From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Bethlehem CT

I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts or observations on what helps to prevent graft blowouts? Is anybody managing them successfully with pretty consistent results?
For me It has been one of those things that one year you think you have got a handle on it, then the next year you get humbled and your back to ground zero.
Hopefully we can get a discussion going here.

3/29/2022 12:42:38 PM

Bethlehem CT

Here is an observation I have made; I have grown giant melons with a zero percent failure rate if I allow the plants to load up with melons and don't prune off the culls. So I believe one factor is that the blowouts happen if there are not enough sinks(fruit) to put all the "Juice" into.
Here is a link to a 200' row I grew with zero blowouts, you can see I let the fruit load up.
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=297959

3/29/2022 12:49:54 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Jeremy Lindley

3/29/2022 3:39:59 PM

Grittyville, WA

There was some talk about this in the gpc online convention seminar. The link might be there still through gpc's facebook. Did you watch it?
I wonder if smaller plants and more pruning would improve this or make it worse?

3/31/2022 5:05:59 AM

Grittyville, WA

I think the blown-stump pumpkin equivalent it helped when some growers started to do a diamond pattern. If more of the plant growth was restricted, except near the fruit, maybe this would somehow change the flow of juices in the plant. I dont know the answer, but Im sure the answer exists.

3/31/2022 5:11:42 AM

Bethlehem CT

I agree, the blown stump on a melon is somewhat similar to the foaming stump on an AG. Another thing I though about was perhaps it would help to cut some vine tips to relieve some turgor pressure from the vines. Or perhaps keep a nurse or sacrificial fruit on the plant up until a certain day.
I do believe the more agressive rootstocks are more likely to blow. Squash, and even BG. I am not sure about Rampart. Perhaps it is a slightly less vigorous plant, I have never grown a rampart, so I don't really know what kind of growth habit the plant has. Perhaps the most similar rootstock to the watermelon in growth rate would be the Carolina Strongback or the luffa sponge.

3/31/2022 8:46:40 AM

Bethlehem CT

Thanks Truck Tech, I will try and get a hold of Jeremy.

3/31/2022 8:47:24 AM