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eastern Ontario

Each year I tell myself that I should start seeds later next year,then comes a warm spell in May and I ignore my own advice.The only advantage to a too early start is that it gives more time to start some later to replace the failures.

I have my own plants in the ground now,ust sitting there waiting for some more warmth but on June 9 I started 13 more pots in my incubator for a few friends who want to grow them.

It is likely these June 9 starts will catch up to my own May 14 starts but I will follow closely and let you know.

I believe,unlike giant pumpkins,that we don't need to struggle so much to get early plant growth.This test should give a better picture on that theme.

Others LG growers have comments??

6/11/2009 7:46:36 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I have had just as good of success with seeds planted directly in the patch as I have with seeds started inside the first week of May. But then again I'm just a beginner at long gourds.

My main concern with a late start is that the gourd will be growing when the days are getting much shorter. I have noticed that the first gourd set is usually the longest one and late set gourds don't get as big. I think that it might help to have the gourd growing when the days are longer and the plant can get more energy for the sun. It probably isn't as big of a concern farther north where your days are longer but around here I think it might help.

6/11/2009 8:44:58 AM

Netherlands

Each year I start later, but it takes so long to get warm weather in the Netherlands, that it doesn't make too much of a difference. The two in my patch are just sitting there doing nothing. I have two backups in the greenhouse that are much bigger. I will plant them out today as we are finally expecting some warmer nights.

6/12/2009 2:57:18 AM