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Post by macmex on Jun 12, 2023 8:29:57 GMT -6
I need to get pictures of the vines. They are exploding with new growth now, starting side shoots at most leaf nodes. Any day now the first fruit should set. I observed that we had many female flowers before male flowers appeared but now, we have both. At this point I'm good with letting all the vines cross between themselves. Everything I've observed fits within the parameters I would consider to be acceptable for this variety.
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Post by macmex on Jun 13, 2023 7:56:33 GMT -6
Here's a picture of the majority of the vines. I took it yesterday evening while chatting on the phone with Ron.
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Post by FrostyTurnip on Jun 14, 2023 9:01:33 GMT -6
They look great. Are yall still a little on the dry side?
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Post by macmex on Jun 14, 2023 9:04:05 GMT -6
We have been. Last night we received a bit more rain, right after I set a sprinkler on these for about two hours. So the WBPP should be doing fine right now! I wish I could capture what I see, with my camera, but it doesn't come out. The vines are poised to explode in sending out shoots.
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Post by chrysanthemum on Jun 17, 2023 7:04:18 GMT -6
Those look great, macmex. I’m so glad they’re doing well for you.
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Post by macmex on Jul 17, 2023 9:17:41 GMT -6
On July 14, 2023 I harvested the first ripe fruit from this year's Warsaw Buff Pie Pumpkin crop. That's 98 days from the day I started the seed sprouting in a damp paper towels.
This is the fruit which had most caught my attention, as it was closest in appearance to what I used to raise. Almost all the others are longer fruited, though, not curving at all, like I saw in some of the 2008 seed I had obtained from the Seed Savers Exchange.
The wound on this squash was from some kind of a worm. I assumed it was a pickle worm and didn't mess with it, figuring it was already inside the squash. But while Woodeye was visiting with us over lunch, I used my pocket knife and pulled that worm out. It was still quite superficial, just hiding under its own fras.
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Post by chrysanthemum on Jul 17, 2023 16:24:40 GMT -6
Macmex, that pumpkin sure does look like a beauty. I'm glad the worm damage proved to be only superficial. Do you expect that the damage was minor enough to allow it to cure without rotting so that you can gather seeds? That would be wonderful news indeed.
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Post by macmex on Jul 17, 2023 16:45:49 GMT -6
I do. Right now the skin/thumbnail test tells me the fruit is ripe. If I can leave it an additional 30 days until cutting it, that would be optimum. I suspect it will last that long.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jul 18, 2023 21:25:38 GMT -6
George,
That is beautiful!
I'm sure glad I didn't waste any of your Warsaw Pie Pumpkin seeds over here this year. The grasshoppers killed every one of my Old-Timey Cornfield pumpkins before the vines were a foot long. That would have been terrible if I had planted any of your coveted Warsaw seedlings here this season.
Maybe, in the future, we'll have better conditions and I can try some out... Hope, hope.
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Post by macmex on Jul 21, 2023 5:45:02 GMT -6
Yesterday afternoon was interesting. I'd step outside to do some work and think, "It's not too bad out." Then, within minutes I'd be sweating up a storm. In a few more minutes I'd have to head back inside to cool down. I'd be drenched in sweat.
After supper I went out one more time, visiting our beloved mulberry tree. There are hardly any fruit left now. It's been a good, long season for mulberries.
Then I dropped in on my Warsaw Buff Pie Pumpkin patch. The two plants I had separate from the main patch died a few weeks ago. I'm not sure why. The main patch has grown like crazy, as have the weeds. I need to weed. Just haven't had time.
After a quick inspection I had to go get my pruners. There were quite a few ripe fruit! Here's a picture of what I harvested. This was just what I harvested while standing in one place. I'm sure there are a lot more out there. Just have to find them while endeavoring not to harm the vines. If I'm correct, the vines may well produce another flush of fruit.
Apparently borer pressure has been heavy this summer. I found some branches which had died. It appeared to me that borers were the blame. Only when there is very heavy borer pressure do I generally see c. moschatas being damaged by them.
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Post by chrysanthemum on Jul 21, 2023 6:41:00 GMT -6
That’s quite a nice harvest, macmex. Which of those fruits are candidates for seed saving? I’m guessing the center one and the one at four o’clock on the clock face, so to speak?
I’m sorry to hear about the heavy borer pressure. I know what that’s like. I’m glad that it’s only some of your vines that have been affected at this point.
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Post by amyinowasso on Jul 21, 2023 8:36:19 GMT -6
What would you say is the approximate DTM on these. Seems like they are early producers.
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Post by macmex on Jul 21, 2023 9:22:51 GMT -6
I've always considered this one to take about 100 days from seed. Didn't catch it when it first ripened fruit, this year, as I didn't expect it so early. I'd say that it came in just under 100 days.
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Post by macmex on Aug 3, 2023 7:49:17 GMT -6
Well, it appears that this heat wave has finished off my Warsaw Buff Pie Pumpkin plants. Last night I went out there and was astonished at how the weeds had grown up in that garden. I went in, pulling and cutting weeds and found that most of the vines had died. This has happened to me with Old Timey Cornfield Pumpkin, on occasion, but if my memory is correct, the Warsaw Buff Pie Pumpkin is more susceptible to our extreme heat. Anyway, I am both pleased and disappointed with the harvest. I'm pleased because every single squash harvested fit within the parameters of what I would consider legitimate. This seed was good/not crossed. I'm disappointed because I was hoping for at least twice as many squash.
I owe 1000 seeds to the Seed Savers Exchange. I must save out enough for a good planting in 2024. At any rate, I'm back in business with this squash and very pleased about it.
I have a small amount left (very small amount) of the seed which the Seed Savers Exchange sent me. Next year I'll plant seed from all of these fruit plus that seed and hope for a whole lot more production. I'll shoot for both an early and late planting too.
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Post by FrostyTurnip on Aug 3, 2023 11:08:03 GMT -6
Good job. I understand the weed issue. I Just cut back 2 foot tall grass and weeds from around the vines.
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