came into being. The OTT is in Don's Book with related charts to convert them top pounds.

7/29/2003 5:37:09 PM

Sloughhouse, CA

Michelle, Look in the "How To.." section on this site. Suzy

7/30/2003 2:32:59 AM

Monrovia,CA

Makes sense to me, Doc! The only question I have is that my vine pattern isn't the traditional "christmas tree" that most folks here seem to prefer...but has four pretty strong mains fanning out from a central point all with their own secondaries. Will just one pumpkin truly utilize all of this energy? I've been wondering about that from the beginning, wishing that I had done the Christmas tree from the get-go, so as to concentrate on the one fruit.
Again, many thanks. Suzy, thanks for the tip...am going to "how to" now....(ps. did you get my note?)

7/30/2003 9:00:58 AM

Montoursville, PA

No note Susie...sorry. I answer them all. You have a something however there can be only one main. The rest are secondaries or then the growth most of us terminate at the secondaries. If that is all or nearly all between the pumpkin and the stump it is is called the Red Zone. Most feel the Red Zone does the work for you. The stump and its one extension is your main vine...unless you have mutant. All others from the stump or main are secondaries. So it sounds like a X-Mas tree of sorts.

7/30/2003 12:00:12 PM