The Great Pumpkin Adventures of Diana Doucet
Chapter Three - The Rain Song

 
May 20 After over a week of rain, overcast skys and cool weather , temperatures soar to the high 90's for four days in a row.   Some of the plants start showing leaf damage due to sun scorch.  I start covering the 875 Dill's with 60% shade cloth during mid-day to help them adjust.  Note the fried edges on the older Dill

This is the springtime of my loving,
the first season I am to know
You are the sunlight in my growing,
so little warmth I've felt before.
It isn't hard to feel me glowing
 I touched the fire that burned below.



 

May 22 My newly purchased mole trap scores it's first capture.  Many thanks to the helpful folks from the Mallorn pumpkin mailing list for their advice on how to snare these critters.
May 23 The crimson clover is mowed down before turning under.  The two 875 Dills are now two and three weeks old, respectively.



 

May 27 When checking the 850 Hester, I notice that it is beginning to vine but is flat vining right out of the gate.  The primary vine is flat and wide and two or more leaves and secondary vines are emerging from each developing node.



 

May 28  The rear patch.  The back site has the 947 and 760 Patrick, which are three weeks old.  The nearer site has the 850 Hester and the 937 Mombert which are four weeks old.  Two pieces of  twin-wall polycarbonate are used as wind breaks.  The sunflowers on the right are sacrificials to distract the cucumber beetles. (The beetles really like pole beans too.)


See a Pumpkin eat a boy!!
Dance your dance in the dark of night,
Sing your song to the morning light.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight,
Your fears will fade when the sun shines bright.

 
May 30 Following advice from the Mallorn pumpkin list, I decide to snuff the 850 Hester because it is flat vining.  The 937 Mombert now rules the roost in the second rear site.
June 1 Driving home from an errand mid-day, I notice several cars stopped in the street in front of my house.  The drivers are looking intently at my front yard.  Three deer are nosing around the two Dill plants.  They saunter off when I drive into the driveway.  Tracks every where but no damage to the plants. 
June 3 The 937 Mombert is four and a half weeks old.  It has a 15" vine, 7 full size leaves, the leaves are a nice round shape and the larger leaves range from 15"-17".  The vine is not visible in the picture below but is turning yellow.



 

June 4 The 760 Patrick is culled, leaving the 947 Patrick in the first rear site.  It is now 4 weeks and 2 days since germination.  The vine is 12".  There are six leaves ranging in size from 12" to 15." 



 

June 4 The 875 Dills in the front patch are about a week apart in age.  The younger is four weeks and three days old .  The older Dill is the most vigorous but has been sun-burnt the worst (plant on the right).  It has a 26" vine.  There are 7 mature leaves. The largest range from 16" to 18."  The younger Dill looks healthy, no sunburn and the vine is 14".  There are six mature leaves, 12" to 15" 



 

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