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Colo Springs CO

If you are a grower who were lucky enough to have a genetic that did incredible things this year, consider keeping it alive ! I encourage anyone who can, to keep a propagated plant cutting alive this winter for several reasons. You will have the benefit of using it as a pollinator next year at a time you may not have male flowers ready when you need. You can isolate a genetic at light speed by growing out its seed and crossing a selfed genetic with itself again and again. You can grow the clone plant just like any other , with results the same as the previous season. I plan the next season I grow to prove that to those skeptical growers who doubt that. Whatever your reason, if you want to isolate or use a specific genetic which has impressed you doing the season, NOW is the time to get it started ! You can worry later about powdery/bugs/or where to grow it. Right now, you need to get a window pot/ fill it with good potting soil, and bury your best vine[s]. Leave a couple leaves after the pot, with 2 good shoots ready to grow, and tip the plant off. Wait about 2 weeks and simply cut it away from the host plant. Thats it. Ill fill you in what options you have over the winter later. For now, thats all I can say to encourage those with the best plants to not let them die off ! Anyone with record pumpkins, you owe it to yourself and the world to utilize your special seed which may one day produce the first 3,000 pounder!

9/24/2019 11:47:57 PM

Central Illinois

I would like to see how well it does. I don't think the root system of the stump will be reproduced.

9/25/2019 5:48:38 AM

Muddy Waters

Amazing plants can be a result of amazing weather.The better genetics may still be in a lesser plant smaller fruit.You must know the grow to be sure of a seeds potential.I knew a guy who grew a 1704 lb pumpkin with only 6 hours of sun each day.Must have been GREAT seed genetics.However no one will grow it as it wasnt a record breaker that year.So you have a great idea.The genetics are so good now Its not hard to get a good seed. Grow 3-4 plants from any seed and will surely get 1 great one.Grow your own seed a 1,000lb pumpkin could grow the first 3,000 lber

9/27/2019 6:15:35 AM

Colo Springs CO

Ill put myself out on a limb and predict we will not break 3,000 until there are growers who grow out a genetic line which differs from what everyone is growing today. All of what is out there has become 2145 or 2009 [and both combined, which yes the 2145 has 2009 in it]offspring. What we have all been doing could be best described as line breeding these genetics. As we keep using and breeding these specific genetics, we will be able to isolate the best characteristics and the heavier genetics and end up having seeds which produce plants which exhibit similar traits out of all seeds that are planted. if grown in identical conditions, everyone would have plants similar to one another, where any seed that was grown would give pretty much the same result as any seed from that given pumpkin. This is what icould be considered a stable genetic line. It is my belief that unless growers begin isolating specific traits different from other plants, and create their own true breeding genetics, different from what everyone is growing, then 3,000 pounds may not be reached for many more years. The growers who created todays genetics got to this point by crossing plants which had the most diverse backgrounds from one another. This is what needs to be done now, and its getting more difficult to find those diverse genetics needed to create anything better than what is possible today. propagation is a means to isolate specific genetics quickly, as a person can grow a self pollinated seed and have its mother plant alive over the winter to be used as a pollinating plant when it is ready to pollinate.

9/29/2019 12:50:06 PM

Colo Springs CO

Those seeds could then be grown and pollinated with that original plant [its grandparent] and this process could be carried out until all seeds grew plants identical to the original plant. Only the plants which carried the original desired genetics would be grown, obviously, which wouldnt take as many generations of breeding as it would trying to find and grow seeds exhibiting traits of the original plant. If my theory is correct, it looks like I will be the one to prove what I believe needs to be done. I also need to prove out misconceptions about what cloned plants can do if they are used in competition for more than one season. they will develop a 'stump', they will grow exactly like the original plant used, and they are just as good to use as a seed plant. The only difference is you know what exactly the traits are that your growing and know exactly what to expect. When growing a seed, you cannot be so sure unless your growing a true breeding genetic line. It appears I have just gave myself a challenge. Anyone interested in anything Ive discussed should research themselves and get in contact with me if interested. I do encourage as many growers as possible to learn and practice propagation, even if just for fun during the winter.

9/29/2019 12:50:15 PM

Colo Springs CO

this thread may be lost in general discussion without many people seeing it, so to put this out there where more growers may catch on, I will re post all this in the breeding message threads

9/29/2019 12:54:51 PM

Midway, UT

I love this project Marc. Who wouldn’t want to pollinate using pollen from a plant that has already had a pumpkin go to the scale. I got cuttings a few years ago that I got going, but lost the plants in late winter when the greenhouse people killed them by accident.

9/29/2019 5:01:02 PM