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Entry Date
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Nick Name
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Location
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Sunday, October 06, 2024
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BlossomDown
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Gourd Zone, WA
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Entry 82 of 90 |
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If I had to do it again, I'd probably want more water and more disease control. I'd probably want to lay drip lines under that fancy two-sided garden fabric. I would elevate the vine where I wanted the fruit to set. I dont think I would bury vines but I might try to get some secondary rooting or just go with a diamond vine pattern to make the best use of the roots at the stump.
I think the hardest part about gourds is that the plants dont show signs of distress clearly except to change their growth rate, and eventually the leaves become less vibrant in appearance.... They dont wilt or have pronounced nutrient deficiency symptoms other than to stop growing. I did see a bit of phosphorus deficiency with some brown spotting on the leaves.
They're a little bit susceptible to disease and insects, but its also possible that with good plant care and gardening methods, I should not expect any major issues.
Im not sure a full size hoop house would be necessary. The weather didnt affect the gains or growth rates too badly. They can handle high temps and high humidities verh well, but it seems they can also do ok at lower temps and lower humidities, they're not all that different than Atlantic giants. A floating cover at night might be helpful though.
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