Goodness, Life is Busy

It has been a bit since my last update from the pumpkin patches.  Worked my tail off last memorial day weekend, but unfortunately most of it wasn't in the pumpkin patch.  Trying to finish the landscaping in the back yard so I can plant grass seed and that has consumed my non-job hours lately.

Two days ago I sprayed insecticide on the plants.    I've found a lot of these little caterpillars in the soil.  Haven't been able to figure out what they are going to grow up to be, but I sprayed everything to keep the plants safe.

Yesterday I sprayed some 7-4-5 under the leaf canopy of the plants.  Today I gave the plants some compost tea with seaweed, blood meal, compost, molasses and alfalfa pellets in the brew.  

Weather this week has been cooler, with sporadic clouds.  On average temps have been a little too cool.   Seems like the 1974 plant has been close to its same growth, but the 2145 has seemed a little slower this week, but vine growth still has been descent.

The plan was to take the hoop houses off last Saturday, but they are still not off.  Today was calling for high winds and tomorrow the low is getting down to 37 so I've kept them on.  The plants are feet past the end of the hoop house and I've had to cut holes for the side vines.   It will take a surgeons skill to get the plants safely out of the hoop houses on Saturday, but that is the plan.

The female on the 2145 opened yesterday.  I didn't pollinate it.  1974 will probably open on Saturday, but I won't pollinate it either.  

I'm giving the plants just enough love right now to keep them happy, but it doesn't feel like I've had the time to do the little things.  Hopefully two more females will show up in the next few days and that would put me on target for mid-June pollinations, which would be perfect.   The plants should have good size by then and primed to start growing.