#2017 patch update

[pumpkin-patch]

Sadly, my 2017 pumpkin patch has come to an untimely end thanks to total infection by a mosaic virus. It’s a bummer, but I’m thankful for the few pumpkins I did get, and I had fun, and I learned a few things that’ll hopefully make me a better gardener next year.

I have one more tiny mini pumpkin left growing, so I’m waiting to see if it can mature at all before the clock runs out on the vine’s life. 

[pumpkin-patch]

Now that my Rouge Vif D’Etampes seedlings are working on their first true leaves, I notice a few have minor deformities - those midrib veins don’t look quite right. Haven’t seen this before, not sure if it’s problematic or a quirk of this variety. 

[pumpkin-patch]

I’m not really a plant-namer but I already couldn’t help but nickname my #1 Rouge Vif D’Etampes seedling for being the biggest baby I’ve ever grown so far... it’s Madame Maxine’s third day above ground and her baby leaves are already close to 6″. I’ve never grown RVD before, but if this is any indicator, it looks like I’m in for some biiiiig vines. :)

[pumpkin-patch]

Always a fun moment when you double-take at that first little speck of green. My first Valenciano pumpkin seedling has sprouted :)

[pumpkin-patch]

I’ll be out of town for a few days at the exact time I planned to sow my pumpkin seeds. Instead of waiting, I’m using that time to soak them, and upon my return they’ll probably have started to germinate and I can get them right in the ground.

[pumpkin-patch]

It’s 2 weeks before I’d planned to start, and I had only sprouted some pie pumpkin seedlings as part of a viability test, but decided why not put them in the ground. So, my 2017 pumpkin patch has begun!

I made some cages out of hardware cloth because I’ve had a terrible time this year with birds stealing my seeds and snipping off young leaves. These should stay in place until they have at least a few sets of leaves.