From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Just wondering what some of your approaches are to watering your LG plants. I've taken it pretty easy this year, two early doses of Neptunes, watering every other day before fruit set now every day, 2.5 gal. in the morning and the same in the evening. I also did two molasses drenches , one last week, and another to weeks before that. For the most part just straight water, what are you guys doing?

8/23/2010 10:14:32 PM

Flowery Branch, Georgia

Andy

I have used primarily fertilizers.
Last winter I buried 7 40 lb. fish under certain lg spots.
It seems to have kept the plants healthier longer than others.

8/25/2010 11:40:28 AM

Lexington, Ky

My program is similiar to yours Andy but lately I've seen a few hints here and there that perhaps less water will take that big and fat out of the gourd. The roots of my previous Long Gourds have just gone forever, like 30 feet in two directions so I've bought into watering heavy. Maybe with such extensive roots, the plant is getting what it needs without my help?

I've also noticed that early on my plants start out with a lush dark green color but as summer progresses, they turn pale. When it happens, I up my N applications but I can never get them to recover.

This year I allowed 10 side vines to hit the dirt and let them run about 20 feet. Those vines look great! And I never would have thought it but, those vines rooted at every other leaf node. It doesn't seem to have helped my Gourds though as they continue to look like soft ball bats!

Help!

Jamie

8/27/2010 10:54:10 AM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

I tend to think it's genetic more than anything else when it comes to shape- fat vs skinny. In one spot I have two different plants growing in a raised bed. They receive exactly the same amount of water, same feeding program yet a gourd off one plant is long and skinny and the gourd from the other plant is fat with a large seed bulge. In fact all of the gourds on each plant were similar in shape.

9/2/2010 7:33:01 PM