Tales From the Dragon's Keep 
Chapter Three - No Quarter
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And then the bee's do what?......



 

June 19 A female out at 9 feet on the main vine of the 789 Zunino opens.  There are no males on any of my other plants.  Looking for love she found none.  A day later, the first male flowers were seen opening on the Ciliberto and the Calai.
June 21 A female opens on a side vine of the 789 Zunino.  The only males available are on the same plant.  Two days later a beautiful female opens eleven feet out on the main vine.  The Calai cooperates with some fresh males. The adventure begins...
June 30 A six lobe female opens eleven feet out on the main vine of the 983 Ciliberto.  The dragon Calai is tapped for stud duties.  Can you find the six lobes?



 

 
The females on the 789 Zunino have beautiful long stems.



 

July 1 The little lizard 13' out on the main vine of the 846 Calai opens.   So do two more females on side vines.  The 789 Zunino is exuberant today and produces 12 hot males.  Four males for every lizard girl.



 

Complete pollination stats:

    Plant              Feet out         Vine            Lobes      Date Pollinated    Male        Plant Size
789 Zunino              5             Secondary           5              June 21             789 Z        15' by 17'
789 Zunino             11               Main                 5              June 23             846 C        16' by 19'
789 Zunino              5             Secondary           5             June 23              789 Z        16' by 19'
789 Zunino              6             Secondary           4             June 24              846 C       17' by 20'
789 Zunino              8             Secondary           4             June 29              846 C        21' by 25'
789 Zunino             16               Main                 5             July 2                 846 C        24' by 27'
789 Zunino             24              Main                 5             July 20              983 C         37' by 30'
789 Zunino             20           Secondary           5             July 24               846 C        37' by 30'
789 Zunino             20           Secondary           4             July 24               937 M       37' by 30'

846 Calai                  8             Secondary           5             June 30             789 Z         21' by 22' 
846 Calai                  9             Secondary           5              July 1                789 Z         22' by 23'
846 Calai                  8             Secondary           5              July 1                789 Z         22' by 23'
846 Calai                 13                Main                5              July 1                789 Z         22' by 23'
846 Calai                  8             Secondary           5              July 2                789 Z         22' by 24'

983 Ciliberto           11               Main                  6            June 30             846 C          17' by 18'
983 Ciliberto            7              Secondary           5              July 3               846 C         23' by 22'
 

 
 
June 26 The rear patch on June 26 and 10 days later on July 6.  The dragon Calai is 27 feet bow to stern by July 6.



 

July 3 The fruit on the main of the 789 Zunino is 23" circumference at 10 days.  Fruit on the side vine was 20 at ten days.  I cull all the fruit on the side vines of the Zunino. Later, I cull every pumpkin on every plant except the fruit on the main vine. I guess I'm a main vine kind of guy.

 
July 4 East meets west.  The dragon Calai heading south passes the 983 Ciliberto headed north in the background.  The little lizard on the Calai is three days old.  The fruit on the Ciliberto is four days old. ( Fruits can be found just above the two boards.)



 

July 7  The bane of my patch, Anthracnose - a fungal disease, strikes the tiger/dragon Calai.  I lop off three badly infected secondaries.  I'm sentenced to weekly bouts with the sprayer.  The plants all get daconil showers.



 

July 8 I set up a web cam of sorts on the Calai, focused on the little lizard sitting 13 feet out on the main vine.  The web cam updates picture once a day about 8 o'clock in the morning Pacific time. 

Watch the lizard grow!!!!! go to the dragon cam

 
 
Amanda holds a monster male flower from the Calai.  A huge bloom with a 26" stem.  Every thing about the dragon Calai is big beyond belief....



 

July 19 After a week where the 789 Zunino put on 140 pounds, the fruit splits at the blossom end.  I use silicon rubber glue to seal the split and leave it on the plant for two more days.  It puts on another 46 pounds in two days but the split gets much worse.  Sadly I cut it from its earthly bonds, a beautiful child of the goddesses. 

228 OTT and an estimated 256 pounds at 28 days - she's gone to a better place.



 

July 20 I name the fruit on the main vine of the 983 Ciliberto, Bellaluna.  At 20 days from pollination she measures 70" circ. and 172 OTT for an estimated weight of 118 pounds.



 

July 21 The little lizard is growing.  I name the fruit Beowulf, dragon slayer.  An egg shaped reptile.  At 20 days from pollination 75" circ. and tying Bellaluna at 172 OTT.  Est. weight is the same at 118 pounds. 


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