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[email protected]

Newbies & veterans alike, please take notice.

We all want fast seeds & instant gratification. Forget it. Mother has a plan & she WILL decide how fast your seedling grows. We can help by doing things right or destroy it all by being impatient & trying to force growth.

I know of quite a few personal bests that were grown on plants previously discarded to the compost pile but rescued at the last minute by desperate growers after their first choice failed.

I gave a newb a wilted & pot bound plant last year that sat on my driveway for weeks just refusing to die. It even had flowers on it. Darned if he didn't pop a 525 lb. personal best on the thing even after doing almost nothing right. LOL

Relax, take a deep breath & be patient. We didn't all enter puberty on the first day of gym did we? No. But we survived & look at us now. Nature has a way.

Maybe a grower of a certain 1059 would like to comment on a 723 he found all wilted on the compost pile to replace the fast starter that broke in the wind? That discarded "dark horse" went on to a new personal best that year if my memory serves.

So stop poking the soil & pacing the floor. Don't beat yourself & the seedling up for nothing. If you have backups use them. But don't shoot the dark horse yet. The dark horse sometimes finishes first.

But not if you killed it before it was ready to leave the gate.

5/11/2006 11:09:40 AM

Santa Cruz, CA

Thanks for the advice! It is really hard to be patient and most of us have waited all winter for this opportunity with lots of time and funds invested. With all that said, we're having a great time growing huge pumpkins. Thanks goes to all you amazing growers out there with all your experience to share. It takes the guess work out and helps keep the stress levels down. I know Riley and I appreciate it. - Kristine

5/11/2006 11:20:49 AM

Netherlands

Just a question then, Tremor. I have a selfed 670 Daigle. It's first two true leaves after a few weeks are less than 1 inch long and it is currently popping a third leaf, also less than an inch.
Leave it or pull it? I have the backup already planted beside it and it is growing like crazy.

5/11/2006 11:23:03 AM

[email protected]

Kris, imagine how many pencil points have been thrust at seedlings these past 2 weeks? Not many were harmed by this effort though some probably were. Mark my words that none were helped by the pointed exploration. It is also rare the a seedling really NEEDS to have a seed coat removed. Rather they just TOLERATE it if we're very careful.

Brad,

For me it would depend on the other genetics of the other seedling. Is it also a 670? If so I'd probably use it. But don't throw the slow 670 away. Give it to me or find another grower who can use it or pot it up into a larger container. You or someone else might still need it.

If the faster backup seed was a lesser genetic, I'd probably plant the 670. That or stick them both near each other & make the tough decision in a couple weeks before the run into each other.

5/11/2006 11:44:03 AM

Netherlands

The little plant is a 199 Ornskov (670 Daigle x self), the other is my own plant from last year with 1016, 805, 846 C and the like in its ancestory.
They are currently beside each other in a hoophouse. I think I will follow your advice and give them both a week or two.
Thanks.

5/11/2006 1:41:38 PM

Team Munson

In 2000 I had this little plant that was scrawny and refused to grow from the time it peaked out of the potting soil. I almost didn't put it in but I had nothing for a back up. After I set it out I almost pulled it a couple of times but my father said "just have patience and it will come around". On July 18th I finally set my pumpkin at 10' and figured that I had put up with it this long might as well see it thru. By the first Saturday in October it had grown to 1140#'s and was the one of the most memorable days of my life.
Don't ever give up on a plant or you will never know if you just pulled out a personal best or the next world record!
Great advice Tremor, patience is a key factor, slow and steady will win the race.

5/11/2006 7:53:30 PM

[email protected]

Thanks Dave...I forgot about the 1140 but it is another great example of waiting for the slow poke.

5/11/2006 8:46:35 PM

Puyallup, WA

Well....if it's true that late starters finish first, then you all better stand back! My 842 is eight days a germinating and it still hasn't broken the surface. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I carefully dug down and spied a hint of green. It's a comin', but it sure is taking it's time! Can you say, 1500#? ;>)

5/11/2006 11:36:07 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Thanks Tremor and Dave. That's very encouraging advice to many of us, I'm sure.

5/12/2006 12:12:55 AM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

I started 4 plants in peat pots, the 1178 Rivard, 1187 Werner and 2 Papez 992. The Rivard and Werner shot up thru the dirt in no time! The Papez seeds did not show until over 6 days later. I was about to get impatient and give up on them but for some odd reason (this is unusual for me) I resisted the urge to poke around in the dirt! I like the Papez so I got to give them a chance. Problem is I only have room to grow one plant....I'm gonna hate having to make that call! lol

5/12/2006 12:32:02 AM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

My plants always look weak, May to September, this year, I'm going over 2,000. ;)

5/12/2006 1:34:39 AM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

We started two pumpkins in peat pots and they did not germinate. What would be the longest time to wait for them to germinate? We had tomatoes, watermelon and sunflowers germinate in the same medium. Watermelon and sunflowers are already planted. Watermelon were so big I could not keep them any longer in the house. I guess I am asking what could the maximum time be to wait for these pumpkins to germinate? One was from a pumpkin that weighed over 1200 lbs. My son was really hoping to grow one over 500 maybe as much as 800 lbs with that one. Thanks signed, really bummed father and son.

5/12/2006 9:17:34 AM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

Rootbeermaker, I waited 12 days before seeing the Papez 992 pop up. the others made it in 7 days. How long have you waited already. Like Tremor said...don't be tempted to dig into it!

5/12/2006 7:24:30 PM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

Hoots, today is 10 days. Yeah I know patience but I must also take into consideration, backups. Backups that I should have already been planted.

5/12/2006 8:14:59 PM

Montoursville, PA

Hey you are approaching the full moon. When it turns to new moon there will be more germination activity. Check your old timers who grow by the sign. They will gladly tell you the next best day, to pot seed or direct seed anything for that matter. The real masters, of this belief or philosophy have it down, to specific days.

At this point one more day...more or less will make no difference, to your June 30th. plant condition.

5/12/2006 11:44:07 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

My 805 Pukos in the patch is a small, sickly looking seedling...far behind anything else. I have no intentions of starting another backup as my gut tells me all will be well once temps rise.

5/13/2006 6:59:55 AM

ordinary,VA

Same here Kyle my 805Pukos is the runt this year.
not even thinking about pulling the plant.

5/13/2006 4:39:10 PM

San Jose [email protected]

Thanks for this post Steve, it is very easy to get impatient. I filed and soaked many seeds, mostly to give a way, the ones I am giving away came up in two days, my reiss and 781.5 Frantz took their sweet a** time, and they look horrible. I planted my 881.5 frantz a week after the 781, and it came up about 12 hours after the 781.

5/14/2006 4:43:37 PM