From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Joliet, IL

try to think of 5 tips to share to help us all remember the little things that we sometimes forget until after its too late.

1. use only warm water while watering in the early spring. the soil is cool enough as it is and then shocking small developing root systems with cold water will lock up nutrients and your yellow leaves will be a sure tell.
2. never try to train a developing main vine into the direction you want it to go until the plant is warm and supple and keep all pressure away from the main tip while adjusting.
3. make a checklist of all potential keeper female blossums and remember to check off that you have removed the female petals one day after pollination. (critical to avoid rot)
4. for prime keeper females 12' and out, identify which side of the vine the female will eventually fall on and begin to train the 's' curve as early as possible. also cover all prime females with white platic lawn chair or shading device from the pea size female until a white t shirt goes on them as they grow. better odds of successful pollination. have as many fans and bottles of ice ready along with your extension cords in case of 90 plus temps along with multiple pollinations on the same day.
5. prune stump of all weird small vine shoots and leaves early on. the bigger they get, the more cracks and crevices develop on the stump where rot sets in more easily. captan all pruning around the stump and keep the stump dry all season with a plastic white lawn chair secured with rebar through the handles into the soil to avoid wind blowing them over throughout the season.

2/22/2009 12:32:01 PM

Clayton, Ohio, USA

Good ones Shazzy!

2/22/2009 3:16:19 PM

Colorado Springs.Co

thanks Shazzy

2/23/2009 1:48:41 AM

Deer Park, WI

1. Take the number of seeds you want to grow this year and find an equal number of backups, as in my experience, its usually the backups that are sitting on the scale in Oct.
2. When using the oven as a seed incubator, make sure the wife knows before she preheats for dinner
3. Homemade seed starting mix is quick, easy, and reliable. Ingredients, available at the local walmart, include 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part peat moss
4. Do you know where your nail file and popsicle sticks are?
5. Plant an additional round of back ups one week after you start your main lineup and 1st backups. See point #1 for explanation.

2/23/2009 2:24:43 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

I really like your point about backups. I plant two or three plants in each spot. You never know what is going to happen, and we do too much work to have an empty spot where we planned to have a plant there.

Seeds are to be planted and not saved.

2/23/2009 6:13:43 PM

Joliet, IL

nice joe, these are the tips i am looking for. keep them coming guys.

2/24/2009 7:10:50 AM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

What size t-shirt Shazzy?

2/24/2009 12:20:51 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

I'm serious Shazzy! If I'm going to WalMart to buy t-shirts to put over my plastic tables, I need to know what size or they'll think I'm nuts if I ask them.

2/26/2009 1:18:31 PM

Roselle, IL [email protected]

If they're Shazzy's T-shirts, Extra large or more likely 2x. The shirt is just for shading the young fruit

2/26/2009 5:55:37 PM

Joliet, IL

xxlg....once again my counterpart shows he knows his enemy....kenny powers is my new hero....hbo...east bound and down...kenny powers=shazzy shazanova...bring it


boom boom, hi....nice job last year....i love it...i was proud of you. keep it up, jeff

2/26/2009 11:08:44 PM

Granite Bay Ca

I planted a crop of rye grass this year my first time trying to really grow a big pumpkin. Can anyone in California tell me when I should cut it and rototill it in . I was told to cut befor it seeds?? If I wait until I see seeds is that to late ?? I planted the crop in nov it is a foot high.

2/28/2009 1:11:37 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

Thanks Shaz

2/28/2009 9:17:26 PM